It might be of interest to Tim, Jacob, Yi and other assorted victims of yellow fever.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13760064 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13760064)
QuoteThe dark side of South Korean pop music
By Lucy Williamson BBC News, Seoul
South Korea's pop industry is big business in Asia. As K-Pop sets its sights on Europe and the US, will this force a change in the way it treats its artists?
Selling singles is no way for a pop star to make money these days. Most artists find that touring and merchandise sales are more lucrative. So when it comes to concerts, size matters.
This is why the biggest date in the Korean pop calendar - the Dream Concert, at which up to 20 bands perform - is held in Seoul's 66,800-seat World Cup Stadium.
Teenage crushes come here for a once-a-year date in a national love story, where commitment is measured in coloured balloons, and devotion is knowing all the words.
Most of the bands, like Super Junior and Wonder Girls, are household names; highly produced, sugary boy- and girl-bands with slick dance routines and catchy tunes.
But the industry also has a less glamorous side: a history of controversy and legal disputes over the way it treats its young artists, which it is still struggling to shake.
K-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009, and that figure is likely to have doubled last year, according to a government website.
Industry leaders are also ambitious - Korean stars are beating a path to Japan, America and Europe. This month, South Korea's biggest production company, SM Entertainment, held its first European concert in Paris, part of a year-long world tour.
In April, Korea's king of pop, Rain, was voted the most influential person of the year by readers of Time magazine. And earlier this year, boy band Big Bang reached the top 10 album chart on US iTunes.
Follow the money
Korea is excited by what this new musical export could do for its image - and its economy.
But some of K-Pop's biggest success stories were built on the back of so-called slave contracts, which tied its trainee-stars into long exclusive deals, with little control or financial reward.
Two years ago, one of its most successful groups, Dong Bang Shin Ki, took its management company to court, on the grounds that their 13-year-contract was too long, too restrictive, and gave them almost none of the profits from their success.
The court came down on their side, and the ruling prompted the Fair Trade Commission to issue a "model contract" to try to improve the deal artists got from their management companies.
Industry insiders say the rising success of K-Pop abroad, and experience with foreign music companies, has also helped push for change.
"Until now, there hasn't been much of a culture of hard negotiation in Asia, especially if you're new to the industry," says Sang-hyuk Im, an entertainment lawyer who represents both music companies and artists.
Attitudes are changing, he says, but there are some things that even new contracts and new attitudes cannot fix.
Rainbow is a seven-member girl-band, each singer named after a different colour. If any group could lead to a pot of gold, you would think they would.
But Rainbow - currently in a seven-year contract with their management company, DSP - say that, despite working long hours for almost two years, their parents were "heartbroken" at how little they were getting paid.
A director for DSP says they do share profits with the group, but admits that after the company recoups its costs, there is sometimes little left for the performers.
K-Pop is expensive to produce. The groups are highly manufactured, and can require a team of managers, choreographers and wardrobe assistants, as well as years of singing lessons, dance training, accommodation and living expenses.
The bill can add up to several hundred thousand dollars. Depending on the group, some estimates say it is more like a million.
Musical exports
But music sales in South Korea alone do not recoup that investment. For all their passion, home-grown fans are not paying enough for K-Pop.
The CD industry is stagnant, and digital music sites are seen as vastly underpriced, with some charging just a few cents a song.
Bernie Cho, head of music distribution label DFSB Kollective, says online music sellers have dropped their prices too low in a bid to compete with pirated music sites.
"But how do you slice a fraction of a penny, and give that to the artist? You can't do it," he says.
With downward pressure on music prices at home, "many top artists make more money from one week in Japan than they do in one year in Korea", Mr Cho says.
Company representatives say concerts and advertising bring in far more than music sales. "Overseas markets have been good to us," says one spokesman. South Korean musicians need to perform on home turf, but "Japan is where all the money is".
As acts start to make money overseas, he says this "broken business model" - underpricing - is creeping into their activities abroad.
A former policy director at South Korea's main artists' union, Moon Jae-gap, believes the industry will go through a major upheaval. "Because at the moment, it's not sustainable," he says.
Until that happens, he says, artists will continue to have difficulty making a living.
South Korea's government is keen to promote its new international identity, one many hope could rival Japan's cool cultural image.
The only question is whether the industry ends up more famous for its music, or for its problems.
