Music in Different Cultures: Asian Music Pop Culture

J-pop

    J-pop is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in traditional Japanese music, but significantly in 1960s pop and rock music. The term was coined by the Japanese media to distinguish Japanese music from foreign music, and now refers to most Japanese popular music. The musical genre has been immensely influential in many other music styles, and hence those of neighboring regions, where the style has been copied by neighboring Asian regions, who have also borrowed the name to form their own musical identities.

J-pop artist 'Kyary Pamyu Pamyu'

K-pop

    K-pop is a musical genre originating in South Korea that is characterized by a wide variety of audiovisual elements. Although it comprises all genres of "popular music" within South Korea, the term is more often used in a narrower sense to describe a modern form of South Korean pop music covering mostly dance-pop, pop ballad, electronic, etc. By tapping into social networking services and the video sharing platform YouTube, the K-pop industry's ability to secure a sizable overseas audience has facilitated a noticeable rise in the global proliferation of the genre. Since the mid-2000s, the K-pop music market has experienced double digit growth rates. In the first half of 2012, it grossed nearly US$3.4 billion, and was recognized by Time magazine as "South Korea's Greatest Export".

K-pop group 'Secret' 

 Japanese Rock

In the 1960s, Japanese rock music bands imitated Western rock musicians such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, along with other Appalachian folk music, psychedelic rock, mod and similar genres. Japanese rock has a vibrant underground rock scene,best known internationally for noise rock bands and alternative acts. More conventional indie rock artists such as have found some success in Japan, but little recognition outside of their home country.

Japanese rock band 'One Ok Rock'

Representation and Comparison  

        In Japanes artist Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's 'Ponponpon' video we see a display of the popular Kawaii fashion, which can be characterised by almost child-like imagery and bright colours, appearing hyper-feminine and 'girly' (although the trend isn't gender specific and is commonly embraced by males as well)  - with some similarities to the well-known Japanese Lolita fashion. This could be seen as representing such artists and individuals following the fashion as fairly child-like and hyper-feminised, possibly leading them to be almost transformed into visual spectacle -especially with artists or 'idols', in which they have been manufactured to appeal and draw attention- which could possibly attract a hypersexualised and voyeuristic allure. 

Japanese 'Kawaii' Fashion

Japanese 'Lolita' Fashion

         

        Whereas with the Korean group Secret's 'Shy Boy'  video, although there is still an evident feminine quality it hasn't been harnessed and as exaggerated and overt in the visuals as with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - yet is still visible in their costumes and actions. This could be due to different cultural views and trends, or to do with the marketing and image of the artists themselves, and the demographic that they are trying to target as their primary audience. 

J-pop artist 'Kyary Pamyu Pamyu'

K-pop group 'Secret'

          On the other hand, evidently there is a stark contrast between both Japanese artists One Ok Rock and  Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. As previously mentioned Kyary Pamyu Pamyu endorses the Kawaii fashion and is presented in her video 'Ponponpon' as hyper-feminine and childlike, however the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock are presented in a very different way. In their video 'Deeper Deeper', One Ok Rock are presented as fairly masculine -highlighted by the dark colour scheme and eerie, almost mechanical theme and visuals seen. It could also be suggested that the genre of the band itself could be seen as reinforcing masculinity as stereotypically rock and metal music is associated with aggression and a male audience, where as pop music is stereotypically targeted primarily at a younger female audience where it could gain commercial success and achieve the greatest proliferation of profit possible.

Japanese rock band 'One Ok Rock'

J-pop artist 'Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Contextual Study: Dissociative Identity Disorder

    'Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in—and alternately take control of—an individual. The person also experiences memory loss that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. DID is a disorder characterized by identity fragmentation rather than a proliferation of separate personalities. The disturbance is not due to the direct psychological effects of a substance or of a general medical condition, yet as this once rarely reported disorder has become more common, the diagnosis has become controversial.

    DID reflects a failure to integrate various aspects of identity, memory and consciousness in a single multidimensional self. Usually, a primary identity carries the individual's given name and is passive, dependent, guilty and depressed. When in control, each personality state, or alter, may be experienced as if it has a distinct history, self-image and identity. The alters' characteristics—including name, reported age and gender, vocabulary, general knowledge, and predominant mood—contrast with those of the primary identity. Certain circumstances or stressors can cause a particular alter to emerge. The various identities may deny knowledge of one another, be critical of one another or appear to be in open conflict.'

