What’s real and what’s not is a big question, but one thing we know for sure is that reality shows are not real. Much of the action is staged, and many of the conflicts are hyper-exaggerated to provoke laughter or tears and generate ratings. Despite this obvious artifice being general knowledge, reality/variety shows continue to […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Untitled-design.png7681024Joan Vos MacDonaldhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoan Vos MacDonald2016-07-02 11:59:392016-07-02 11:59:39The Unreality of Reality TV Reaches K-Dramas
Why were there two songs called “Why” released on the same day, 28th June? What links these tracks, one by titan of K-pop Taeyeon and the other by flop girl group Wanna.B? Nothing really, but the coincidence of their titles is an excuse to compare both the songs. In most cases it is probably irrelevant, […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Untitled-design-8.png800800Joe Palmerhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2016-07-01 10:41:322016-07-01 10:41:32Battle of the “Why:” Wanna.B vs Taeyeon
What’s real and what’s not is a big question, but one thing we know for sure is that reality shows are not real. Much of the action is staged, and many of the conflicts are hyper-exaggerated to provoke laughter or tears and generate ratings. Despite this obvious artifice being general knowledge, reality/variety shows continue to […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Untitled-design.png7681024Joan Vos MacDonaldhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoan Vos MacDonald2016-07-02 11:59:392016-07-02 11:59:39The Unreality of Reality TV Reaches K-Dramas
Why were there two songs called “Why” released on the same day, 28th June? What links these tracks, one by titan of K-pop Taeyeon and the other by flop girl group Wanna.B? Nothing really, but the coincidence of their titles is an excuse to compare both the songs. In most cases it is probably irrelevant, […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Untitled-design-8.png800800Joe Palmerhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2016-07-01 10:41:322016-07-01 10:41:32Battle of the “Why:” Wanna.B vs Taeyeon
What’s real and what’s not is a big question, but one thing we know for sure is that reality shows are not real. Much of the action is staged, and many of the conflicts are hyper-exaggerated to provoke laughter or tears and generate ratings. Despite this obvious artifice being general knowledge, reality/variety shows continue to be very popular both in the U.S. and Korea.
Reality shows are so popular that they are moving into K-drama. Lately, these shows have even inspired a trend of fictional TV about the making of reality shows.
In the U.S. “Unreal,” a show about the Machiavellian schemes maneuvering a reality show styled on “The Bachelor,” scored big at several award ceremonies, winning honors that included Critic’s Choice Awards and a Peabody. K-dramas have taken the bait too. From the hilarious to the chill-invoking, several K-dramas have tackled the topic of the unreality of reality shows, using the topic to explore the bigger question of how one’s sense of reality is vulnerable. “Wanted” is the latest of these dramas.
In “Wanted,” an actress is planning to retire and leave her unhappy marriage when her son is kidnapped. The only way she can ensure his survival is to film a reality show with missions doled out by her captors. The husband she is about to leave is the producer of the show.
The plot premise raises plenty of questions about the role of the media in tailoring what viewers think of as reality. Who kidnapped the child? Is the kidnapping real or a publicity stunt? Did her soon-to-be ex kidnap the child to make money? Who can you trust? Should TV shows give criminals the wrong idea by publicizing crime?
The drama, which stars Kim Ah Joong, Uhm Tae Woong and Ji Hyun Woo, has only been on for a few episodes but already plot developments have demonstrated that reality is all a matter of perception and that perception can be manipulated.
It’s not the first time that K-dramas have tackled reality shows from a dark perspective. “The Liar Game,” starring Kim So Eun, Shin Sung Rok, and Lee Sang Yoon, focused on the filming of a psychological survival game wherein participants trick and lie to each other. To win, you had to be a really good and confident liar. What’s real and not real? What’s the truth and what’s a lie? The contestants and reality show participants were often not sure what the truth was and which goals to pursue. If they were honest when they began the game, they lied to survive. The sinister game show drama kept viewers guessing until the very end.
Other K-dramas have tackled the reality show format on a lighter note. In “Eccentric Daughter-In-Law,” a fading K-pop star attempts to revive her image by appearing on a “We Got Married” style reality show. Only the singer, played by Kim Da Som, is paired with more than a prospective husband, played by Ryu Soo Young. She also acquires a prospective mother-in-law, played by Go Doo Shim. It’s a very traditional family and the fading K-pop idol Kim Da Som is not the daughter-in-law that Go Doo Shim’s very critical character was expecting.
“Producers” focused on the variety type of reality show, but there was plenty of staging going on in that drama too. While it mainly focused on the characters who made the program, it provided plenty of glimpses of the off-screen manipulation that goes on when producers film reality/variety shows. The producers, played by Cha Tae Hyun, Gong Hyo Jin, and Kim Soo Hyun, knew that their show needed ratings to survive and they worked hard to make it dramatic, placing characters in difficult situations and pitting them against each other. Called a “variety drama,” it was actually filmed by the variety department at SBS, rather than the drama department.
“The Greatest Love,” starring Gong Hyo Jin, Cha Seung Won, Yoon Kye Sang, and Yoo In Na, was one of the first to parody a reality show. Also based on the real matchmaking reality show, “We Got Married,” the drama shows that true love can even happen in the unreal world of staged entertainment. That has not been the case with the real “We Got Married,” which has featured real-life couples but has not resulted in matchmaking a lasting relationship.
The reality show is here to stay. Part of the appeal may be seeing people react in real time to unexpected situations. Whether it brings out the worst or the best in participants, it has become a staple in prime time entertainment. Does it work in K-dramas? The viewers will have to decide.
