So, allow me to share with you, Gangnam Style!, from the Korean performer called "Psy".
What's remarkable to me about this chubby older guy's gaudy, bizarre, outlandish, and hypnotizing visual assault is that, as of this posting, it has garnered more than 52 million views since it was first posted on July 15th 2012.
Yes, 52 million views. In 5 weeks.
To put that into perspective, the video for Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", arguably one of the most famous songs ever, has had 47 million views since it was posted on Aug 1st of 2008.
As to the "Oppen Gangnam Style" phrase Mr. Psy keeps repeating: "Oppen" is apparently a Korean term akin to "dirty uncle", or an older man who dates younger women, and "Gangnam" is a wealthy and pretentious Seoul neighborhood (a sort of Korean Beverly Hills, I guess) that Mr. Psy is poking fun at. So there you go.
If you're wondering what this has to do with classic games, well, I'm at a loss, except to say it never fails to amuse me how unpredictable and unexpected sudden pop-culture phenomenons can be, not unlike a certain little brown box was 4 decades ago.
I recently encountered this too. My korean relatives were howling with laughter because it is apparently such an awesome parody of a certain stratum of upper class folks, with too much money and no knowledge of what to do with it. I think it's genius also, in that one can find it hilarious without understanding a single word. (Incidentally, "Oppa" is actually the normal term for "boyfriend", not really an older man. It's more like "honey".)
ReplyDeleteGangNam is "river south or south river" in Korean. It's adjacent to the Han Gang (Han River) which flows around Seoul.
ReplyDeleteI was gonna say, looks like a bunch of rich people with too much money and time and absolutely no one to tell them what the fuck are you doing?
ReplyDeleteYeah, the message definitely transcends the language.
DeleteLoved it.
Being a vampire is not what it seems like. It’s a life full of good, and amazing things. We are as human as you are.. It’s not what you are that counts, but how you choose to be. Do you want a life full of interesting things? Do you want to have power and influence over others? To be charming and desirable? To have wealth, health, and longevity? contact the vampires creed today via email: Richvampirekindom@gmail.com
ReplyDelete