Angela Lin 0:00
Hi, I’m Angela Lin.
Full Transcript (Note: Transcribed via AI, may contain errors)
Jesse Lin 0:00
And I’m Jesse Lin and welcome back to season two of “But Where Are You Really From?”
Angela Lin 0:16
Today we have two special guests with us usually we only have one today we got two they are huge BTS fans. So there was a preview for you on our topic today. We have Diana and Leslie. Hey, girls.
Diana Jin 0:34
Well, hello.
Jesse Lin 0:36
Yeah.
Angela Lin 0:37
So so we can have a little bit of a sense of who you ladies are. We like to use the listeners in a with kind of the the opening question of our podcast. How would you answer “But where are you really from?”
Leslie Kim 0:54
You know, this is like starting off with a hard question first. This is always the thing where like, it’s usually accompanied by an eye roll before I actually interact. But when I have gotten this, you know, for the fifth time after somebody asked me where I’m from, I am a native New Yorker. So I was born and raised in New York, but my parents are from South Korea.
Angela Lin 1:18
Very cool. Nice.
Diana Jin 1:19
And where am I really from? So I was born in a Xinjiang province in China, which is the North Western most province like at the tip of China, where you meet Mongolia and Russia and all of the istan countries and I moved to the United States when I was six and a half to Ohio. So that’s where I grew up. And I went to New York for school and I’ve been in the region ever since.
Jesse Lin 1:49
Fabulous. So as Angela already alluded to this week, we are taking a deep dive into K-pop and BTS and I think this is gonna be an interesting journey for both Angela and I because part of it is like demystifying our Asian identities and also part of it is exploring like cool new parts of being Asian that didn’t exist when we were growing up. So first question for you ladies. What does BTS stand for?
Diana Jin 2:21
In Korean?
Angela Lin 2:26
We’re starting you off with an easy one.
Diana Jin 2:29
You want to take this one?
Leslie Kim 2:31
Yeah, so BTS as it’s like air quotes original form is essentially the acronym for the Korean name which is Bangtan Sonyeondan so the like B, “Bangtan,” T and then “Sonyeondan” so BTS and then you know as part of that the direct English translation is basically Bulletproof Boy Scout. So that’s kind of what they were like kind of there’s there’s a whole like prepared speech to about what the name means about how they’re like protecting the youth against you know, the the stressors of society and kind of the pressures that society puts on them. So they act as like the bullet proof boys for you know, the younger generation but before and especially as they’ve been increasing in like, the Western world, you know, and everyone’s like, what does BTS stand for? And like them being able to be like, well, it’s actually the acronym for a Korean name is obviously gets a little bit confusing. So a few years ago, they essentially did like a rebrand where they were like, BTS stands for Beyond The Scene. So like, beyond the scene and and I think it’s very interesting actually, like as a kid, I would love to like, hear everybody’s feedback cuz I think as a fan you’re like, but that’s kind of it, but also not really, but then it’s kind of funny to see like, Western press be like, yeah, like BTS, like parentheses “beyond the scene” and everyone’s like, that’s kind of true, but also not but they basically did like a rebranding, you know, as they got more popular.
Jesse Lin 3:54
Okay, so, how did you guys first get into Kpop? Or BTS? Did one come before the other? Like, how did you kind of start to slowly sink yourself into the world of K-pop?
