Pretty much that: most people love the music video for “Gangnam Style” because it’s so silly. There’s goofy dancing, bizarre scenarios, and random settings. The song being extremely catchy helps.
I know Psy is an established artist in Korea already. I also know we laugh at a lot of East Asian things that aren’t meant to be funny in their home country (I’m looking at you, Japanese television). Is the video for “Gangnam Style” supposed to be funny or is it an example the latter phenomenon?
It’s supposed to be funny and is considered funny in S. Korea.
Thought so! I just watched it for the 100th time and got curious.
Well, yes, of course. The music video is obviously intended to be funny, and as I understand, the whole song is poking fun at the people from the richest district of Seoul.
Not exactly. Psy himself said this in an interview with CNN.
I know almost nothing about Korean pop music, but I’ve heard that the “Gangnam Style” video contains many references to/spoofs of other Korean pop videos and cliches of the genre. If this is true, it’s probably funnier, albeit less surreal, in Korea than it is in other places.
I’ve been to the Gangam area and Starbucks regular size coffee cost me ~5-7USD, by the way. it really is a pretty crazy, expensive area.
Oh, and Gangam style is definitely a goofy, jokey song and a comedy video.
Weird Al could never really spoof/parody the thing since it already a comedy song.
I’d like to see the culture where rapping while sitting on the toilet, screaming at women’s asses while they do yoga, running down the street while pretending to ride a horse, and dramatically walking away from a couch that explodes for no reason, all while wearing a powder blue tux, isn’t considered to be funny.
Moved to Cafe Society from GQ.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Was a very interesting discussion on Reddit about it recently here.
Here’s the top-voted comment about the song’s meaning itself:
The same guy basically says that Psy can be seen as the equivalent of Eminem, with “Gangnam Style” the equivalent of “Without Me.” Funny lyrics, but there’s a satire/meaning underneath it that separates it from say, Weird Al.
I thought the same thing about LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know it Video” as well as the “Gangnam Style” video yet people have made parodies of both for some reason.
So the translation would be something like “Upper East Side Sugardaddy”? Weird.
I’ve heard that Psy’s father is a successful businessman. What I don’t know is if he ever gave his son any grief for becoming an artist instead of going into business. If he did, I hope he’s proud of the kid now. Even if he turns out to be just a one-shot wonder, not many of those become such a worldwide phenomenon, with visits to make appearances on TV all around the world. Hell, I just saw they did an “Eton Style” video in England.
It was funny for a week. Now that song is used for every other commercial on TV, for everything from cell phones to kimchi refrigerators.
Also that long-winded interpretation of the song is a bit silly. He isn’t subtly hitting on her in the song, he is OVERTLY saying that he is a prime example of a macho man whom any girl would want to date. There is no subtlety about it.
Say all you want about the subtle digs at rap videos and the dichotomy between reality and dreams that the video presents, but the lyrics themselves, at least when translated, are about as subtle as a pickup artist. The verses generally consist of two parts: him talking about the kind of girl he likes and then posturing about how awesome he is (though, at least when translated, can get a bit silly at points – like the whole downing a cup of coffee while it’s still hot thing).
Judging by Hazel’s response, this holds in the original as well.
ETA:
Also, at least the translation I found had the chorus as
“Beautiful, lovely, that’s what you are […] Shall we go all the way?”
It’s silly in the original Korean as well - it’s supposed to be silly. The video itself is silly because most Korean music videos look slick and sexy and are shot to look like LA or NYC or something. Psy’s video is funny because it is so obviously shot in everyday Seoul.
Also, the “go all the way” thing has less of a sexual overtone than it does in the translated English.
Sorry, another thing that doesn’t make sense in that reddit comment is about how Psy says oppa instead of shi (씨). Psy is referring to himself in that song, and no one refers to themselves as a 씨 no matter what the context.
I doubt it, somehow.
Well, yeah, now, since doubling his father’s stock. But I wonder what his father’s reaction was when he first told him he wanted to be a performer instead of a software tycoon.
I recently heard an analysis of this song, saying it is the product of what can happen when Korea turns its considerable marketing skills to popular music. It’s the equivalent of Hyundi and other consumer products they have successfully sold to the rest of the world. Sort of took the goofy fun out of it, for me, but of course by now I’m sick of it.