The way they describe it I get strongly reminded of the studio system in Hollywood during the "Golden Age" rather than the Spice Girls on steroids, and ultimately that went down. People with a greater insight into the asian mindset and way of doing showbiz can expand on the attitudes described on the article.
Gratuitous pic of leggy Korean girls added as a bonus:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbcimg.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F53402000%2Fjpg%2F_53402257_011973823-1.jpg&hash=fd78e646c7b0d310e980a5821c89099ef41838dc)
Quote from: The Larch on June 15, 2011, 03:49:09 AM
The way they describe it I get strongly reminded of the studio system in Hollywood during the "Golden Age" rather than the Spice Girls on steroids, and ultimately that went down. People with a greater insight into the asian mindset and way of doing showbiz can expand on the attitudes described on the article.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbcimg.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F53402000%2Fjpg%2F_53402257_011973823-1.jpg&hash=fd78e646c7b0d310e980a5821c89099ef41838dc)
That's exactly how it is. The groups are all so huge for cost reasons as well.
Pretty much the same in Hong Kong. The big entertainment companies need to invest huge sums of money on new singers. But the truth is that the vast majority of them are duds. Groups are a much more risky bet than lone singers, because the costs are multiplied, while the profits must be shared among more people. New singers don't make money from selling songs or CDs. The side jobs are the real money winners. Like starring in advertisements, endorsing products, showing up in ribbon cutting ceremonies, etc.
I don't know much about the music scene in North America or Europe. My impression is that over there, a lot of people form bands, write their own music and lyrics, and perform the songs themselves. That is not the case here. Some people do that, but most don't. The norm is that the big companies find pretty faces with no musical talent at all, train them up from scratch, write songs and lyrics for them, and teach them how to perform these songs. There is a whole industry that comprises "shadow singers" - professional singers who sing really well but aren't good-looking. Their job is to demonstrate to the pretty stars how to properly sing a song. A few of these shadow singers actually make it to the big stage due to their superb performance.
Surprising. This is not the 1980s. This is the age of youtube and iTunes (and I know of artists who succesfully promote their own albums on both and earn cash in the process). It's surprising big media corporations would have so much power. Maybe Koreans just like to be slaves?
Quote from: Martinus on June 15, 2011, 04:29:00 AM
Surprising. This is not the 1980s.
The management companies sound more like they're in the 50s.
Quote from: Monoriu on June 15, 2011, 04:07:59 AM
I don't know much about the music scene in North America or Europe. My impression is that over there, a lot of people form bands, write their own music and lyrics, and perform the songs themselves. That is not the case here. Some people do that, but most don't. The norm is that the big companies find pretty faces with no musical talent at all, train them up from scratch, write songs and lyrics for them, and teach them how to perform these songs. There is a whole industry that comprises "shadow singers" - professional singers who sing really well but aren't good-looking. Their job is to demonstrate to the pretty stars how to properly sing a song. A few of these shadow singers actually make it to the big stage due to their superb performance.
Manufactured bands and singers exist in the west as well, it's by no means an exclusive of East Asia. The whole phenom of boy and girl bands has been around for a while, and that kind of artists are created and organized by powerful producers, managers and/or companies as well, but even if they're comercially successful they are not as prevalent or monopolistic in the different scenes as it seems to be the case over there. We had our share of Spice Girls, Take Thats, Backstreet Boys and the like in the 90s and all the ones churned directly or indirectly by Disney in the 00s, like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera first and Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers and the like afterwards.
But compared with what you describe, what the article says and the general impression of the scene, of which I admit plenty of ignorance and I'm willing to be enlightened about, the western manufactured artists seem like accomplished auteurs when compared with their Eastern Asian peers.
Quote from: The Larch on June 15, 2011, 03:49:09 AM
Most of the bands, like Super Junior and Wonder Girls,
In April, Korea's king of pop, Rain,
Rainbow is a seven-member girl-band, each singer named after a different colour.
Foreigners are stupid.
QuoteBernie Cho, head of music distribution label DFSB Kollective,
:lol: Even their record executives are Jewish.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on June 15, 2011, 04:54:39 AM
Quote from: The Larch on June 15, 2011, 03:49:09 AM
Most of the bands, like Super Junior and Wonder Girls,
In April, Korea's king of pop, Rain,
Rainbow is a seven-member girl-band, each singer named after a different colour.
Foreigners are stupid.