Diana Jin 4:08
1I think for me, growing up in Ohio, I wasn’t introduced to a lot of the Asian music culture. You know, I just grew up listening to mainstream whatever was on the radio. It wasn’t really until I went to NYU and joined a bunch of these Asian interest clubs like KSA or CSA where I really befriended a lot more Asian friends and then got exposed to a lot of Asian cultures. So through that, I started listening to a lot more, you know, Asian artists, such as Kpop artists, I think at that time, it was the Wonder Girls and Big Bang were really big – oh, and a Girl’s Generation so I think that was my introduction, and then BTS I found out about I think in 2014, because there was this one song that kept on getting played over and over again. And then it was really catchy. So I was thinking, okay, like who is this and then that’s how I found out more about them
Leslie Kim 5:11
In New York there were basically like Korean festivals, like Korean culture festivals that would have like, you know, the stands with like, people like selling kimchi, or like, you know, having snacks. And as part of that there would usually be like a headlining act or whatever. So I remember even when I was like, seven or eight, I’d go with my family, or I’d go with my best friend. And we would like go watch the artists that was there. So I was kind of introduced to it in a casual way. But when I was a teenager, I was totally like, all about American pop, though, like, I was like, all in on that. And it was very funny because my best friend, my childhood best friend, who is also Korean American was like, very into Korean pop music. So it was interesting, because we were like, both interested in the same things, but from very different, like viewpoints. It wasn’t until 2009 that I actually like going deep into the fandom world with a group at that point, and then that sort of, like, kind of reinvigorated this, like, love or sort of interest in K-pop. And then it kind of went on from there. And here we are in 2020, where I’m still like talking listening to like, generally K-pop or bringing all this in and definitely when I was like in my Backstreet Boys, like heyday would not have necessarily like seen this down the road.
Angela Lin 6:24
So what is – what was the Kpop group that like, got you first interested? And when did BTS come into the picture? Because I don’t hear you talking about other Kpop nowadays – only BTS.
Leslie Kim 6:37
The group that I got interested in in 2009 was a group called 2pm. And they were also a seven member group, but there was a falling out between the members. And basically one of the members who was my favorite member at the time, basically, like had a falling out with the company and left the company and left the group. If I’m honest, like I fell real deep into fandom then. And then I got burned by it right? Because the whole point of like, fandom and these groups is like, it’s an escape. It’s fun. It’s, you know, it’s a distraction from the real world. And all of a sudden, I was like, sucked in this drama, and all of this. And so I like stayed away from K-pop for a good while, too, because I just kind of felt like I got burned. What’s happening right now is like, incredible to see just like how much it’s it’s expanding beyond like, oh, you like K-pop? Like now it’s like, it’s no longer super niche. Obviously, it is, like niche to an extent. But there’s so much more that’s happening that is really cool to see. Because, you know, five years ago, when I was like, started becoming a fan, it was still a very, you know, more insular group, or it was like a smaller kind of group of fans. And yeah, again, like going back to like, oh, I never would have thought that 11 years ago, this would have been where I I am. But I think the same thing, like five years ago, I would have never been like, oh, look, there’s just like, a casual magazine with a Korean, you know, group on the cover, like, no big deal, whatever. Like things that are crazy.
Angela Lin 8:35
Well, I think that’s a good segue, you talked about, like how much the Korean influence has evolved and like grown in mainstream in Western culture. I think that’s a good starting point for the broader conversation. So let’s talk a little bit about this import of like, not just K-pop but overall Korean trends like K-beauty and like, obviously, K-pop and I’m sure there’s other things well, you know, Parasite. I read online, Leslie, I can’t be Korean. So you can correct me, but I read that this is called the hallyu?
Leslie Kim 9:15
That’s pretty good.
Angela Lin 9:17
So the Korean wave quote unquote. So why do you think that Korea became this like new focal point for all the rising trends because there was a time in the past when like, Japan was kind of the focal point where everything was like J-beauty. And like, I don’t know if there were J-pop things like muted to mainstream, but at least from the beauty aspect, and like things that did get imported it was if it was from Asia, it was from Japan. So like, what do you think is it about Korean culture and these Korean boy and girl groups that it’s like, that is the country that’s breaking out from the Asian region, and how such a big influence despite you know, it being a small island in the East.
