Kpop and cultural appropriation
Picture of a city in Asia (Miguel Ramirez / The Puma Prensa)
By Miguel Ramirez, Staff Writer
In recent times, Kpop and Korean culture as a whole has become a juggernaut spreading in popularity throughout North America, South America, and Europe. However, an odd trend throughout the different Kpop groups has become prevalent: Kpop idols glorifying and appropriating Black culture. Despite these two groups of people doing the same things in the same ways, they are treated entirely differently by the media.
Lee Chae-won, otherwise known as Tarzan, is one of the most blatant and prevalent examples of cultural appropriation. He wears dreads, a famously Black hairstyle with Jamaican creole origins, and imitates the fashion pioneered by African Americans. He presents himself as a stereotype of Black culture, yet does not face the same scrutiny as Black people who wear the same articles of clothing. As said by user “Key-Success-339” on Reddit, “there are ACTUAL Black people who’ve been stereotyped, discriminated against, arrested, and killed,” such as Trayvon Martin, “for the same exact image [Tarzan] is portraying.” Despite claims of him being of African American dissent, he shares no actual connection to Black culture.
As well as this, a recent trend among Kpop idols has been wearing grillz, a fashion accessory consisting of removable covers made to go around the teeth, usually made of gold or silver, and having diamonds embedded inside. While it is true grillz originated with the Mayans and Etruscans, the modern interpretation of grillz began in the 1980s hip hop scene, with Eddie Plein, in particular, popularizing them. Recently Kpop groups such as CL, BTS's J-Hope, Blackpink's Lisa, and members of NCT, ATEEZ, and P1Harmony have utilized grillz to have a “sharp edge.” The issue with this is that the culture and history behind the grillz is being dulled and reshaped into something more palpable to the public. It destroys the original message and culture behind them, that being cultural pride and financial success as well as defiance, and rather has Kpop idols use them as means to just seem more “cool.” Using the cultural struggles and history as nothing more than an accessory to an outfit.
In contrast, one of the most influential designers with grillz is Johnny Dang, a Vietnamese-American, who started as a lower-class jeweler from Vietnam, coming from a town with no electricity, went to the US with only $500 and limited English. The difference with Johnny Dang and Kpop idols is a matter of class; Johnny lived through poverty as well as struggle and eventually made it and became successful in contrast to the Kpop idols from higher classes wearing the same grillz. Johnny Dang's story of success is the cultural meaning behind grillz of success and cultural pride, but the Kpop idols who now wear these same grillz know nothing about the meaning or struggle behind it.
Another example of Black cultural appropriation in Kpop is in one of the most famous Kpop boy groups in the world, Bulletproof Boy Scouts more commonly known as BTS. With how BTS has broken over twenty Guinness world records and being one of the most streamed groups on Spotify, their popularity is undeniable and makes their actions appropriating culture all the more hurtful. Not only has one of their members, RM, worn braids, but he also had an Afro hairstyle from 2013 to 2014, where he would wear big gold chains, imitating a stereotype of African Americans. One of the worst things that they have done is chanting “West Side” in their song “If I Ruled This World.” The significance of the phrase “West Side” is that the term originated in the 1980s due to growing conflict between the West Coast and East Coast rappers. As a result of this conflict, the rappers Tupac and Bigge both were shot and killed. The irony of both their name being the “Bullet proof boy scouts” and how they make light of the culture of “West Side” goes to show their ignorance towards Black culture. This makes the phrase more than simply West Coast pride, but a term that is a timecapsule of conflict and tragedy.
So, the issue with Kpop and its appropriation with Black culture is that it is stripping it down to something that is only meant to grab attention. The Black “culture” they display is that of stereotypes and big flashy items — the grillz, the braids, the stereotypical “thug” attitude. They don’t appreciate the culture because they act as stereotypes, stripping away the context and struggle behind the culture. While white people and other ethnicities are called out for different kinds of cultural appropriation, Kpop Idols often receive special treatment, always being something cute rather than being held accountable for their own actions. The matter at hand is that African Americans are often vilified for celebrating these parts of their culture, like with Serena Williams and her “Crip Walk,” being ridiculed by their and countless other communities, while Kpop idols flaunt a hyper-processed, meaningless version of black culture and are praised for it.