QuoteBernie Cho, head of music distribution label DFSB Kollective,
:lol: Even their record executives are Jewish.
:lol:
Now, I gotta say I am not that familiar with what teenagers listen to these days, but are "premade bands" so popular in the West the way they were during the 1980s and 1990s?
It seems to me that if anything, that role was taken over by shows like X-Factor or Glee (which may give a better perception of "deserved stardom", as opposed to some band coming out of nowhere). Or you have pop stars like Lady Gaga who, for all their pop appeal, seem to be much more self-made (or at least have a greater creative control).
I mean, from what I understand, even he whose name shall never be spoken (the kid who looks like an old lesbian with a gay haircut) started on youtube, as far as I understand.
Quote from: Martinus on June 15, 2011, 04:58:10 AM
Now, I gotta say I am not that familiar with what teenagers listen to these days, but are "premade bands" so popular in the West the way they were during the 1980s and 1990s?
It seems to me that if anything, that role was taken over by shows like X-Factor or Glee (which may give a better perception of "deserved stardom", as opposed to some band coming out of nowhere). Or you have pop stars like Lady Gaga who, for all their pop appeal, seem to be much more self-made (or at least have a greater creative control).
Talent shows are only a refined version of the same model of artificially creating artists by grooming unkowns into manufactured stardom.
And stop beating the dead Glee horse, it's in no way as popular as you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TeeJvcBdLA
i'll just leave this here.
Quote from: Lettow77 on June 15, 2011, 05:11:17 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TeeJvcBdLA
i'll just leave this here.
Not going to click on that, but I wish you wouldn't leave your stuff laying around here.
It has a light side?
It does indeed sound very old fashioned.
Quote from: Lettow77 on June 15, 2011, 05:11:17 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TeeJvcBdLA
i'll just leave this here.
Hello! Hello!
:lol:
Stripers. :licklips:
I enjoyed that, thank you :licklips:
Quote from: Lettow77 on June 15, 2011, 05:11:17 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TeeJvcBdLA
i'll just leave this here.
Old :yawn:
Don't get me wrong, of course. I find it reprehensible- Korea is PIG DISGUSTING and overt, while Japan is adorable and subtextual. Korea's videos feel like they could have come from yankeeland.
Quote from: Lettow77 on June 15, 2011, 07:03:18 AM
Don't get me wrong, of course. I find it reprehensible- Korea is PIG DISGUSTING and overt, while Japan is adorable and subtextual. Korea's videos feel like they could have come from yankeeland.
What is the adorable subtext to being raped by a squid?
The funny thing is that the Japanese used to be called the Yankees of the East.
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
Quote from: Martinus on June 15, 2011, 04:29:00 AM
Surprising. This is not the 1980s. This is the age of youtube and iTunes (and I know of artists who succesfully promote their own albums on both and earn cash in the process). It's surprising big media corporations would have so much power. Maybe Koreans just like to be slaves?
Remember that most of the people that are in these contracts are untalented. If they didn't have the company, they'd have a nametag and hairnet job.
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
No kidding. That's barely more than a million CDs. Then again, the article said that they had cut the price of digital music down to pennies for a song, so that could actually be a fair amount of music.
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 07:24:55 AM
Quote from: Martinus on June 15, 2011, 04:29:00 AM
Surprising. This is not the 1980s. This is the age of youtube and iTunes (and I know of artists who succesfully promote their own albums on both and earn cash in the process). It's surprising big media corporations would have so much power. Maybe Koreans just like to be slaves?
Remember that most of the people that are in these contracts are untalented. If they didn't have the company, they'd have a nametag and hairnet job.
:yes:
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
I have to believe that's a typo/mistake.
Quote
K-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009, and that figure is likely to have doubled last year, according to a government website.
That doesn't sound so massive.
edit: oh berk made that comment. :blush:
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 07:26:49 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
No kidding. That's barely more than a million CDs. Then again, the article said that they had cut the price of digital music down to pennies for a song, so that could actually be a fair amount of music.
Their problem seems to be to poor of a return on investments. Maybe cut some expenses, like start with people who can already dance or sing.
Quote from: Grey Fox on June 15, 2011, 07:43:17 AM
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 07:26:49 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
No kidding. That's barely more than a million CDs. Then again, the article said that they had cut the price of digital music down to pennies for a song, so that could actually be a fair amount of music.
