My Opinion on Kids React to K-pop (vid by FineBros)

EDIT 1/9/12: The video has been taken down according to The Fine Bros because of copyright. They are working to resolve the issue and re-upload it. (I knew this was coming as it contained content from 2 of the big 3 companies YG and SM. As a side note the last time I checked last night the likes were 13000+ and the dislikes about 6000+.) If and when the video is re-uploaded I will re-upload it as well.(see below as it has been reposted) For now I will just post the vid of the bloopers which will still raise a few eyebrows.
REPOSTED 1/15/12-


On a more personal note I would like to say this. After reading the article on AllKpop HERE it seems like there only two sides of the fence -- you think it's cute or you're overreacting by being offended. You can tell that some people may be holding back some thoughts, erring on the side of caution. What I will add is that if you are offended by a part or the whole thing THAT'S OK. If you think the video is adorable THAT'S OK. But DON'T put down someone for the way they feel about the video itself. Respect that fact that we all don't have to agree and we're allowed our own opinions no matter what they are. STOP telling people that they are wrong or right simply because their view differs from you. Don't invoke Crazy Fan Girl Rule #1.
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Ok I've been debating on whether or not to comment on this video, and I'm going to. Know that this is my own opinion and if you would like to have an intelligent conversation about it, you can leave a comment or tweet me. I'm more than willing to debate or talk about this, as it's an interesting topic.

First off the nasty comments by people saying that they want to hurt these children says more about you than it does about them and their statements. Keep in mind their age and probably exposure to different cultures. Most of all that they are KIDS.

With that said let me just state some things. Fist in the video there is a total of 11 kids and out of all of them the 3 are minorities. (I only add this because if they maybe had some Asian kids and/or more variety would the reactions have been puesdo cuteness that they were shooting for? If they had known who the groups were and/or liked them, would they still would have put that interview up with the rest?)One of them does say Wondergirls, so you know that she has had some exposure. The thing that bothered me the most were not the statements that were true, but rather the attitude of the kids. In some places yes they were cute/funny, but in others I would have been very upset if I would have heard them say the same things in public. What I noticed was that the kids who were 11-13 in age were the ones that were the most closed minded and felt free to make snarky comments. Now MOST of this can be blamed on the age, but it was the nature of the comments that some may have found cute, that I found offensive. It wasn't the dislike of the music that bothered me, but rather the range of comments that stemmed from the way the people looked to them speaking another language that came in between. Making fun of everything from clothing to looks to the language barrier. It seemed almost closed off and intolerant even for such a young age.

One would have to be the giggle/laugh when the girl is like "what are they saying?". And the other when the kids were like "They all look the same." There other comments here and there that actually made me a tad irritated. While like I said some people may say "well they are just kids, what do you expect?" I'm a firm believer that kids echo what their parents say/think. It seems like they haven't had an exposure to anything to different. If they feel free to say this now, what are they like in real life in the same situation? Are they giggling because someone is speaking Korean, Italian or any other language that isn't English? I personally don't find it funny or cute in any sense. If they can't respect other cultures, no matter which one, what are they learning really? Now I am not saying this is who they will be in 2,5, 10 + years, but all I can think of is what if it's another kid?

I grew up in an environment like that. (Maybe that's why I'm so annoyed with it.) In my HS there was only two Asian students (maybe three) and I dealt with not fitting in anywhere. Kids went around saying things like "Me love you long time" with no thought on how that made me feel or what it was really implying (to this day if I hear you say it, it will be fighting words and I won't let you get away with it). No matter what the age, people should respect each other and some things aren't ok to say. I don't know what else to say and may add more later. In the videos defense there were only TWO or THREE kids that showed this tendency and not all of them.

