[KS] reprehensible journalism from Arirang TV

[Tommy]

Obviously, the piece is offensive to many.  But that's not a crime.  And 
it's certainly not out of step with the entire fashion-celebrity 
industry, in any country.  I can't think of one that *doesn't* 
consistently send out misogynist, unhealthy messages.  The idea that any 
of these women were "in need of improvement" is ludicrous, of course.  
But they have chosen a profession in which such scrutiny is understood, 
expected and even appreciated.  As a feminist, I cannot suggest that 
they are unwilling victims of such media criticism: they play the game 
voluntarily.

Arirang is no different from any other media outlet in its reporting: 
one need only look at any supermarket magazine rack or entertainment 
reporting programme to see that.  What is surprising is the (IMO 
disingenous) shock some are expressing.  There is nothing shocking about 
such reports.  Arirang may be the self-appointed face of Korea outside 
Korea (though I dispute this), but looking at popular Hollywood websites 
suggests Arirang is more in-step with their western counterparts than it 
is likely to be 'an embarassment:'
http://teens.aol.com/style/celebrity-body-parts
http://www.skinnyvscurvy.com/

This discussion is a valuable one.  One of our duties as academics is to 
shine the light on the cockroaches.  But let's not pretend this is 
anything out of the ordinary: this is an example of endemic sexism, not 
a shocking outlier.  It's appalling because of its normalcy.




Tommy Vorst
Ph.D. Researcher in TESOL, University of Auckland
tommychevorst at gmail.com