Their problem seems to be to poor of a return on investments. Maybe cut some expenses, like start with people who can already dance or sing.
But then they won't be as pretty, which damages your spin-offs into movies and advertising. That might not be important with your average flash-in-the-pan group, but when you get a huge success like this Rain guy, he pays for everything.
And besides, this stuff happens here, too. How much do you think they had to put into that Kesha girl before she got to the level of shittiness that she's at today?
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 07:39:51 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
I have to believe that's a typo/mistake.
If so, they made it twice (once in dollars and once in pounds). I bet the foot fetish industry makes more money then that.
I thought this thread was going to be about some breakfast cereal. :(
edit:
On reading the OP, turns out it is.
Quote from: Razgovory on June 15, 2011, 08:05:55 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 07:39:51 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
I have to believe that's a typo/mistake.
If so, they made it twice (once in dollars and once in pounds). I bet the foot fetish industry makes more money then that.
Do Global sales include Korean? Because it's a billion dollar business here. It's completely dominate, there is no serious competition, no native rock scene of any significance. You'll see 50 year old businessmen rocking out to the latest teen sensation with no shame at all.
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 08:02:21 AM
Quote from: Grey Fox on June 15, 2011, 07:43:17 AM
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 07:26:49 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
No kidding. That's barely more than a million CDs. Then again, the article said that they had cut the price of digital music down to pennies for a song, so that could actually be a fair amount of music.
Their problem seems to be to poor of a return on investments. Maybe cut some expenses, like start with people who can already dance or sing.
But then they won't be as pretty, which damages your spin-offs into movies and advertising. That might not be important with your average flash-in-the-pan group, but when you get a huge success like this Rain guy, he pays for everything.
And besides, this stuff happens here, too. How much do you think they had to put into that Kesha girl before she got to the level of shittiness that she's at today?
Surprisingly, it seems that Kesha had a legitimate music background before being famous, as she had been a studio and background singer for a few years before getting a record deal of her own. She's still auto-tuned crap, but at least it's legitimate crap.
I think that the Disney teenybopper celebrity churn machine is the closer thing in the west to the Korean model. American Idol would be somehow in the same wavelength.
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 08:02:21 AM
Quote from: Grey Fox on June 15, 2011, 07:43:17 AM
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 07:26:49 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
No kidding. That's barely more than a million CDs. Then again, the article said that they had cut the price of digital music down to pennies for a song, so that could actually be a fair amount of music.
Their problem seems to be to poor of a return on investments. Maybe cut some expenses, like start with people who can already dance or sing.
But then they won't be as pretty, which damages your spin-offs into movies and advertising. That might not be important with your average flash-in-the-pan group, but when you get a huge success like this Rain guy, he pays for everything.
And besides, this stuff happens here, too. How much do you think they had to put into that Kesha girl before she got to the level of shittiness that she's at today?
A lot of money for sure but Kesha is probably raking 30 millions by herself. Not an entire industry.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 08:10:12 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 15, 2011, 08:05:55 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 07:39:51 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
I have to believe that's a typo/mistake.
If so, they made it twice (once in dollars and once in pounds). I bet the foot fetish industry makes more money then that.
Do Global sales include Korean? Because it's a billion dollar business here. It's completely dominate, there is no serious competition, no native rock scene of any significance. You'll see 50 year old businessmen rocking out to the latest teen sensation with no shame at all.
And that's why it will never succeed here. Western culture is all about being 'cool' at all costs.
I found a new number in a Time article about the size of the K-pop market. They did a special on K-pop earlier this year after a corruption investigation was launched regarding some kind of payola scandal.
Here's the link to the special: http://205.188.238.181/time/asia/covers/1101020729/index.html (http://205.188.238.181/time/asia/covers/1101020729/index.html)
And here's the money quote:
QuoteIt's hard to imagine a worse p.r. nightmare for Korea's idolmakers, whose stock-in-trade is bubblegum groups crooning heavily synthesized love ballads to a largely underage audience. The investigation comes at a time when K-pop is on an impressive roll. The $300 million domestic market is the second largest in Asia, topped only by Japan's massive $2.9 billion in album sales last year. K-pop has broken across borders: teenagers from Tokyo to Taipei swoon over performers such as singer Park Ji Yoon and boy band Shinhwa, buying their CDs and posters and even learning Korean so they can sing along at karaoke. BoA this year became the first solo artist in more than two decades to have a debut single and a debut album reach No. 1 in Japan, according to Oricon magazine, Japan's leading music guide. "Korea is like the next epicenter of pop culture in Asia," says Jessica Kam, a vice president for MTV Networks Asia. "It's the next Japan."
