How have K-dramas changed your perception of American television?

General Discussion
89

I would like to know what American TV people are watching. Ever since the pandemic there is no TV! The soaps that were running for generations stopped filming and all you see are some shows broadcast from their home. I miss MY AMERICAN TV, the shows, the comedy and their smiles and jokes. I miss to see the cooking channels with variety of recipes or the craft shows, the interior design programs. I miss the variety of programs where I don’t see women most of the time degraded like the do in most K-dramas. Over and over again, the same pattern even when they have a career the women never do anything right or they are good enough.

While the man is always a successful CEO, or the son of a CEO, you will never see a successful daughter of a CEO or a woman CEO owner of a company. I’m watching a korean drama where the ‘‘rich’’ woman is married to a successful man that treats her like crap, humiliates her every chance he gets just because she’s trying to help her kids get a good career while he has never been a father figure for them. She has made some mistakes but she did it for the sake and love of her kids.

There is another young woman in that drama that is trying to make her own company but gets humiliated, and they even tried to hit her, but she barely didn’t let it happen bc she’s so submissive, please! I’m watching a zombie movie and the guy is a corpse but they have made him look like a gorgeous looking man but the girl acts clueless, gets drunk and even stayed for 2 days with the same clothes, and I just started another drama and the girl didn’t took a bath, went to bed w/o taking a bath and goes back outside the next day to eat breakfast with the same clothes. WHAT GIVES??? putting women down is what most k dramas are about. How much of that can you enjoy to watch??? If you are a woman that values yourself, your daughters, seeing those type of scenes SHOULD hurt you deep inside.

They need to show more dramas where women are valued and appreciated, successful, pretty and very clean, intelligent and above all RESPECTED by everyone. Enough with poor, drunken, clueless women in K dramas.

90

aren’t these like that?



(not CEO but badass female)



Itaewon Class
Korean dramas are changing. They will change, slowly, but surely. As I said before, everything depends on the consumer. There are all types of kdramas out there. Some may be more popular than others because of the audiences that are consuming them-- that shouldn’t matter, just read up on the reviews and choose what you like.
And anyway, Americans will be a lot more comfortable with American TV and Koreans with Korean TV. I think this is more a topic for non-American/Koreans because we are choosing between two different cultures that we ourselves are not personally related to. And most of the people here might be in favour of Korean here because after all, Viki is an Asian drama platform.

also, about the clothes/dirty appearances of the girls. I won’t talk about the guys because rom-coms are predominantly made for girls. Of course there are dramas out there who go overboard, making the girl look like trash. But for some, I think they do the ungroomed look for a girl who spends a lot of time immersed in her work and focuses on that and nothing else. Remember, SK is a place where beauty standards are very, VERY high. A character who pays less attention to her appearance may have become another trope because of that: the writers might be trying to send out the message that it’s okay to look less than perfect sometimes, that no one will love you less because of it.
I started watching kdrama when I was 15-16. At that time, I felt really insecure about the way I looked, I felt like my proportions weren’t good enough and stuff. Some dramas really encouraged me to love myself, that it’s okay. I don’t think we will want to look worse or anything because of what we watch in kdramas-- the world is constantly trying to drum into us what we should be.

4 Likes
91

I haven’t watched one single drama of the ones you shown here except bits and pieces of [Encounter] and once I saw the abusive behavior of her ex-husband and her mother in law, I let it go like a hot potato bc she didn’t fight hard enough when she was such an independent business woman. I hate to see submissive women in any movie/drama no matter what culture they are from because it gives other women/young girls, the wrong message; ‘‘take all the cr*p, bc you are a woman and you have to.’’ I don’t want my daughter to learn these kind of messages or behavior/things are normal.

I don’t think we will want to look worse or anything because of what we watch in kdramas-- the world is constantly trying to drum into us what we should be.

Exactly my point bc ‘‘American TV’’ is too independent (oversexualized? whatever they want to call it) I don’t think that will make the person who watch the shows promiscuous/perverts. The world of media has one thing in mind the LAW of Supply and Demand. What customers want, they give and earn GOOD profits from it so like I said money talks…(you know the rest lol)

I don’t like certain things in k dramas but I still watch them bc I’m not going to emulate anything I see on TV and I have never let anything on TV change my values. (not even when I was young bc I had a good head on my shoulder to know better). NOTHING can change us, unless we [let it] change us.

You also have an open mind as to what you watch won’t make you change the person that you are inside. I came to US when I was 14 and deal with ‘‘American TV’’ by watching what I liked and made me feel comfortable, and if I didn’t like a scene of a certain part I change the channel or walk away and come back to watch the rest of what I like in that movie/show etc…I just turned 61, and to this day, I still follow that same pattern.

