Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Korean 텔레비전

텔레비전 = tel-leh-pi-jan = television

I'm unsure if I'll have more or less fun watching Korean TV when I can understand what they're saying...it's fun enough as it is to make up or guess what they're doing. The programming is really different, making it a completely different experiences. The most interesting for me are the K-dramas (Korean dramas) and the comedy/talk shows.

K-dramas: In terms of the plot, Korean dramas are essentially soap operas. However, Korean dramas are limited in length, perhaps only 20 1-hr episodes--not a never-ending saga of stretched plot lines. There's a 99.9% guarantee that the drama will have a love triangle (if not multiple love triangles), and I want to say it's usually a girl and two guys. I've seen bits of some on TV, but really got into (meaning it devoured my time) Winter Sonata, and am now watching Take Care of the Young Lady (or called My Fair Lady). Korea has no or very lax piracy laws, which is great for me; I can find all the episodes online with English subtitles.

Winter Sonata: This was aired in 2002, but was extremely popular. It contributed to the Korean Wave that swept Japan (maybe just now hitting the US) and the rest of Asia. The male lead, Bae Joon Yong, was a middle-aged woman magnet. This was a good first Korean drama experience for me. Little cultural differences were conspicuous. The plot focuses much more on love as a feeling more so than any physical manifestations of love. For example, kisses were rare and hugs were treated very dramatically. There was no sex, but had there been any implications of sex, it would have been scandalous. This may appear very innocent compared to American TV standards.

Take Care of the Young Lady/My Fair Lady: This is good for me to watch because I can discuss it with my students (I sometimes pretend I don't know what's going on and they should explain it to me). It's also healthier than Winter Sonata because it is currently being aired, I am only allowed small doses. The My Fair Lady title fits; the plot is the inverse of the original: a young rich spoilt lady is being civilized (manners) by her poor butler.

Korean comedy and talk shows: This is the most interesting to watch; I never know what's going on. Some shows are extremely random. Tonight, my Ahmma, Jong-Een, and I watched a show about a man's flying squirrel pets that happened to be on. The flying squirrels' appearance reminded me of the compliments I get from Koreans, especially my students: small face and big eyes! The Korean talk shows usually feature Korean celebrities doing random things. The celebrities are guests or part of shows so often that it seems like a part time job. I've seen them having to make campfire seafood dishes, taking care of babies, anything!

Television is currently the number one way to bond with the host-stay family. With Jong-Een, it's the easiet--I just ask her which guy's the cutest.

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