Is 300 million dollars just for South Korea more reasonable?
I was looking around and found that article, but it's nearly 10 years old.
Quote from: Razgovory on June 15, 2011, 09:03:47 AM
I was looking around and found that article, but it's nearly 10 years old.
10 year old? In wiki it's dated as being from February 2011.
Edit: Ok, now I see that the band they talk about, H.O.T., disbanded in 2001, and in Wiki they say that the article was retrieved on that date, not that it was written in that date.
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 08:27:16 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 08:10:12 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 15, 2011, 08:05:55 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 07:39:51 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
I have to believe that's a typo/mistake.
If so, they made it twice (once in dollars and once in pounds). I bet the foot fetish industry makes more money then that.
Do Global sales include Korean? Because it's a billion dollar business here. It's completely dominate, there is no serious competition, no native rock scene of any significance. You'll see 50 year old businessmen rocking out to the latest teen sensation with no shame at all.
And that's why it will never succeed here. Western culture is all about being 'cool' at all costs.
Lady Gaga?
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 07:24:55 AM
Remember that most of the people that are in these contracts are untalented. If they didn't have the company, they'd have a nametag and hairnet job.
A fair number are trophy wife material.
Quote from: The Larch on June 15, 2011, 04:54:31 AM
Manufactured bands and singers exist in the west as well, it's by no means an exclusive of East Asia.
True. In fact, it's largely a Swedish conspiracy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Martin
Quote from: Tyr on June 15, 2011, 09:47:03 AM
Quote from: Neil on June 15, 2011, 08:27:16 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 08:10:12 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 15, 2011, 08:05:55 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 15, 2011, 07:39:51 AM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2011, 07:24:50 AM
QuoteK-Pop is a massive industry: global sales were worth over $30m (£18m) in 2009,
Wow. $30 million. Globally. That sure is massive.
I have to believe that's a typo/mistake.
If so, they made it twice (once in dollars and once in pounds). I bet the foot fetish industry makes more money then that.
Do Global sales include Korean? Because it's a billion dollar business here. It's completely dominate, there is no serious competition, no native rock scene of any significance. You'll see 50 year old businessmen rocking out to the latest teen sensation with no shame at all.
And that's why it will never succeed here. Western culture is all about being 'cool' at all costs.
Lady Gaga?
bmolsson?
That's not the dark side of K-pop as far as I know.
When I was in Hong Kong I was talking to a guy I know in the entertainment industry there and who does a variety of business with Koreans. He related a story of one of his first visits there. His associate picked him up at the airport and the conversation went something like this:
"Who do you want to do?
"What do you mean who do I want to do?"
"Who do you want to fuck? [Name of a famous singer]?[Name of a famous actress]? Someone else?"
"Uh...."
"Let me know when you decide. I'll make the calls and hook you up."
Hong Kong/ Taiwan/ PRC are a bit better. Fewer suicides and it seems the sex for money/ favours thing while still fairly common (e.g. the Zhang Zhiyi scandal last year) is mostly voluntary rather than forced on the talent by managers and label executives as it seems to be the case in Korea these days.
The dark side of K-pop is the serious involvement of organized crime and the unsavory business practices of the industry leading to the inordinate amount of suicides.
I'd do that pink haired girl from Miss A, no doubt.
Quote from: Jacob on June 15, 2011, 12:39:46 PM
That's not the dark side of K-pop as far as I know.
When I was in Hong Kong I was talking to a guy I know in the entertainment industry there and who does a variety of business with Koreans. He related a story of one of his first visits there. His associate picked him up at the airport and the conversation went something like this:
"Who do you want to do?
"What do you mean who do I want to do?"
"Who do you want to fuck? [Name of a famous singer]?[Name of a famous actress]? Someone else?"
"Uh...."
"Let me know when you decide. I'll make the calls and hook you up."
Hong Kong/ Taiwan/ PRC are a bit better. Fewer suicides and it seems the sex for money/ favours thing while still fairly common (e.g. the Zhang Zhiyi scandal last year) is mostly voluntary rather than forced on the talent by managers and label executives as it seems to be the case in Korea these days.
