K-Pop and the Cuteness Appeal

 I didn't really know what to expect from K-pop, since my only experience had been seeing the occasional fan video on twitter. I thought the songs we listened to were incredibly catchy, especially Ice Cream, and the groups all had a coherent style that no doubt appeals to fans.

The readings made clear that K-pop is appealing and popular to diasporic global audiences as the music "helps them consider themselves as 'normal' and... allowed them to freely choose different lifestyles" (Yoon 140). The music is both Korean and western, involving "desires for Westernized ways of life but can provide audiences with scripts for diverse possible lives" (Yoon 373). The songs themselves often incorporate English as well as popular western singers, like some of the music videos we watched. 

I'm curious as to what makes the cute factor so appealing and important to these groups. Obviously, there are some exceptions, like BLACKPINK, where the cuteness is toned down, but I do think there's still an emphasis on femininity and softness. BTS has a cute factor and emphasizes a "soft" masculinity that has made them popular. Yoon says that the "cuteness and intimacy are consumed by their fans as a soft side of globalization" (378). These soft masculinities and cute aesthetics are "contrasted with Western oriented globalization" (383). Therefore, the consumer is distracted from the capitalism aspect of K-pop, which is harmful to the K-pop idols since they cannot always fit the ideals prescribed to them by these standards. However, I would argue the globalization of K-pop is a good thing, since it can be reached by more people.

The cuteness aesthetic is harmful to the members of the groups, because, first of all, cuteness has an age limit. There's no doubt that these artists will age out of the cute look that they're expected to adhere to, and whether or not that means graduating to a more "adult" look, or simply retiring, I'm unsure. Cuteness also has strict standards of purity and appearing non-threatening, which requires the artists to mask any personal life that doesn't fit in with this ideal. I think cuteness is meant to make the artists more approachable, and I believe it works, but I think it's also slightly harmful. However, creating any type of public persona or aesthetic where fans/managers have expectations is harmful, and I'm not sure K-pop is more harmful than others.