Leslie Kim 10:06
I think it’s twofold, I think. I mean, I would agree the fact that like, Korean stuff is like so popular and like you can find like kimchi in like Trader Joe’s or whatever, like blows my mind because growing up when people were like, where are you from? You know, they’d be like, are you Chinese? No. Are you Japanese? No, then what are you? Like Korean was like never even part of that, like set of, you know, classifications of Asians and then to have now people being like, oh, I love all these things is so just amazing to me. But I think yeah, it’s twofold. I think one, I think it’s the Korean government basically invested in product in K-pop, in K0beauty, I mean, Kpop, specifically, but in all these as like, this is going to be our soft power. And this is where we are going to actually use government money to help fund this and use this as like our export. So like, obviously, they’ve got the Samsung, you know, they’ve got the LGs and all that. But like, they are literally putting government dollars and resources to help fund kind of the growth of K-pop export of that, and everything for that. So I think it’s, it’s a small country, but they’re they’re choosing to like invest their government dollars in this, which obviously, helps it because being a collectivist government, too, I do think that that that means that right? It’s just like a rallying experience to because it’s not just like individual like companies or individual people that are trying to like spread a movement. It’s like, no we like hallyu wave, like, yes, we are, we are going on this and we’re going. So I think and I think it’s usually rare to see like governments really like truly investing in like entertainment as their, you know, choice of like, this is what we’re going to put our our money on, but they have done that, which I think has helped for that expansion. I think the other thing that you know, definitely comes into play for K-pop I know this sounds trite, especially for like BTS fans, too. It’s always like, the code word to where it’s like social media is always like, like, they’re not a social media group. Like they’re more than that. But I do think, you know, social media, especially YouTube, like, you know, Diana, I’d love to hear your experiences, because I remember to like, we used to find like, like, minute clips of things like on like torrent sites, you know, even before YouTube was a thing and you’re like, I like even being Korean American, I am obviously not 100% fluent. So I’m like, I don’t really understand what this is. This is the only thing that this is the only way for me to get their content. Whereas now it’s like, everything is readily available on YouTube. There are like, teams of fans that are like, you know, subbing content immediately versus being like, okay, they’re laughing here this is something I should laugh at do. And a lot of that greater exposure that people have to stuff right, then it prevents Korea or you know, whatnot from being like, so insular. And I think with Japan, they do have a ton of J-beauty, there are some like J-pop artists, but like Japan, as a country is is quite insular, right? Like they’re even like, looking at music or whatever their music industry is super insular, it’s really hard to break through like they do a lot of stuff that’s catered just to that market and Korea almost look like the opposite approach of like, we’re welcome to all and I think that that then also opened up not only them exporting things, but also like being open to all these different platforms and taking and being able to take advantage of that and use that to also fuel, you know, people learning more about Korea or getting more interested in Korean culture.
Angela Lin 13:25
Very cool.
Diana Jin 13:27
In terms of K-pop, one of the main I guess, initial draws can be that it’s so novel, right? Like you have choreographed dancing, you have very intricate costuming and music videos are so well produced, they’re like, you know, Hollywood level trailers for, you know, there’s previews for music videos, you know, there’s a set of like, okay, sneak peek one and then two, and then three, and then they make it sort of like that, you’re waiting for the next one to come out. So you’re anticipating so there’s more of that hype for when the, the actual video comes out. And then, so there’s a lot of buildup and the production value is like super high. I, you know, initially when someone is a casual viewer that can draw them in initially. And, you know, if they say, oh, this is pretty catchy, I want to learn more than, again, it becomes a YouTube hole where you just keep on clicking related video related video. And they do a good job of providing enough content, where you keep on going back for more, but also limiting it to where you want more when it comes back out. So I think they do a good job of however they decide to sort of control the flow of content as well.
Jesse Lin 14:45
Interesting. Yeah. So now we can understand a little bit more about this Korean wave and how it’s like penetrating into the US. But help us understand a little bit more about BTS and like why it’s so popular for y’all and kind of how it’s gotten so popular in the mainstream here to be even, like on our music awards shows a few times having appeared at the Grammys, like, it seems like they have like a really meteoric rise. And for me, I’m like looking at this. And I’m like, it’s kind of just it looks kind of like it’s coming out of left field for me. So I would really like to understand like, what you guys think the secret sauce is to them that’s like driving them so far and so fast.