Psychologically, k-dramas play with most young girl’s heart and insecurities, but I have nothing against that bc it gives them motivation, and they can daydream that an idol can also fall in love with them too. I just don’t go around saying one is worse than the other because both only want one thing from us the consumers (IN the whole world) $$$$money, money, money$$$$.

The world does tries to manipulate as to what we should be/consume and wear, but is up to us to make the right choices bc we do have a choice in life.

PS> Something that stroke me so funny was that you say; [SK is a place where beauty standards are very, VERY high] But why they make the female lead most of the time unkempt, unattractive as possible, terrible taste in clothes they wear while the guy is picture perfect, clean and gorgeous looking?

I would give you a list of all the dramas like that, but I know we all know what k-dramas are like that; RADIO ROMANCE
SHE WAS PRETTY
FULL HOUSE 1 and 2
INCARNATION OF MONEY

To name a few…(they have them here at this site)

92

I definitely don’t think this is the category you put this drama into. I am not aware about the goggles through which you watch kdramas but I am aware that they surely don’t give you an actual view of the kdramas.

I haven’t watched She was pretty but I know this drama is based to clear its very own stereotypes. There are many more dramas that were solely made to clear social taboos and make people realize they are capable of accomplishing their dreams without taking extreme steps.

This is a soompi page to the dramas that give moral lessons and not just entertainment for 16-20 hours.
https://www.soompi.com/article/1317633wpp/16-memorable-life-lessons-that-k-dramas-have-taught-us

The above paragraph on She was Pretty was taken from https://filmdaily.co/news/she-was-pretty/

I guess that is the Korean version of a Prince meets a Princess and they live happily ever after.

This drama didn’t got as much popularity as by dramas on the homepage of Viki but the female character is definitely stronger than any character I have ever seen. You get to see a girl with a tormented past and yet she shines brightly everyday. Even the antagonist is something you don’t want to miss for a strong character.
Yet another strong female lead is in Tale of The Nine Tailed.

I don’t see any problem with this though. Is it not okay to not bath for a day or two? I don’t always take bath daily especially in winters. If I can’t become a ROLE MODEL GIRL, I should not expect a fictional character to like that. I don’t live inside my house with proper toned up lips and cheeks with large mess free eyes, or even straight silky tightly tied up hair. I don’t even own a single make up box neither do I own a big mall sized home or for that matter even a wardrobe. I repeat clothes and wear only those that make me comfortable.
I’ll be happy seeing a female lead like me rather than seeing somebody who just came from Heaven and is a goddess, it will just make me curse me for being so careless when it comes to my own beauty.

There are dramas that were made solely for the purpose of killing away taboos and predefined notions.
My ID is Gangnam Beauty
Sky Castle
She was Pretty
Itaewon Class

You want strong female leads??
Hi, Bye Mama!
Hospital Playlist
Crash Landing On You
Search: WWW
Fight My Way
Angel’s Last Mission: Love
Descendents Of The Sun
Hotel Del Luna
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Lie After Lie
Who Are You School 2015 (because the antagonist is really nerve taking)

3 Likes
93

I think K dramas is less “sexualized” which is refreshing for me but it still gives you the “nice feels” when there is romance involved. American TV has perhaps more violence (Killing Eve, Ozarks, Breaking bad)at times and gore (American Horror Story).

“American tv” is also quite ironic because although the US is quite diverse, not a lof series has a lead that is a person of color :confused:. I do feel under represented as a person of color. Sure, they try to “diversify” - the token Black/Asian/Latino/non-White-Anglo-Saxon-Presbyterian second lead but come on! I guess Hollywood is slowly taking notice but I’m not going to hold my breath.Korea may be less homogeneous than the US so I can understand the mostly K cast…

My current fave is “This is Us”. Was following Walking Dead but when they killed off “Glenn” I did not bother , which made me realize Stephen Yuen is probably my first “oppa” :sweat_smile:.

I’m fairly new to K drama but I find “9-tailed” to be extra scary though than your typical K series…

1 Like
94

@twinkling
[I haven’t watched She was pretty]

So you know all you wrote about the drama based on someone else opinion on soompi or the drama sinopsis, right?

But yet, you are saying it can’t be on my list? It’s obvious I was talking about the physical image of FL/economical status of FL, they portray most women/girls in k-dramas.
You REALLY didn’t get what I wrote, and I suggest you DO watch the drama. It will enlighten you.

I truly admire your resolve to admit you don’t bathe for days to prove a point; which was exactly what I was trying to do here, share my point that WORLDWIDE shows, dramas and movies have only one purpose, and that is to attract viewers, and make lots of money. They don’t care if is too scandalous (oversexualized) or degrading (women in particular in k dramas).

I was in defense of the poor role given to women in many K dramas; just to make big bucks$$$$ in the process.

I’m done with this topic because many of you are not getting it, and I don’t want to repeat myself like a broken record.

