On Saturday, October 26, Charlie Rose will be moderating a discussion on science at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium. Admission is free. [ Link ]
##Korea: New Cultural Powerhouse?
Backed by the strongest economy in the region, Japanese pop culture swept across East Asia in the 90's. Japanese music, TV dramas and movies, and pulp comic books were all symbols of a new cultural imperialism. Taiwan, the mainland, Singapore... nowhere was safe. Especially notable was Korea, which maintains a fierce animosity towards its former colonial oppressor.
Casual but careful observers, including myself, have noted the influence of Japan waning and being supplanted by Korean pop culture. DVD shops in Tianjin carried more sappy Korean romances and bloody horror movies. Doraemon was giving way to Pucca and her pals. Cool teens hanging out at the Binjiangdao shopping street sported oversized sports jerseys and long bangs. Korean music is climbing up the charts and more J-pop success stories are groups based on the HOT model: fashionable young guys dancing hip-hop style and breaking into rapping sessions, backgrounded by peppy dance tracks.
Not surprisingly, the media is beginning to note this phenomenon. A recent CNN article begins:
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Call it "kim-chic." All things Korean from food and music to eyebrow-shaping and shoe styles are becoming all the rage across Asia, where pop culture has long been dominated by Tokyo and Hollywood.
How is this happening? Korea's increasingly dominant economy and Japan's economic stagnation have set up a reversal in the flow of goods and information in the East Asian arena. Should we be concerned about this new trend? Only if you're Kim Jong Il (dad's probably rolling in his grave). [ Link ]
##Slightly Scary Ideas
In these uncertain times, children are likely to wear Mickey Mouse clothes, sleep on Hello Kitty pillows, use Winnie the Pooh backpacks and carry Pocket Monster pencil cases. Such popular characters add excitement and beauty to our lives. However, these days, a character is no longer just an image but a living entity; it lives and grows with each new generation making significant influences. In addition, characters are now being developed that cater to unorthordox and often deviant tastes.
Enter the Jdreamer Jesus, a Bible character which is "lovable and friendly". [ Link ]