Thursday 10 October 2013

“Hallyu” is not always Positive



Fanatics is a favourable or unfavourable belief or judjment, made without adequate evidence and not easily alterable by the presentation of contrary evidence. This kind of fanatics may be called as irrational which makes rationale reason cannot be used to control and make it in line with what it should be. Psychologically, someone or fans (one gets fanatics on something) who are really fanatics do not have awareness to understand on what are surrounding them. They do not understand on other people or groups’ problems, and so does understanding their belief. If this kind of fanatics gets stronger to influence the belief of someone until make him blind on his real personality is called blind fanatics. 
In these past two years, 2011 and 2012, the symptoms of blind fanatics is arousing around the world and really gets its fertile among teenagers or students. This type of fanatics is showing a very bad future track if it is discussed based on the facts in daily life. One type of fanatics that is still being hot issue in Indonesia is the Korean wave. This phenomenon was actually caused by the appearances of Korean singer or “Hallyu” that successfully introduced their songs to be teenagers’ favorite song in Indonesia. But then, other theory that explains the definition of “Hallyu” as storm of the coming of Korean culture into Indonesia that actually has its traditional culture. This culture virus “Hallyu” or Korean wave has infected Indonesian teenagers in the past ten years. This condition pushes the born of fanatics phenomenon where the Korean actor, actress, and singers become their view orientation to behave when they are still in the stage of how to actualize themselves in the process of developing self identity.  
The wash-back of Korean wave phenomenon creates a tremendous effect for Indonesian teenagers that creeps and will decrease continuously the desire to learn and study their culture in their country. As it can be seen in Indonesia nowadays that there is improvement on teenagers’ interest to learn Korean cultures by studying Korean language in many Korean language courses that are now spreading widely in many places. While the facts of Indonesia national examination or UN that is held every years by Indonesia government shows an irony that Bahasa Indonesia as Indonesia teenagers’ national language becomes most difficult subject than English language. The fact gets worse when Indonesian teenagers is also influenced with “alay” language that make them difficult to differentiate good bahasa Indonesia and not good. In addition, the Javanese teenagers in Indonesia tend to forget their Javanese language and they are hardly practice it in its different levels (Ngoko kasar, ngoko alus, karma inggil, etc.). So, they tend to be Korean native like by imitating Korean native accent and dialect in speaking.
Many kinds of Korean food menus are also being one of teenagers target to be found in some restaurant and also supermarket. They really proud to tell their friends in school or university when they have tried what Korea people has consumed for eating. They also try hardly to imitate the Korean way of eating by chopstick and so does in cooking. The same thing also happens to “Hanbok” or popularly called as traditional Korean clothes. Indonesian teenagers are happy to hunt for original or imitation Korean clothes. They feel more confident when they are going to party or shopping or visiting friends in Korean clothes style. On the other way, it makes them get far from Indonesia traditional clothes and make them think that Indonesian clothes has been old fashioned. Hence, they proud Korean clothes more than their original traditional clothing in Indonesia. If this condition happens continuously, it possible that Indonesian teenagers get confused on who are they and their real identity as Indonesian. 
Korean Pop songs or K-pop has been a trendsetter that is followed by many teenagers in Indonesia. The hottest song and dance that is followed by Indonesian teenagers is “Gangnam Style” by PSY. The popularity of this song and dance can be checked by asking all teenagers in Indonesia, they know how to sing it and how to dance it. In short, Korean wave is proving the Korea government success to infiltrate its culture to some countries around the world.
Ironically, the effects of Korean wave are mostly close to negative direction. Moreover, when it is looked from the Korean fanatics’ activities, they tend to be consumptive and do irrational activities. For example, just like when wonder girl band came to Indonesia last November 2012, thousands of Korean fanatics in crowd hurriedly saw the concert to see their idols. The price of the ticket was categorize expensive around hundreds thousands. But, the stadium was full of fans and all tickets were sold out. Also, on November 11, 2011 2PM band was doing a Asia tour and at the day came to Jakarta Indonesia and did the concert. The ticket was IDR 500.000,- just for two hours concert and meeting with the idols on stage. This concert had around 6000 audiences that provided more proves to show how fanatics Indonesian teenagers to Korean band or addicted by