As K-pop continues to grow in popularity, engagement within the K-pop community has also evolved over platforms such as social media; however, one channel that has remained consistent in engaging fans is television. Television shows offer an array of live programs to engage audiences and fans, with examples including music shows such as MBC’s Music Core, survival shows such as CJ E&M’s Produce 101, and variety shows such as Arirang TV’s After School Club. I believe with television shows broadcasting live performances, results, and interactions, there are many opportunities for fan involvement on a domestic and global scale. With numerous artists and content in the K-pop industry, televised music shows play a vital role in building a link between artists and their fans, as “television’s essential properties as a medium are immediacy and intimacy” (Kim 2018: 54). Indeed, music shows have the unique characteristic of immediately airing broadcasts of live performances to audiences and fans worldwide, enabling international viewers to feel as if they are watching the artists perform live. As a result, global broadcasts help to promote K-pop’s presence internationally, while allowing overseas fans to immediately watch performances and feel connected to the artists. In addition, domestic fans attending music shows are expected to communicate fan chants to display artist support, and band together to “coordinate their efforts to place their idols at the top of the chart” (Kim 2018: 54) such as voting for idols on weekly music shows to earn awards. Fan and audience involvement through voting also occurs in K-pop survival shows that create new groups. By airing real-time episodes, viewers can watch live performances by the candidates (who are often trainees) and vote on who will advance to the next round. As such, candidates display their capabilities and moving background stories in an attempt to win over the audience and form a personal fan base (Cho, Lee, Yoo, and Chu 2018: 4). Accordingly, audiences witness the development and growth of these candidates in real-time and through live performances, thus bringing them emotionally closer to the candidates. In turn, audiences vote for their favourite contestants to show support and “feel involved and attached to the TV show more deeply” (Cho et al 2018: 4). A popular example would be the candidates from the second season of Produce 101. With the contestants developing their skills and showing improved live performances to the audience, the viewers voted for their top contestants each round. Finally, audience involvement resulted in the formation of male group Wanna One, who successfully debuted shortly after due to their received support and fan base from the show. Similarly, the formation of JYP’s popular girl group Twice occurred from the survival show Sixteen. With the evolution and popularity of social media, the concept of liveness also encompasses interactions between fans and idols. An example would be the variety show After School Club, where there is a “real-time interaction” (Kim 2018: 77) between idols invited on the show and fans who send video calls during the live broadcast to see and speak to the idols. With this interaction, domestic and global fans have the opportunity to watch the show at home and engage with the show and the idols in a live conversation. The concept of liveness and shows in real-time creates an opportunity for domestic and international fans and viewers to watch these broadcasts at the same time, and engage in conversations and dialogue with each other through social media. Not only does this engagement allow the promotion of artists, it allows fans to connect in real-time as well. ReferenceCho, Daegon, Seok Ho Lee, Yeawon Yoo, and Hyo-Youn Chu. “Television Singing Competitions Create Stars? Empirical Evidence from the Digital Music Chart in South Korea.” Journal of Cultural Economics 42, no. 130 (2018): 1-20. Kim, Sukyoung. K-pop Live: Fans, Idols, and Multimedia Performance. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2018. AuthorAneet Nahal
9 Comments
CedarBough Saeji
10/23/2018 09:08:58 pm
Hi Aneet, this essay is not the most creative or original answer to the question, but it does a really good job answering it both by encapsulating the ideas in Kim's book and by adding in the Cho et al article to provide more details (on the Cho biblio, 1) make your capitalization style the same as for the book, and 2) volume/issue number is missing).
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Aneet
10/24/2018 11:59:16 pm
Dr. Saeji, thank you for the pointers! I will fix the citations immediately.
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Chaeree
10/24/2018 05:47:18 pm
I completely agree with you! The constant interaction between fans and idols indeed helps develop the liveness we have today. Particularly, I think the live voting or producing new K-pop artists through audition programs provides fans with the feeling of engagement that they matter the most to the artists. They prove that they are the major contributors who can make a difference and directly show their support and love towards their artists. This feeling of involvement not only generates a more active and greater liveness in K-pop industries but also encourages a greater attention and engagement among fans.
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Vanessa
10/24/2018 06:25:38 pm
Live stream media platforms are also extremely popular right now, I think mainly because of how the fans can comment in real-time, hoping that the idols can see and reply right away. This ties back to the contribution and recognition cycle that Jogong portrays.
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Kristy
10/24/2018 10:32:50 pm
I think its so interesting to see Korean media and entertainment being shown on the global scale and mostly in the form of live shows. From the different types of shows that I watch and know of, Korea does the most "live" type of shows, and even live broadcasting of award ceremonies and such. It would be cool too if other countries did live shows just as much as Korea, but also if they had just as much of them available to us on the internet too.
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Aneet
10/24/2018 11:56:19 pm
I think live broadcasting of award shows is such a wonderful concept! Not only does it bring fans closer to their favourite artists/idols, but it can also be a way to show elements of different cultures and its uniqueness. In this case, award show broadcasts can be very informative to viewers who aren't K-pop fans.
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Clara
10/25/2018 04:42:12 pm
Since these idols are performing live, it is less likely that the producers of the shows are doing heavy editing of their performances. As a result, it can be considered that the performer's true talent is showcased. Perhaps this is another reason as to why fans are drawn to these live performances, because they can truly advocate that their "bias" is as talented as they are portrayed. It also allows for that feeling of intimacy to be further strengthened between the idol and audiences, especially for the foreign fans that have less chances to attend concerts in-person.
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Ariel Cao
10/25/2018 09:01:34 pm
K-pop industry’s concept of liveness, as shaped by live broadcasting models and live voting practices, is a commentary on its expectations for both domestic and global fan behaviour as they look to fans for financial reasons. As the popularity of the idols depend on the fans’ support, music shows are produced to use the idea of liveness to attract the fan consumption. As indicated from the reading, fans line up to attend live recordings of music shows, and those who have paid more to the fandom get to be even more up close to the stage where the idols perform. They even get to watch the live pre-recording of the live show, which is ironic that the live show is called live, when certain aspects certainly are not. These promises or pretend liveness that promise intimacy are a smart marketing strategy to boost fan involvement. With the digital age dominating the international scene, the K-pop industry finds innovative solutions to connect fans and idols around the world, such as using Google Hangouts for shows where fans are selected to have one-on-one interactions with the idol through an online interface. Another example would be the live voting practices used by shows such as Produce 101, where the viewers feel as if they have a say in the debut likelihood of their favourite contestants. This may seem like the case to viewers, but if we delve in closely, we can see that the show producers use smart editing of clips to feature certain contestants over other contestants, and who knows if the votes are not rigged? The shows use these “live” strategies to give a sense of close interaction between global fans, so that they are more likely to view their shows and purchased their products. At the end of the day it is all about profiting off the fans.
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Emily
10/30/2018 02:10:26 am
Hi Aneet! I really enjoyed the structural organization of this essay as it addresses the different ways that Korean television in particular attempts to create a space for "liveness," and how you were able to directly link them to the impact of each of those shows on fans both domestic and international. On a deeper level, I invite you to contemplate the ironies that Kim points out about the "liveness" that these shows try to foster. For example, while ASC thrives on its image of being real-time, it is also heavily vetted. Meanwhile, Kim also discusses how live music shows are rehearsed and not as "live" as they may appear to be on-air. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on how those factors can seep into the dichotomy between international and domestic fan behaviour in relation to experiencing "liveness!"
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