Diana Jin 15:26
I guess from my perspective, the thing that drew me into BTS versus the previous artists that I still like, but not as much is that I think the company did a good job of letting the artists control their conversation with the fans. So allowing them to have a Twitter have WeVerse and all those other social media platforms to talk directly with the fans answer fan questions. That kind of thing is, I think pretty rare for the Korean entertainment industry where they more tightly control what their artists are able to do. I think you’ve heard in probably the headlines like, you know, if certain artists dates then it becomes a scandal and who they interact with, it’s very tightly controlled, even, you know, smoking or having tattoos is looked down upon but I think BTS is a parent company, they did a good job of allowing their artists the freedom to engage with the fans openly. So it seems like a more authentic, almost a relationship that you’re able to have with the artists where you are more invested in how they’re doing. Like, you don’t just see them on the stage or in the music video, you see them, you know, doing cooking shows, or just messing around in the practice room, or, you know, playing pranks on each other, that sort of thing that makes them more real people than just someone you put on a pedestal and admire as an idol. I think it gives them a real realness a humaneness to them, so that I think that helps the fandom connect better. And that’s what engages so many people because you see them struggling, and you can sort of connect with that because they’re not perfect. They’re not portraying a perfect image.
Leslie Kim 17:24
I do think too. And I think it’s probably hard for either newer people or people who aren’t as familiar with like, BTS is like, their story and their journey for all of that but like, as fans maybe that are like kind of on the like, have been around just a little bit longer or whatnot. Like they were very much outsiders when they started like they you know, the K-pop industry in and of itself is notoriously difficult, right? You have like hundreds of thousands of kids that are wanting to like debut and become superstars and and the industry is ruthless, right? Like it demands a lot of people and only a select few groups are able to rise. And then of course even, like fewer able to, like break through and like you know, reach that like top group status. They were very much outsiders and so there was a lot in BTS’s overall like journey that is very much about them, like fighting for their place in the industry. So like giving 110% because when you’re not like, here’s a great way for you to come into this, like you have to, you know, you have to double down and you have to do everything that you can. So I think that’s also something that is very prevalent, even in how they carry themselves today, even though like they’re like definitely certifiable millionaires, right. But I think there’s a lot in the way that they portray themselves where it’s like, they don’t half-ass things. And I think as a fan that is so great to see because like, they could do the bare minimum, and everyone still be like, this is amazing. I love this, right? Like, they’ve earned that right to do that, right? But they don’t they go all out on their concerts, on their tours, like all of this, like, and you see that and as a fan, you’re like, they’re committing to their craft, they take their, you know, they take their job, because at the end of the day, even though it’s for entertainment, it is their job, right. And they, they take that seriously. And that humility and that sort of mindset of them having to basically like work as hard as they can to get to where they want, I think hasn’t left them even though now they’re in a very different, you know, level from any of their peers, honestly, right? Because they’re they’re forging a lot of paths there. And I do think that that also helps with their overall story. And I know as a fan, it’s something that really connects to me because like, you know, they’re at the top but they’re still giving everything they can there’s a lot in there that I think that makes me proud to be their fan and like things like even you know, for buying things like I do it happily because we’re like yes, you should be successful. Like you should make more money you know, like doing all of this. We’re like, I am happy to do that because I’m like, you should like you should be even more successful and like doing all this stuff and I think that’s like honestly pretty rare very much do you feel like you are a part of their success and their journey and kind of it goes back to the point that Diana was saying before about that, like connection and authenticity, I think shows up in a lot of different ways. So that like, I think a lot of times, if you’re like an ARMY, you’re like, I’m an ARMY, and I’m like, throwing down and this is it. So here we are good and bad for that. But I think it’s something that is felt maybe more passionately with this fandom than potentially other fandoms.