(source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder )


    Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5 (300.14)
criteria for Dissociative Identity Disorder

• Disruption of identity characterized by two or more distinct personality parts. This disruption may be observed by others, or reported by the patient. • Amnesia between parts of the personality. • The disturbance is not a normal part of broadly accepted cultural, religious practice, or part of the normal fantasy play of children. The last two points are commonly stressed with any mental illness. • Causes clinically significant distress and impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. • The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance.

(Source: http://www.dissociative-identity-disorder.org/DSM-5.html )



     Due to more free expression and a wider understanding in modern culture, the issue of mental illness has been explored in a number of different media texts and pop culture. One of the most well known examples of DID is Robert Lewis Stevenson's 'Stange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', with a popular modern variation in Marvel comics' Bruce Banner/Hulk.
















        Norman Bates is a famous character created by Robert Bloch - inspired by American murderer Ed Gein- in his 1959 novel 'Psycho', of which was later adapted into a film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960. After Bates' father dies, Bates and his mother lived alone together until Bates reached adolescence, when his mother met another man. Driven over the edge with jealousy, Bates murdered both of them with rat poison. After committing the murders, Bates forged a suicide note to make it look as if Norma had killed her lover and then herself. After a brief hospitalization for shock, he developed dissociative identity disorder, assuming his mother's personality to repress his awareness of her death and to escape the feelings of guilt for murdering her.

     A more contemporary example of this is in the murder mystery visual novel and anime series 'Danganronpa' character Toko Fukawa. Due to her severe persecution complex that originated from the bullying that she had to live through early in life, Toko is highly suspicious of other people, frequently accusing them of thinking bad things about her. Her unusually quick tendencies to self-victimize quickly characterized her interactions with most of Class 78. We later discover that she suffers from dissociative identity disorder, Genocider Syo being the name of her murderous and sadistic alternate personality.

Sexuality in the Music Industry

    The issue of sexual orientation is one that has been met with a lot of controversy for many years, and with the music industry being a very active part of modern culture some people are concerned by the exposure of sexuality on consumers.

    Up until the 60's homosexuality was considered a criminal offence in many countries, and it wasn't until Lord Arran's 1965 sexual offence bill where he drew upon the Wolfenden Report - the committee of which was set up to investigate homosexuality and prostitution in the mid 50's- recommending the decriminalisation of homosexual actions.  The Wolfenden committee concluded that the criminal law shouldn't be able to intervene in private sexual occurrences of consulting adults within their own home.  Homosexuality also used to be thought of as a mental illness, and was approached by trying to find a psychological cause.

Countries where Homosexual activity is illegal.

    Despite the fact that some of modern society have accepted an individual's sexuality, there are some people - and even countries, where it is still a criminal offence- that still do not accept homosexuality. People who are still embracing these outdated views may be against any exposure to sexual orientation in the media, and may believe it could influence the consumers of such media and cause them to take on such attitudes - therefore possibly raising issues with the expression of sexuality within the music industry.

    Queen were one of the most successful, influential rock bands of popular music - fronted by Freddie Mercury who was subjected to criticism about hiding his illness which lead to his death, despite being seen as open about his sexuality.

Freddie Mercury died of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS on 24th November 1991, only a day after publically acknowledging he had the disease.

     Within modern music today, many songs are ambiguous and use non-gender specific terms of endearment to address the subject of their creation. Although this doesn't necessarily mean that they are addressing someone of the same sex, it isn't that common to hear a track that directly addresses an individual of the same sex as the artist in a romantic or sexual tone.

      One example in modern music where we do see an explicit reference to a same-sex subject is in Kate Nash's 'Sister', which gives a great representation and doesn't try to hypersexualise same-sex attraction, especially between women - which some have used as a gimmick. Regarding her sexuality, Nash has said "I would never say ‘I’m straight, I’m bisexual, I’m gay.’ I feel like I will fall in love with a human being for who they are. I’m not afraid to say I’ve been attracted to a woman before and I’ve kissed girls before and been in love with them before. I’ve never really had a girlfriend or anything and I would never say I’m anything, really. I don’t have an identity in that way."

     Another example we see of an explicit reference to an individual of the same sex - although for comedic purposes- is in 'Flight of the Conchords', where Bret is suffering from low self-esteem, so Jemaine tries to help him by complimenting him, but writes a song that appears to reveal some homosexual tendencies. Despite this being a satire and mocking generic gender stereotypes, 'Bret you got it going on' is a very good example of free expression of sexuality, and how it can be a very fluid thing.