I thought it would be appropriate to tell
my readers about some of the more recent fandoms I was involved in. Maybe that will tell
you something about me, maybe not.
Really, my only current fandom is centered around a four-member Korean pop and hip hop group. They're called 2NE1 (pronounced 'twenty-one,' or 'to anyone') and I think they are the most fierce and swag-ass girl group to break onto the international music scene since Destiny's Child in the '90s. Something I think we don't have enough of is strong, empowered female artists in mainstream pop music. I mean, who do we have right now? Rihanna, who was physically abused by her sexist boyfriend (who, by the way, is younger than her) and then didn't even stand up for herself and press charges or speak out against domestic violence, and... Katy Perry, who just got a divorce and was on stage at an inaugural NFL awards ceremony practically begging the Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow, to ask her out. I mean, ladies. Get it together.
And yes, this is the quasi-feminist in me speaking and it may sound harsh, but that's why we need more artists like 2NE1 around.
Not only are they fierce and fly, they spread positive messages encouraging independence and female empowerment that borders on conceit--but what rappers aren't a little (or a lot) conceited? You have to know how to sell yourself to make it in the entertainment industry. Overall, they have charisma, uniqueness, nerve, talent, and--at least I think--the potential to make it big not just in Asia, but even in the U.S. Indeed, this does have to do with the fact that their English is good enough that they can sing and rap English lyrics without sounding too fobby--like many of the other East Asian artists who have tried to break into the American music market.
And get this--all this hailing from South Korea, a society that remains very patriarchal to this day. They like their girls calm and obedient. With small, nimble fingers. At least, that was the argument made by huge multinational corporations to justify opening sweat shops in South Korea in the '60s.
But anyway, something that's new for me with this particular fandom is that I only really engage with it on twitter. As I've said before, I used to do most of my fangirling on Livejournal. But I just follow 2NE1-related twitter accounts now. It's easy, it's convenient, in general doesn't require much effort on my part. Literally all I have to do is scroll. But also, I think that's because I'm busier now, what with schoolwork and a job and um, partying, to really keep up with or maintain anything more than that. I reblog anything 2NE1 related on my tumblr, but I haven't even really used tumblr since last summer before going abroad. I've told anybody who would listen how awesome they are, and showed anyone with the patience YouTube videos of them performing. Alas, real life meets secret online life at last.
And before this, my most recent fandom was the HBO series Oz, about prison life. Really captivating storylines. Fantastic, evil characters. Lotta violence. Lot of blood and pain and revenge. Street justice. That kind of thing! My involvement in Oz fandom basically consisted of talking online with people about it. Actually, Oz fans are surprisingly hard to find, just because of how old the show is (started in '97 and ran until 2003, I believe). But that's the amazing thing about the Internet. It may take a while, but you'll always be able to find people who are interested in the same thing as you.
I also half-committed to getting into HBO's Band of Brothers over winter break, but I had to come back to school before I got any further than the third or fourth episode.
So! What does any of this tell you about me? Hmm… well, that I'm judgmental and overly critical of other women, I like violence, and I'm no good with commitment.
Really, my only current fandom is centered around a four-member Korean pop and hip hop group. They're called 2NE1 (pronounced 'twenty-one,' or 'to anyone') and I think they are the most fierce and swag-ass girl group to break onto the international music scene since Destiny's Child in the '90s. Something I think we don't have enough of is strong, empowered female artists in mainstream pop music. I mean, who do we have right now? Rihanna, who was physically abused by her sexist boyfriend (who, by the way, is younger than her) and then didn't even stand up for herself and press charges or speak out against domestic violence, and... Katy Perry, who just got a divorce and was on stage at an inaugural NFL awards ceremony practically begging the Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow, to ask her out. I mean, ladies. Get it together.
And yes, this is the quasi-feminist in me speaking and it may sound harsh, but that's why we need more artists like 2NE1 around.
Not only are they fierce and fly, they spread positive messages encouraging independence and female empowerment that borders on conceit--but what rappers aren't a little (or a lot) conceited? You have to know how to sell yourself to make it in the entertainment industry. Overall, they have charisma, uniqueness, nerve, talent, and--at least I think--the potential to make it big not just in Asia, but even in the U.S. Indeed, this does have to do with the fact that their English is good enough that they can sing and rap English lyrics without sounding too fobby--like many of the other East Asian artists who have tried to break into the American music market.
And get this--all this hailing from South Korea, a society that remains very patriarchal to this day. They like their girls calm and obedient. With small, nimble fingers. At least, that was the argument made by huge multinational corporations to justify opening sweat shops in South Korea in the '60s.
But anyway, something that's new for me with this particular fandom is that I only really engage with it on twitter. As I've said before, I used to do most of my fangirling on Livejournal. But I just follow 2NE1-related twitter accounts now. It's easy, it's convenient, in general doesn't require much effort on my part. Literally all I have to do is scroll. But also, I think that's because I'm busier now, what with schoolwork and a job and um, partying, to really keep up with or maintain anything more than that. I reblog anything 2NE1 related on my tumblr, but I haven't even really used tumblr since last summer before going abroad. I've told anybody who would listen how awesome they are, and showed anyone with the patience YouTube videos of them performing. Alas, real life meets secret online life at last.
And before this, my most recent fandom was the HBO series Oz, about prison life. Really captivating storylines. Fantastic, evil characters. Lotta violence. Lot of blood and pain and revenge. Street justice. That kind of thing! My involvement in Oz fandom basically consisted of talking online with people about it. Actually, Oz fans are surprisingly hard to find, just because of how old the show is (started in '97 and ran until 2003, I believe). But that's the amazing thing about the Internet. It may take a while, but you'll always be able to find people who are interested in the same thing as you.
I also half-committed to getting into HBO's Band of Brothers over winter break, but I had to come back to school before I got any further than the third or fourth episode.
So! What does any of this tell you about me? Hmm… well, that I'm judgmental and overly critical of other women, I like violence, and I'm no good with commitment.
...Oy.
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