Problematic Korean Video Friday over at Poptimists: Piggy Dolls TREND

[koganbot]

As usual, I'm double posting this video here and at poptimists, on the off-chance that someone there will have something to say. The track is stomping r&b that's intensified rather than compromised by the four-four and the Autotune, and has strong singing. Main issue I raised at poptimists is that, if the point is that fat can be sexy, then the singers should be allowed to really shake their stuff and show some skin.

Watch on YouTube

At the pizza chompin' start, the vid's trying to have its cake etc. and eat it too, uplift the Dolls and make fun of them at the same time. That's what I feel about the name "Piggy Dolls" as well. Maybe it's an attempt to turn the word "piggy" around, seize it and transform it into pride. But I think it's (also) going for snickers. Not that I want to prejudge how audiences will take this. I think it's good these women are out there. The YouTube commenters are trying to position the Piggies as "real" in comparison to other idols, which is problematic in its own way. I guess I think this is too much on the defensive, but we'll see.

Also, though the beat's powerful and the singing's solid, the song itself needs something extra, something to hook us or grab us or mesmerize us. As it is, it's too anonymous.

EDIT: Here's the video with English subtitles (click "CC" for the subtitles):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brbTFVaWxUU (new link 2015, translated differently from below)

Excerpt (assuming these are accurate):

Ain't nobody, follow (do it)
One more
Ain't nobody, crazy now
Be crazy with us
My body? So what?
My face is unique
Check it out onstage
Look at me, we are trend
I'm sexy
Lookin' good
Check it out on stage
Look at me, we are trend
You follow me when I move
Now you (look at me), this is trend

Comments

[koganbot]

Glad there was some dance interaction and touching with the boys in the vid, though I wish there'd been more (e.g., like the Weather Girls lounging on their bed in their night clothes as the men move in on them, though I don't know if something like that might be pushing the boundaries of what's allowable on Korean TV).

[askbask.livejournal.com]

Well we could've hoped for something like the scene at 1:50 here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofwFr8o8p0Y

Subbed Piggy video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGbeYJpvcrg

[koganbot]

Rihanna, call your agent!

(Did the "Abracadabra" video get on TV uncensored? Did it get on TV at all?)

[askbask.livejournal.com]

I can't find any stories on it being banned, but I don't know.

And cable TV would show it, of course, the biggest channel being Mnet. When videos or songs are banned it's always KBS, SBS and MBC.

[koganbot]

Interview with Hwang Su-a, the director of the "Abracadabra" video. It's in Korean and Google Translate isn't being very helpful, except I gather that we're not supposed to take the bomb literally. The interview contains the words "Martin" and "Scorsese."

http://www.tvian.com/Popup/tviews_print.aspx?newsidx=2607

Wikip says that there was a later "stage version" of the video that "focuses only on the choreography."

[askbask.livejournal.com]

I've been very impressed with Google's translations of Norwegian texts, but it's pretty useless with even simple Korean sentences. She says she was inspired by Scorcese to start making movies, and later went to the USA to learn.

[descriptivist.livejournal.com]

This often happens with Korean music videos: a "full" version integrating narrative/non-dance shots, and a "dance only" version that is exactly what it sounds like and varies from a single take to using multiple camera angles. A BEG-related example is Ga-in's 10:53 narrative "Irreversible" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z83Nu5wKVZA), and its 3:48 dance-only version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UJ2coDE_Es).

Since it was pointed out so directly, though, I am curious as to whether or not, in the case of "Abracadabra", the dance MV was shown in lieu of the full. I had thought dance-only versions were done strictly for internet fans.

[koganbot]

I have no idea if the dance MV was shown in lieu of the full, since I'm so new to this I had no idea "Abracadabra" even existed until Mat linked it. I was hoping you guys would be able to tell me.