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Sun, June 4, 2023 | 00:07
Korean celebrities criticized for racism
한국연예인 흑인 분장 반감 일으켜
Posted : 2012-03-09 18:49
Updated : 2012-03-09 18:49
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NEW YORK ― For many Koreans, “blackface” gags may simply be old-school comedy with no harm behind it ― but not so much for African-Americans.

A screen shot of Lee Gi-kwang, a member of boy band BEAST who appeared in a local TV program in blackface in 2010
By Jane Han

NEW YORK ― For many Koreans, “blackface” gags may simply be old-school comedy with no harm behind it ― but not so much for African-Americans.

And with a series of blackface performances by Korean celebrities spreading online, their animosity toward Koreans as a whole is rising.

``Nothing is ever funny if the joke is on you,’’ says Olivia Keller, a cultural critic, who has been a closer follower of the fast-spreading K-pop fever. ``It’s really about time Koreans examine why their innocent comedy sketch is disrespectful to another race.’’

Korea’s blackface gag dates back to the 1980s when comedians performed skits, wearing Rasta wigs with painted faces. Despite its racist subtext, the genre of comedy wasn’t exposed to criticism ― until K-pop started grabbing worldwide attention.

``As much as K-pop grows popular, there’s going to be just as much attention on Korea and its culture,’’ says Keller. ``You can’t just choose the things you want foreigners to see. It’s already beyond that stage now.’’

Most recently, MBC TV’s comedy program ``Quiz to Change the World’’ was scrutinized after airing two popular female comedians’ blackface performance as part of its Lunar New Year holiday special.

But various U.S. online sites carry video and photo files of Korean celebrities’ blackface acts that go further back.

Jezebel, a popular celebrity news site, includes a still shot of Lee Gi-kwang of boy band BEAST and all-girls group Bubble Sisters in blackfaces. It also shows a video of Girls’ Generation member Yuri ``acting black’’ by doing an impression of African-Americans.

``This actually has been going on within K-pop for some time,’’ according to Jezebel. ``Now it would seem that it’s something of an epidemic within K-pop.’’

Another site, Oh No They Didn’t, also documented several blackface portrayals on Korean TV.

``Catchy tunes, dazzling stage costumes and precise choreography invaded our eardrums and brains at a rapid pace. But after seeing these Korean names on theater marquees or even the Billboard charts, do we really know what they’re here for?’’ asked the writer. ``What is the message Korea is trying to convey to us?’’

Hundreds responded to the post, bashing Koreans for being racist, but some identified the controversy as a ``cultural difference.’’

``Finding blackface racist is an American thing,’’ wrote one blogger. ``I’ve tried to explain why it’s not offensive in other cultures but no one wants to even accept it. Probably there’s not even a word for it in Korean as there isn’t in Spanish.’’ (sic)

K-pop fans who want to narrow the cultural gap have started a Facebook page for a more active solution.

``We are trying to create a movement that will educate Korean entertainers about what is or is not appropriate. This includes blackface, racial stereotypes and overall ignorance in the K-pop industry about its multiracial audience,’’ according to Fans Against Discrimination in Korean Music.

Keller says starting a dialogue is the first and most important step.

``K-pop is becoming really big and the last thing it needs is an unintended racist image that can turn off thousands of potential fans,’’ she said.

한국연예인 흑인 분장 반감 일으켜
대부분 한국인들에게 흑인분장 개그는 추억의 코미디일 뿐이다. 그러나 흑인들에겐 결코 그렇지 않다. 온라인에서 퍼진 여러 한국 연예인들의 흑인분장 연기가 한국 사회 전체에 대한 반감을 불러 일으키고 있다. 빠르게 확산되고 있는 K-pop 열기의 추종자인 문화 비평가 올리비아 켈러는 “그 어떤 개그도 재미있지 않다”라며 “이 악의 없는 코미디가 왜 타 민족에 무례한 일인지 검토해 봐야 할 때”라고 주장했다. 한국의 흑인분장 개그는 얼굴에 검은 칠을 하고 자메이칸 가발을 쓴 채 희극 연기를 했던 1980년대로 거슬러 올라간다. 인종차별이 내포되어있음에도 불구하고 K-pop이 전세계의 주목을 받기 전까진 비판 받지 않았다. 켈러는 K-pop이 인기를 얻을수록 한국과 한국문화에 대한 관심도 높아질 것이라며, 한국은 외국인들이 봐줬으면 하는 것만을 고를 수 있는 단계를 넘어선 지 오래라고 말했다. 가장 최근, MBC 코미디 프로그램 ‘세바퀴’는 구정특집에서 두 개그우먼의 흑인분장 연기가 방송된 이후 조사를 받은 바 있다. 그러나 각종 미국 인터넷 사이트는 과거 연예인들이 흑인분장 연기를 하는 영상과 사진자료들을 올리기 시작했다. 유명 연예인 뉴스 전문 사이트인 Jezebel은 남자 아이돌 그룹 비스트와 여가수 그룹 버블 시스터즈가 흑인분장을 한 스틸컷과 소녀시대 멤버 유리가 아프리카계 미국인의 인상을 흉내 낸 ‘흑인 연기’를 영상을 올렸다. Jezebel은 “이러한 인종차별 행위는 꽤 오래 전부터 있어왔다”며 “이 문제는 앞으로 K-pop산업에 유행병처럼 확산될 것으로 보인다”고 예측했다. 다른 사이트 Oh No They Didn’t에서도 한국 방송의 흑인묘사 자료를 올렸다. “외우기 쉬운 멜로디, 화려한 무대의상과 정확한 안무는 빠른 속도로 우리의 귀와 머릿속에 침투했다”고 적은 글쓴이는 “극장 천막이나 빌보드 차트에서까지 발견할 수 있는 그들이 정작 여기에 왜 왔는지 아는 사람이 있는가, 한국이 전달하고자 하는 메시지는 무엇인가”라는 의문을 던졌다. 한국인들의 인종차별행위를 비난하는 수백 개의 덧글이 달렸지만 이 논란을 ‘문화적 차이’로 여기는 사람들도 있었다. “흑인 분장을 인종차별이라 여기는 건 미국의 문화”라고 적은 한 블로거는 “흑인분장이 왜 다른 문화권에서는 공격적이지 않은지 설명하려고 노력해왔지만 아무도 이해하지 못했다”라며 “아마 한국에는 이 행위에 대한 단어조차 존재하지 않는지도 모른다”고 밝혔다. 문화적 간극을 극복하고자 하는 K-pop팬들은 본 사태의 적극적인 해결을 위해 페이스북 페이지를 만들었다. 한국음악 차별에 반대하는 한 팬은 흑인분장, 인종편견과 K-pop산업의 다인종 청중에 대한 무지 등을 다뤄 한국 연예인들에게 무엇이 옳고 그른지 가르치고자 한다고 말했다. 켈러는 “K-pop은 아주 커가고 있지만 수천 명의 잠재적 팬들을 잃지 않기 위해서는 의도치 않게 생긴 인종차별주의 이미지를 없애는 것이 시급한 단계”라고 강조했다.
Emailjhan@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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