PS.> > While the man is always a successful CEO, or the son of a CEO, (angelight)

I guess that is the Korean version of a Prince meets a Princess and they live happily ever after. (twinkling)

You guessed this one wrong bc is always: Prince meets poor Cinderella more like it lol

95

Schitt’s Creek will have you laughing and crying. If you haven’t seen it already you might want to look it up. (In answer to what American TV (although this is Canadian/American) Love the cast <3 !!!

1 Like
96

It is one of my favorites! I’ve been watching so many shows that are still uploading episodes right now that I have been out of the discussion loop. Dating in the Kitchen was fun and Professional Single has been great. Right now I’m still waiting for the English subs for You Are So Sweet. (I really can’t watch anything negative right now so I am basically only watching things with happy endings).

1 Like
97

What amazes me is all the biting scenes. What is up with that!!! If your boyfriend makes you angry just bite him! LOL I should keep track of them all. Love O2O even! The first time I was shocked and after that I looked it up and it is a thing. (it was on the wrist)

1 Like
98

Really? It’s a thing??! I watched just ONE c-drama (Go Ahead) and she bites him on the shoulder, right where he had been previously hurt :tired_face: i FELT that pain!! I was so surprised, wondering wha kind of savage behaviour that was, can’t believe it’s a thing. He hardly even reacted, I was like “Is this normal to you??”

1 Like
99

So, you haven’t seen Love O2O yet? I highly recommend it. I can’t remember, but maybe it was Go Ahead but after she bites him he says something about now that you’ve vented…maybe we can talk about why you are angry? The best explanation I saw in a thread was that it is like, “Marking a territory - like a kiss, but leaves a “stamp”.”

2 Likes
100

marking tERRITORY?! :joy: oh this just gets funnier lol
but she’s been biting both brothers since they were kids…:sweat_smile:
thanks for the recc, I’d like to watch Love O2O when I have enough time for long Chinese dramas!

2 Likes
101

It won’t feel long at all (Love O2O). I watched that one and I loved it too.

2 Likes
102

ok then, thanks for the reccomendations, I’d love to watch it next year!

2 Likes
103

‘small town America’ …lol… I am from wild and wooly San Francisco but I am actually personally quite conservative. Even though being personally conservative, I don’t care what other people do as long as they don’t harm each other however I don’t want to watch it and I am uncomfortable with public displays of what I think should be private behavior.

3 Likes
104

THE KOrean drama: UNCANNY COUNTER is way too violent/bloody/gory, and the cruelty in which they kill ppl in that drama is very uncomfortable for me, but I made the choice to watch the drama. We all have the choice to watch what makes us comfortable or uncomfortable. No one forces anyone to watch something they don’t want just because is on TV. We can change the channel, we can choose to watch something else and just because is there on TV doesn’t mean we’ll be ‘‘forced’’ or ‘‘have’’ to watch it. Unless, we are talking about a communist country that controls what you hear and watch in the media world. But we know those countries don’t have a chance to watch anything they like bc is all propaganda. What a sad way to live so blessed we DO have a choice to watch whatever we want no matter how much others might dislike it.

105

Born and raised in Redwood Country. :slight_smile: I grew up in Eureka.

3 Likes
106

a LOCAL! :smiley:

2 Likes
107

Ooo Yep. I’m watching that also. I guess after watching Train to Busan and historical shows like the legend of Xiao Chuo, I think to myself, “Man…They sure are going through a lot of ketsup.”

OMG!! That reminded me of one time I was driving my sister and her little kids somewhere and all of a sudden Jason (He was 4) let out a bloody murdered scream. Shocked I spared a quick glance back and saw his face covered in red splotches of blood! Eyes back on the road to find a safe place to pull over… “Margaret! What did he chop off?!? HOW!?!”

Of course his mom looked back at the same time but he was behind her so it took a moment longer for her to see what was going on. Then I heard, “Jason! Why are you screaming like that with ketsup all over your face!”

Danged kid had squeezed a ketsup package and it exploded on him. At least he didn’t lose a finger or something like that. Darned kids take a few years off you with nonsense like that. lol

I think what I don’t like about many America shows is the rudeness.

5 Likes
108

@porkypine90_261

I personally dislike the ‘‘too many sex scenes.’’ I can deal with rudeness and cursing, but hate to see a sex scene on a Cop or Emergency Room show bc is so totally unnecessary. Ironically, we have to thank this pandemic that finally stopped those ridiculous scenes on ‘‘American TV’’ and we won’t have to deal with them for who knows how long (unless we watch reruns of past shows)

. Of course, I always changed the channel and stopped watching any show that had those type of scenes, so it never really bothered me bc I knew no matter how much I hated those type of scenes I could never stop them from making them scenes. They say ‘‘money is the root of all evil’’ and the media/film world has prove it to us plenty.

1 Like