The dark side of K-pop is the serious involvement of organized crime and the unsavory business practices of the industry leading to the inordinate amount of suicides.
That is probably a scam. They entice you with some star, and when the time comes to meet she will unfortunately be out of the country on some trip that came up at the last moment. But there will be another "star" available, only one you have never heard of.
Quote from: alfred russel on June 15, 2011, 01:10:01 PM
Quote from: Jacob on June 15, 2011, 12:39:46 PM
That's not the dark side of K-pop as far as I know.
When I was in Hong Kong I was talking to a guy I know in the entertainment industry there and who does a variety of business with Koreans. He related a story of one of his first visits there. His associate picked him up at the airport and the conversation went something like this:
"Who do you want to do?
"What do you mean who do I want to do?"
"Who do you want to fuck? [Name of a famous singer]?[Name of a famous actress]? Someone else?"
"Uh...."
"Let me know when you decide. I'll make the calls and hook you up."
Hong Kong/ Taiwan/ PRC are a bit better. Fewer suicides and it seems the sex for money/ favours thing while still fairly common (e.g. the Zhang Zhiyi scandal last year) is mostly voluntary rather than forced on the talent by managers and label executives as it seems to be the case in Korea these days.
The dark side of K-pop is the serious involvement of organized crime and the unsavory business practices of the industry leading to the inordinate amount of suicides.
That is probably a scam. They entice you with some star, and when the time comes to meet she will unfortunately be out of the country on some trip that came up at the last moment. But there will be another "star" available, only one you have never heard of.
There have been scandals in the Korean press where such things happened. Including a few cases where it didn't come out until the actress committed suicide.
Quote from: alfred russel on June 15, 2011, 01:10:01 PMThat is probably a scam. They entice you with some star, and when the time comes to meet she will unfortunately be out of the country on some trip that came up at the last moment. But there will be another "star" available, only one you have never heard of.
No, not at all. These guys were business partners, and he did his part to get his friend laid when the friend was visiting Hong Kong. And, as it happens, the guy who told me the story (and who is a Hong Kong celebrity, if not an A-list one) ended up marrying a Korean Hip Hop singer.
It wasn't an offer to some random Joe average fresh off the plane. It was a favour from one connected industry insider to another.
The Korean entertainment industry is notorious for pimping out their young starlets whether the girls themselves want to or not, with the Jang Ja-Yeon case being the one that's received the most coverage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jang_Ja-yeon
Quote from: Jacob on June 15, 2011, 01:50:31 PM
ended up marrying a Korean Hip Hop singer.
The long winter evenings must just fly by.
Quote from: The Brain on June 15, 2011, 02:00:31 PMThe long winter evenings must just fly by.
Hong Kong is pretty tropical. I don't think they have much in the way of long winter evenings.
Quote
Hong Kong/ Taiwan/ PRC are a bit better. Fewer suicides and it seems the sex for money/ favours thing while still fairly common (e.g. the Zhang Zhiyi scandal last year) is mostly voluntary rather than forced on the talent by managers and label executives as it seems to be the case in Korea these days.
Zhang Ziyi scandal? :unsure:
Googling all I can find is pictures of her on the beach. There's a whoring scandal?
Quote from: Jacob on June 15, 2011, 01:50:31 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on June 15, 2011, 01:10:01 PMThat is probably a scam. They entice you with some star, and when the time comes to meet she will unfortunately be out of the country on some trip that came up at the last moment. But there will be another "star" available, only one you have never heard of.
No, not at all. These guys were business partners, and he did his part to get his friend laid when the friend was visiting Hong Kong. And, as it happens, the guy who told me the story (and who is a Hong Kong celebrity, if not an A-list one) ended up marrying a Korean Hip Hop singer.
It wasn't an offer to some random Joe average fresh off the plane. It was a favour from one connected industry insider to another.
The Korean entertainment industry is notorious for pimping out their young starlets whether the girls themselves want to or not, with the Jang Ja-Yeon case being the one that's received the most coverage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jang_Ja-yeon
I actually hadn't heard anything about this in Korea, but I've heard about it quite a bit regarding Bollywood, and always in the context of it being a scam. Maybe there is an underlying truth in both places (for people with the right connections), the rumors of which feed the scams to the common folk. Rather disappointing though.