Now for all the Blackjacks spinning out of control because they compared to 2NE1 to Lady Gaga. Yes as we know they aren't, but in reality they are going to be compared. ( Gaga's hit 'Just Dance' really became a big hit about January 2009 and 2NE1 debut in May of 2009) While 2NE1's look didn't resemble Gaga at first, you can say in some of the videos it can be close to the old look of Gaga's. (And it was just one snarky kid that made the comparison) The reality is that they will be compared if they dress that way for the U.S. debut unfortunately, it's inevitable. Gaga staked a claim here in the U.S. first and her fans are just as loyal as 2NE1s. So this is a moot point, even if it does make you mad, there's no reason for it to. YOU know the truth, I know the truth, all Blackjacks know the truth, so just let it go.

There were other comments made that Suju was like any other boy band from the 90's.Do I agree with this? Ummmm NO. But again look at their age, they were probably born or conceived when N'Sync and Backstreet were big here in the U.S. So really where are they getting their reference. Am I offended? Not really, they are just uniformed and again echoing their parents I'm sure. Now for them to say they are like Big Time Rush, well really how could they know that that BTR was probably thought up because of the Backstreet Boys, N'sync and groups like Super Junior? But in reality we know that they were probably modeled after them due the popularity of all the groups. (Again its a age gap thing. If you said many people compare 2NE1 to Destiny's Child, no one goes up in arms simply because the group was very popular at it's time.) So you can take this as a compliment or simply blow it off as kids comparing it to what they know.

And again the one snarky girl and boy that made the offensive comments made more commenting the pictures. In all honesty it was these two that turned the whole thing sour for me. Regardless of age, it was borderline racist in it context. I know many kids that have never been exposed to Kpop and are accepting of it regardless of the fact they have no idea what they are saying. It was the Snarky boy that shouted "I HATE MY GENERATION! WHY COULDN'T I BE BORN IN THE 80s?!" when he was told that the groups were very popular world wide and here in the U.S. Really? Does he even know what the 80s was like style and music wise? Me thinks he was just shooting for the attention. Although If I was his parent I would be COMPLETELY embarrassed for his attitude and words. These two and a couple of the older girls were very judgmental because the music was simply different.

While most of the agreed they would never enter training to become an idol, I think that was an example on the differences between American and Asian cultures. It's hard to put into words, but more or less there's a reason America is number 12 and Korea is number 1. How much are you willing to sacrifice or give up to pursue your dream and try to obtain it? Would you work hard every day, dawn to dusk, simply for the chance you may be able to debut? In what I call the 'you owe us generation' instant gratification doesn't allow for this train of thought to even been considered. But again we host shows like American Idol that take no training for you to release an album and the same goes for many people who are discovered. Where as most of the 'idols' in any Asian country can say they attended schools like Harvard, Berklee College of Music and/or all eventually end up in college to further their musical/drama education.

All in all I'll say this.... I think that this video is going to raise a lot more hell than they thought it would. If anything Kpop fans can be extremely loyal and/or over the top. But remember before you react that way, ask yourself "Is this how we want to be known? Is this the introduction we wanted into the world as Kpop fans?" Keep it in check, be an adult about what you say, try to remember these are just kids and then make your comment.
**Edit 1/9/12: After talking with my best friend BittenUsagi (blog is in the side bar) this may have been edited to create a rise out of people. Editing it in a way that would get the most hits. I would have to agree with her and say it's a likely possibility. They did send out a tweet saying "Any Blackjacks out there like us?" and then the link. They did brag about both their like count and number of hits. So editing it so they knew what buttons to push? A definite possibility. I will see if I can get my two friends to write a short blog on their thoughts and post them here as a guest blog.

*On a personal level after thinking about this vid, it's not the comments they make regarding the music (all people have different tastes) but rather the comments made in between about how the people spoke and looked. While a few complimented the videos, the insults kinda just flew when commenting on anything else. At the end of the day we, as Kpop fans, know how hard they all work, are working and will work. We know the blood, sweat, sacrifices and tears they shed and made to achieve their level of success. And in the end that's all that matters.

'Music breaks down the barrier between language that allows all of us to communicate and feel the same thing' - CL 2NE1