What are your thoughts about the reality TV concept within K-Drama? Let us know in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Untitled-design.png7681024Joan Vos MacDonaldhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoan Vos MacDonald2016-07-02 11:59:392016-07-02 11:59:39The Unreality of Reality TV Reaches K-Dramas
Why were there two songs called “Why” released on the same day, 28th June? What links these tracks, one by titan of K-pop Taeyeon and the other by flop girl group Wanna.B? Nothing really, but the coincidence of their titles is an excuse to compare both the songs. In most cases it is probably irrelevant, but I think it might be interesting to see directly side by side the gap between the biggest and smallest of what K-pop can give us.
“Why” by Wanna.B
Watching Wanna.B’s “Why” for the first time we get an air of familiarity before anything else. The video and sound is almost a direct jack from Mamamoo, particularly “Um Oh Ah Yeah” for the video. Their sound continues the jazzy horns but tones them down considerably with more emphasis played on an overall mix. More pop oriented than Mamamoo, but the hallmarks are there. Even the whiny raps come off distinct like Hwasa’s own peculiar drawl. This proves that they are really starting to have an impact. The GFriend clones were coming all over the place, but only have the Mama-mimes shown themselves. It does represent some sort of a step up for Wanna.B though, who last year put out an After School inspired track “Attention;” Everyone knows After School are so 2013 (I don’t mean this please let them come back Pledis).
Why Mamamoo? The pop comedy angle is an interesting one that can garner a lot of fans if done well but be embarrassing done wrong. I don’t think Wanna.B will pursue it quite like Mamamoo, but it is present here with the gurning actors and cosplay settings in their video. Musically, it sits in an awkward position between a Mamamoo inspired jazz belter and a Brave Brothers classic. It sticks to the structure but never fluctuates in intensity. Like many songs, a rap is used as the break/bridge. The vocal itself works well, the delivery is accusatory and playful whipping around the beat. Yet the song never takes off alongside it. It sticks to its plucked strings and horns, which again are nice sounds but stagnant within these confines.
Wanna.B’s why is for a man, obviously. They curse themselves for not being able to seduce a man with their high heels, perfume, and general things that make them prettier. Like the music, there’s no progression of ideas. One might ask, why?
“Why” by Taeyeon
Taeyeon’s very own “Why” also provides us with a sense of deja vu with first listen. Since discovering producers LDN Noise on SHINee’s “View,” SM have used them for a number of songs, essentially letting them define the current SM sound. Given their name it’s no surprise that it’s a typically British house/garage sound. They return to production duties here alongside Rodnae Bell (EXO’s “Monster,” SNSD’s “Mr Mr”) and Laura Dyson, with lyrics by Jo Yoon Kyung.
In adapting to SM’s house sound, Taeyeon has not completely lost her original solo colour. The laid-back pop of “I” and “Rain” is in fact bolstered and allowed to move up with it. Those previous songs relied on her vocals to progress the song. “Why” builds constantly thanks to both the vocals and music. It begins with a verse that alone would have been seen as fairly generic. Yet it builds nicely, with subtle tropical hints of what is to come. The soaring chorus that follows is a perfect mix of the two sounds. Taeyeon’s vocals, which I thought might not have fit, are beautiful in their inquisitiveness alongside thumping house beats. Those refrains of “good, good” come for my very soul. The chorus transitions directly into another verse while continuing on the blend of house slow-jam. It progresses the song without an abrupt moment. This is what Wanna.B sorely lacked. While different in genre, Taeyeon’s “Why” rises and falls and adds new elements at every turn. Wanna.B’s “Why” picked its direction and could not see otherwise.
Taeyeon’s track continually makes the right choices in production, particularly the bridge which firsts gives Taeyeon her vocal moment but allows the music to take over for the big break. LDN Noise knew this was not a regular Taeyeon track and knowing that they allowed her to shine in a different manner. The lyrics that drive the production are also more interesting than Wanna.B. They are the correct use of a title like “Why.” Taeyeon is a curious traveller, moving at random in search of beautiful moments, “The needle that would turn on a compass, Blooming abundantly at the place where it stops.” She projects an openness to allowing life to happen to her. It’s a feeling that fits with her new sound, an unfamiliarity driven by fresh experiences.
Why Taeyeon and Wanna.B?
It has proven to be somewhat unfair to compare these two. Although, like I mentioned before, there are things we can take from this. Namely as the gap between big and small companies gets smaller with regards to production level and to a lesser but growing extent sales, it seems like the bigger companies are still getting better. The sound quality between Taeyeon and Wanna.B is not vastly different, yet Taeyeon’s “Why” is vastly superior. SM have always proven to be sharp hit makers and they continually remain on top because of their adaptability. Not only that, but they also make the hip sounds of the time their own, creating new structures to place sounds in. SM’s ingenuity with the song as a total experience is why they remain on top.
Wanna.B, on the other hand, have taken a popular sound and look directly from a single group, watered it down a bit, and made it sound like the most classic of K-pop tracks. Through these filters, the special things about each of these elements is lost. The individuality of Mamamoo, the inexplicable joyous pop of a Brave Brothers track, and Wanna.B’s own flair are all forgotten. So disappointingly we leave knowing that the big dogs win again. Yet Wanna.B are only one of a string of lesser known girl groups with releases towards the end of July. Maybe there is hope.
Which “Why” do you prefer? Taeyeon or Wanna.B? Let us know WHY in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook,Twitter,Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Untitled-design-8.png800800Joe Palmerhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2016-07-01 10:41:322016-07-01 10:41:32Battle of the “Why:” Wanna.B vs Taeyeon
