Viral Satire?

     

Do you remember back in 2012 when the song, “Gangnam Style” by Psy, took the Internet by storm? It inspired flash mobs, countless parody recreations, and was even featured on SNL. With it’s music video racking up more than 4.3 billion views, it remains one of the most influential K-Pop songs of all time. But behind the addictive dance and easy-to-follow lyrics, there’s an underlying criticism against Korea’s materialistic society. 

Gangnam is Korea’s equivalent to America’s Beverley Hills. Although the city supposedly portrays wealth and economic respect, the song contradicts those claims and defines the opposite of the cosmopolitan, sophisticated lifestyle of Korea’s most wealthy district. 

     

The music video opens up with Psy laying on a “beach” but the camera soon pans out to find him chilling in a sandy playground — with children swinging on swings and climbing up jungle gyms in the background. From the start, he makes fun of people who play the game of appearances in a materialistic culture. Despite his flashy clothes and confident aura, his actions are directly the opposite; he sweats in a sauna alongside more lower-ranked individuals, he goes for a swim in a public bathhouse, and dances in the aisle of a tourist bus rather than an exclusive VIP club. He reveals that wealth is more importantly about attitude rather than money. The video goes on to show more of his comical attempts to live large in a Gangnam style, offering a satirical take on Korean consumer materialism. 

     The next time you discover a catchy song, you may want to do a little digging into it. You never truly know what the artist’s real intentions are; they too, could employ satire to reveal something deeper!