The "Of Course Game"

The great things about Korean variety shows are their awesome games. Not to mention the hilarious idols who aren't afraid to lost their "idol image" by acting like dorky five-year-olds. One of the best activities on these variety shows was the "Of Course Game." This is a game to test your wits and your ability to absorb insults. The rules are simple: person A says something about person B, and B must then say "of course." If B is left speechless, A is the winner. The contestants may use outright insults, but it's much more amusing to watch them use subtle but powerful insults. They may also use flattery in order to shock the other.
One of my favorite "of course" exchanges are between Super Junior's diva Kim Heechul and comedian Park Myung Soo. 
Park: I heard you have a nickname of Cinderella. If you are Cinderella, then I am Snow White.
Kim: Of course! I admit that you are Snow White. Is your face the result of eating the poison apple?
Another of my favorite "of course" contestants is Super Junior's evil maknae(youngest member in a group) Kyuhyun.
Kyuhyun: During the waiting times for music programs, you are in the bathroom washing your armpits.
Kyuhyun: In our debut, your hair looked like a tribal Indian chief, even the fans were shocked.

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Kpop Ballads

Here are a few Kpop ballads that will blow your mind~

1.) I Will Always Love You~ Zhou Mi


Zhou Mi's cover of this famous song shows his immense vocal capabilities. Not only can he reach an impressive range, he also showcases his musicality. Though he has an accent, his honey-like voice is perfectly balanced; it is smooth and clear yet you can feel all the emotions he pours into it. His voice touched me deeply, when I heard him sing the line "I will always love you" for the first time, I nearly cried. Zhou Mi has the voice of an angel.
2.) Hot Times~ SM Ballad


From Jonghyun's deep and powerful vocals to Jino's soft and mellow voice, this song blends together a variety of voices successfully. Each adds their own flavor to the song, and the result is a jazzy track that can melt girls in minutes.
3.) Bogoshipda~ Kim Bum Soo


The drama "Stairway To Heaven" was phenomenal, and the OST(other sound track) adds to its quality. Bogoshipda means I miss you, and you can clearly feel the emotion coursing through the song.
4.) Snowflower~ Park Hyo Shin



Park Hyo Shin has this unique voice that's husky, deep, and mesmerizing. This is a great song to listen to while looking at snowflakes( not that San Diego has any) and drinking hot cocoa.
5.) I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me~ 2am



In this heartfelt song, 2am sings about a girl that they just can't forget.

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The Dark Side of Fans

The price of being famous is the public watching your every move and having little privacy. However, sasaeng fans, a name for overly obsessed Kpop fans, are a new mutated breed. According to Yahoo, they are usually "female, starting as young as 13 to about 22, and they have made it their life's goal to make sure they are noticed by their idols, by hook or by crook." Their desperation to get noticed causes them to invade the idol's privacy with little regard to their feelings or even safety.

Here are some of their crazy but real actions:
​-hitting Changmin with a bag of rocks

​-slapping Yoonchun's face as he exited a hair salon
​-cutting themselves and used their blood to write letters
​-hiring special taxis to stalk their idol's van. The taxis can go up to 200 km/h, and these high speed races often results in car accidents
​-installing hidden cameras in the idols' dorms
​-recording Exo-m's Tao singing in the shower

​-breaking into Shinhwa's dorm, using their bathrooms and stealing their laundry​--nearly kidnapping Kim Yoo Jung, a child actor,  by pretending to be her father
​-trying to kiss TVXQ while they were sleeping

*​Stalking idols takes a lot of money, so many drop out of school to work. Shockingly, some stoop to selling their body for money.
​*Since minors cannot go to jail in Korea, little is done to stop their crazy actions. Idols can only reprimand their "fans" on Twitter, but that has does little to diminish the burning passion of their fans. Some idols have been pushed to their breaking point and have resorted to physically and verbally striking back.

JYJ's Park Yoochun says, “I do not think they are fans. I’ve tried to understand them but it’s been eight years and it’s difficult.”

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OPPA GANGNAM STYLE! A Short, Lovely, and Not-So-Good Explanation

           If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last couple of weeks, you’ll have noticed there’s this weird song circulating what seems to be the entire earth called, “Gangnam Style”. It’s this Korean song by a man labeled as “PSY”, which is pretty much about this guy talking about his ideal girl (long story short).

Actually, I’m not quite sure how this song got to be so popular. I’m that nerdy kid who stays in the back of class chucking crayons at the back of people’s heads, silently laughing at how long it takes for kids to notice who’s bombarding them with missiles from hell. Naturally I didn’t know of this song until it started appearing…EVERYWHERE. (Yeah, I was too busy chasing the pigeons. Let me tell you, they can be aggressive.) Although, I do have a few theories as to why this song is so popular. Allow me to share them with you J

1.            It’s obnoxious. And of course, all obnoxious songs are catchy. Have you noticed that? You listen to a song, and immediately screech, “BY GOD WHAT IS THIS HORRIFIC MESS AND WHY IS THERE A BANSHEE SCREAMING THIS. IS NOT MUSIC. This is the work of the devil.” But later, you start hearing that song again…and it won’t go away. The only thing that can satiate you’re twisted brain’s appetite for badly made music is that one screechy song. And you end up getting hooked. How else would such terrible records make so much money? (Perhaps it’s a conspiracy plot. Oh my.)

2.            There’s a fat guy. DANCING. Maybe we just have crude senses of humor, but humans seem to have a liking for flaccid rolls of fat jiggling in their face. I’m not sure why, but I do know that PSY’s Gangnam Style definitely played this up and made a big advantage out of this. In almost every scene of the music video, PSY can be seen dancing ridiculously. It’s comical in every way.

3.            It’s in a different language. To most, Gangnam Style sounds like something a squirrel would say if a squirrel could speak. The only part of the song that English speakers understand is, “AAAAAAY, SEXY LADY!” which is definitely, definitely, a big plus. Because who doesn’t love sexy ladies. If a person doesn’t understand the song at all, all the better! It makes showering singing all the more entertaining for those listening.

4.            THE MUSIC VIDEO. It’s so random! People love random! (And yes, there are sexy ladies. Everywhere.) Most of the guys in here look ridiculous. Bowl haircuts, all yellow suits, the works. Some memorable scenes could be PSY was in an elevator, laying under a guy in a cowboy hat. And let me tell you, that cowboy dude, he knows some moves. It makes you either want to face palm or laugh like a hyena snorting pepper. And the sauna scene? Oh yeah. PSY can work that towel.

                Clearly, Gangnam Style is a cultural internet phenomenon. As for how and why, well, we all have our own theories.  And Korean or American, we can all appreciate a good wibbly-wobbely fat roll. J

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