Hallyu. Then, teenagers love to see and imitate their idol fashion style which includes hair style, clothing style, gadget style, accessories style, and life style. On the stage, the Korean boy-band or girl-band will furnish themselves as best as they can. For example, the member of boy-band will create various different hairstyle and color for each member just like “Harajuku” style in Japan that always successfully attract teenagers’ interest. Hence, to get good hair cut result, teenagers should go to expensive barbershop. The Korean clothing is being an important attribute for Indonesian teenagers to be imitated to be Korean which always full of accessories that are not cheap. Especially for girls, teenagers love to buy and use very tight and sexy clothes with hot-pant that always shows the beauty of girls’ body while nowadays. Luxurious and full-technology gadgets are also important to support Korean artists on stage and in their daily life and their vehicle is too. These make Indonesia teenagers try to get those gadgets in whatever the cost. The Korean pop singing show on the stage are always showing glamour and luxurious party life which may influence the audiences to imitate to be consumptive by attending many party and being glamour.  
Not only stop in the stage show, the fans also did some irrational activities. They slapped their idols with some reason such as missing them very much, being passionate, loving too much, etc; following where their idols went; coming into their idols’ room in hotel where their idols stayed and insisted to kiss their idols. Even they must make slices on their skin just to make love letter to their idols and asked their idols to get married with them. Some are creating tattoos that represent the name, initial name, or the picture of their idols on their skin. Another thing is Indonesian teenager loves to waste their time in front of various multimedia tools such as internet, television, cinema, etc. just for watching, downloading, and browsing Korean song and clips that are actually more important for them to use their time for studying and doing useful activities. Next, Indonesian teenagers adopt Korean singers clothing directly without thinking on norms and their physical appearance. Their mind is just full of words of being beautiful Korean artist by wearing hot-pants that shows girls’ thigh in shopping, studying, daily life activities, and any other occasion while our culture says that opened view girls’ thigh is taboo thing. Also, they do not think that Korean artists have white skin that is match and suit to wear hot-pant, but not for them whose complexion is not as bright as Korean. The other crazy thing that is done by the fans is doing the plastic surgery to change their physical appearance to be more Korean like or may be looked like their idols. They want to have slanted eyes, proportional body, white and bright complexion, pointed nose, and sexy lips. They are brave enough to spend much money and change their natural look given by God just to be more beautiful and Korean like. Consequently, it may be true that there are some others that make Korean culture as their belief.  
Lately, the Korean wave has not only attacking Indonesian teenagers but also attracting the Indonesian teenager artists. They are influenced to make bands to be more popular. The evidences are many new girl-bands and boy-bands come and make alive Indonesian entertainment industry which the number cannot easily counted by hands. For example “Tina with D’girl” that consist of an artist named Tina Toon and her four girl friends and “Twicsy” which has Ruben Onsu as the leader of the boy-band and four of his friends as members and they always use high heels for their show. This situation shows the immaturity of Indonesian artists that always following the trend rather than promoting their special characters and style and showing their special identity as artist in Indonesia. Moreover, it shows that Indonesian artists tend to immitate rather than being creative. 
As the wide spreading of Korean wave in Indonesia, more Indonesian teenagers will hardly appreciate what their country has. This is really irony when teenagers should use their time to fill the Indonesian freedom with doing useful activities to make Indonesia develop faster. But, the fact teenagers are really happy and sit down enjoying the beauty and passion of Hallyu stars that they admire. Is it the way they give reward to their revolution war in 1945 heroes who had died to grab freedom for Indonesia or their country? It is fine when we like Korean song, movie, film, or their artists. But, it is better for us to decide and pick which is good rather than the bad one and do not forget to our own culture as Indonesia heritage. Hopefully, not only K-pop nowadays becomes a phenomenon around the world, but also I-pop or Indonesian pop spreads popularly to all generation in the world. (Afif Ikhwanul M.)    

References:
Hae-Joang, Cho. (2005). Reading the “Korean Wave” as a Sign of Global Shift. KOREA JOURNAL [online]
………., Korean Wave [online] tersedia di: http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallyu

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