Korean internet users are up in arms over a satirical video clip from US humorist Stephen Colbert.
On a recent edition of his Comedy Central show, the Colbert Report, Colbert delivered a tongue-in-cheek rant about being defeated by a Korean pop star in Time Magazine's ranking of the world's most influential people. The video clip was widely distributed on video sharing services like YouTube, swiftly coming to the notice of Korean bloggers and media.
'Ignorant', claim
In the video, Colbert soon breaks into a deliberately clumsy song and dance routine. He riffs on a number of common cliches about Koreans, for example that they drive Hyundais and eat Kimchi.
Lines like these soon had angry Korean netizens calling him “ignorant” in postings online. Some even criticised his poor pronunciation of the Korean language. “Can any Koreans in America give him a beating?”, one asked.
While some Koreans appeared either confused or angered by the video, others said that it was just 'American humor', and should not be seen as an insult to anyone.
Mockery of President Bush
At least one Korean blogger pointed out that Colbert had earlier drawn attention for his mockery of US President Bush and his administration at the White House last year.
However, despite this, some Koreans appear unaware of the satirical nature of Colbert's work, and see the parody as a genuine attack on the Korean singer and on Koreans in general.
Korean pop singer
A Korean singer known by the name Rain won the Time online poll with 470,000 votes – equivalent to 1 percent of Korea's population. Colbert was runner up with 278,000. Time's polling system has been criticized for unreliability and vulnerability to fraud.
Colbert's spoof music video, mimics a video released earlier by Rain. The Colbert Report segment is still viewable on YouTube, despite attempts by Comedy Central owner, Viacom, to have it removed.
According to Korean media reports, Rain, the singer mocked by Colbert's video segment has seen it, and said that he found it amusing.
LOL!
That’s hilarious!
Welcome to America Koreans! Here we have freedom of speech. You guys need to loosen up a bit...
A bit of a d**k
Is it just me, or is this guy a bit of a dick? I think it's fair to say that us Americans have been offended by much less.
I've read most of the
I've read most of the comments the Korean netizens wrote on daum and naver and most of them know it is a JOKE and treat it as such. I believe it was the mistake of a mistaken "journalist" who wrote an article on Colbert's "mockery" of Rain.
Most Korean netizens were defending Colbert and stating that his clip serves more
as an introduction of Rain to a broader American audience and that we should thank him.
Korea's noisy nationalist net minority
I think the anger is mainly coming as usual from the same noisy nationalist minority, especially VANK, which demands Google to change the names on their maps and the CIA to change the descriptions in their factbook website. For example like the Dokdo Islands and the "East Sea" and a bunch of rediculous history fact.
They just see this stuff and hit their k/b without thinking. Feels like tehy Want to be angry, to me
There are some Rain/Bi fans were upset also, I think! Dunno what they said after he told them it was cool @_@
it's about half the comments
it's about half the comments I saw in begining are 'negative', but they calm down after when it explained by some one who know the USA culture. It might depends on what BBS your looking at, Some got more 'smarter' users!
Hey learn English
...Or stop spending your parents' money.
...
"That’s hilarious!
Welcome to America Koreans! Here we have freedom of speech. You guys need to loosen up a bit..."
The whole welcome to America and the freedom of the speech crap was not needed. it was offensive too. It seems like you have a sense of pride in being American since you're saying you have freedom of speech and need to loosen up and stuff. It's exactly the same. The Koreans here had a sense of pride because Rain was from their country and he represents them in the musical world, so of coarse some would be offended. I know this was a just a joke but tehre are people who take things seriously and this if definitely something that could be offending.
oh by the way, smart one, there is freedom of speech in Korea too :]].
Well, Technically, there
Well, Technically, there isn't in north Korea
Well, Technically, north
Well, Technically, north korea isn't south korea.
Mouth-breather.
I'm Korean... loosen up.
I'm Korean...
loosen up. It's just a joke.
calm down and relax. geeeeees
everyone who post of here
everyone who post of here needs to go do something productive, your all a bunch of lazy asses.
Stupid
Learn Engarishi!
Seriously, I think he has an attitude problem
Seriously, I think he has an attitude problem.
I don't really care about what he said, but frankly, he shouldn't make fun of people like that...
Colbert spoofs ALWAYS stir up trouble for people.
Why the hell can't they just cancel the stupid program? Its annoying, and its always these kind of things that cause conflict among people. sigh. all these money hungry shit stirrers. whatever.
IT'S A CHARACTER.
Stephen's not REALLY an asshole, he plays one on TV. And even then, this was not insulting Rain, this was homage more than anything coming from Stephen the Man's part. It was due to Stephen the CHARACTER'S dislike of being upstaged that spawned this parody.
And frankly, you don't know the meaning of satire in the first place. Some people NEED to be spoofed/parodied/offended. Or are you afraid you'll hurt the Bush Crime Family's feewwings?
Some people just don't get it...
Um...wonder if Colbert ever
Um...wonder if Colbert ever did a 'spoof' on Clinton and 'Monica' and their white house experiment! LOL. If we're going to discuss Bush family crime, then it goes for almost all the politicians nowaday...especially Hilary Clinton and 'watergate'.
Lets think about this
He spoofs on RECENT events. News that just happened. Sorry, but the days of Clinton and Monica are over. I know you love seeing Democrats in bad light, but get over it. IF you want so laughs at them, look at how he portrays the Senate leader. (One of his nicknames, Uncle McFeelyhands)
what is cobert so pissed
what is cobert so pissed about? that he lost to a pop singer or a korean?
Colbert isn't really pissed
Colbert isn't really pissed at anybody (he just plays the blowhard to satirize the political blowhard pundits on American TV... in particular, Bill O'Reilly, whom his Report character is largely based). It wouldn't have mattered who came in first, he would have pretended that they were his long time enemy because he came in second.
Predictable response
Koreans are always assuming the worst when they get any attention in American media. Many Koreans hated Demi Moore in the 90's because she was in the movie Indecent Proposal. Don't see the connection? I don't blame you. Apparently she teaches a fat Asian woman ESL, and the woman is supposed to be Korean. Many Koreans thought this was Demi Moore's perception of Koreans.
Further, Michael Douglas was reviled for trashing a Korean's convenience store in "Falling Down," and it actually took about 8 years for their Ministry of Truth (sorry, "The Ministry of Sports and Culture," to approve the movie for Korean audiences. I'm pretty sure they cut the convenience store section out.
In the end, they're not really a "big picture" culture when it comes to subtlety in literature or humour.
get the facts
Um, it seems to my that Koreans are neurotic.
Calm down, deep breaths. No they don't dislike you, they actually do like you a lot, but your neuroses disgraces yourself. No, it's not 'all' about you. Some of it's about me.
There are levels to Colbert's humor
This is hard. It's a feature of Colbert's humor that takes some getting used to.
Steven Colbert is not making fun of Koreans--he is making fun of ignorant Americans who lazily believe that Koreans only drive Hyundais and only eat kimchee.
He's pretending to be an idiot. He made fun of President Bush at a dinner with Bush in attendance--by acting like a stupid Bush supporter and saying things that only a very stupid Bush supporter would say.
Really and truly--he's making fun of loud, ignorant Americans by pretending to be even louder and more ignorent than the worst of them!
sarcasm
sarcasm in c20-21 may have a tendancy tho become or re-enforce the object of satire.
discuss glibly with an off hand sense of righteousness and justified anger, correctly.
love u rain 4 watever
hey rain U KNOW I LOVE U ,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAIN IN ADVANCE , STILL
HAPPY BIRTHDAY , wish u 4 everything in life i love u.
parody
I've seen colbert's show before, just not this particular episode. I think he's funny. Of course, Asian culture is completely different from American culture, so I would expect them to be offended to some degree.
~~Cathy~~
He should be taking people's
He should be taking people's feelings into account more. How Koreans they can know it is parody?
Hey stupid
Please learn English!
You Koreans need to lighten up
and get a sense of humor
hahaha! It's just satire!
It's just satire. Koreans, if your so uptight about it, don't look on youtube for things to offend you. I don't think the colbert Report airs in Korea anyway. So, just, if you still don't understand, it's just Stephen making fun of Americans, not you. Or, even, his character making fun of Americans. Look, my point is, don't watch it you're going to be offended.
its a freaking joke!!!!!!
its a freakin joke koreans. get your undies out of a bunch and laugh. its so hilarious and great satire. you guys get Wikipeia there so read all about stephen and his characters and take some chill pills. im 12 and think its the best stephen colbert video ever. its also my fav youtube video next to flight of the conchords "part time model"
my point is: BE LOOSE!!!ITS A JOKE!
that was awesome
I have nothing against Rain. In fact I find him to be very talented! But this, I must admit, gave me the giggles for DAYS. :-)
haha i thought it was
haha i thought it was hilarious. i do think everyone needs to loosen up. i still watch this a ton, and i'm even asian.
Dead Link
Try Here:
http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=1530
It is easy to understand cultural gaps that may insult others. Still, this will appear clearly ridiculous if you have spent much time in the U.S., England, Europe, South America, the Western World. Geez, in fact, I am pretty sure I have witnessed parody in many parts of Asia, personally.
Also, Colbert never says anything like Koreans are stupid or racist or anything slanderous like that. He just tries to fill a few a few moments in a dorky way implying his own deep ignorance of Korean culture. It is more self deprecating to implicate himself as an idiotic racist ranting conservatively than it is insulting to Korean culture.
I'm korean... and about half
I'm korean... and about half of the jokes are only understood by koreans anyways.
like "seoul" singer or hawk eyes and hotlips. All of my fellow koreans' reactions were the same: they sent it to all their other korean friends because it was so funny.
I don't know about native
I don't know about native Koreans, but all the Korean Americans I know who have seen it (including myself) think it's hilarious.
are you joking?!?!?! it's
are you joking?!?!?! it's the greatest thing ever!!!! Rain and Korean media is finally getting some ATTENTION!!!!!! And he never makes it negative - it's always "omg!! how am i gonna meet him!" etc. I think it's GREAT!!!!!!!! X3 <333
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