Angela Lin 20:31
Let’s talk about ARMY. ARMY is so interesting, because as someone who doesn’t listen to BTS, but like, I know who they are, I’ve heard of ARMY and like, from what I know, they’re one of the biggest and like, most intense fandoms that have maybe ever existed, right? What is it about the mix of being a BTS fan and being part of like this specific fandom that is making this magic sauce like this is such an explosive thing and such a big influence on the internet right now. Like I remember, when BLM first started, ARMY, like took over the internet and like directed spotlight to a lot of important messages there because they had that influence, like, where did this come from, and what’s like driving this huge power behind this fandom.
Leslie Kim 21:26
I think, honestly, one of the most interesting things and Angela, you know, you and I work in marketing, like a big part of our jobs are like KPIs and like what our goals and doing this like, ARMY is extremely goal oriented. And I think that that makes it – I know, it sounds kind of ridiculous, because they’re like, oh, but like, they’re literally like comeback goals. So like, goals on the official trailer goals on x goals on like, literally being like, driven. And obviously, you know, everyone’s like, it’s okay, if we don’t meet it, but like, here’s what we’re gonna try to do. And I think that like organization plays a big role in how such a large fandom can be seemingly like super hyper focused and super, you know, organized and able to impact change, like there are some very big and influential. I don’t know what to call them, I guess like, people on Twitter, I don’t really know organized, they’re not really organizations, but basically
Jesse Lin 22:20
Twitterati
Leslie Kim 22:21
Twitterati yes, perfect. Like one of them is called like, BTS charts data and like literally is like King of ARMY Twitter, like can rally people, there were times and it was like, hey, like something something, you know, pissed ARMY off. So they were like, we’re gonna show the American music industry that we’re not to be messed with and basically ranked every single song in the iTunes chart, just by this one account tweeting out like, we’re going on a mass buying spree, like everybody by now and like, literally every single song in the iTunes chart is like taken over by this. So it’s very influential accounts that are being hyper organized and focused on goals and purpose that are then allowing for things like BLM or kind of other movements to happen and like things like BLM, I think the reason why ARMY was able to mobilize quickly is because, like, we have done this before, right? There have been other causes that, you know, people will rally and do all that. So it’s not like somebody is like, oh, shoot, we should do this. And like, scrambling together, it was like, here’s, here’s a platform, here’s a, you know, one of the Twitterati who, who, you know, can manage this. And it was like, hyperfocused, right, we are going to match a million dollars in 24 hours, let’s go. And then it’s like all the, you know, big fan accounts tweeting that too. And so, I think there’s a lot of like, honestly, it’s a lot of organization that allow this, like, massive group of people to seemingly feel like they’re acting as like, one cohesive unit.
Angela Lin 23:48
Can we just give a shout out to Asians for a second, the fact that like, it’s like a goal oriented, objectives oriented thing that has to come from being Asian.
Diana Jin 23:59
Yeah, I mean, it’s true, you know, every every time a music video comes out, they want to trending number one, or, you know, like the, the Twitter trends 12345. And the other thing is, it seems like it’s a very inclusive community, nationalities all over the world. If you if you look at when a song is released, or when an album is released, they’re literally ranking on charts across the globe. So it’s not just Asian countries, plus, English speaking countries. You know, they’re on charts in Africa. They’re on charts in the Middle East. They’re on charts in Europe, all over the swath of the entire globe. So it’s very inclusive, and then there are ARMY translators as well that are able to translate, you know, the Korean content into all of these languages so that they can be consumed by the local fan base.
Jesse Lin 24:50
Do you think that being able to understand what the music is actually saying in the native language gives you a different perspective on the music versus have like someone else who, let’s say fandom in Africa or someone who doesn’t understand the language?
Leslie Kim 25:05
Um, it’s an interesting question. I think, too, because I’m not like 100% fluent, I rely a lot on translations, too. And so it’s like an interesting thing, I think. I don’t think I necessarily get less from it. Because I think honestly, in some ways I can get lazier. Because if there are some phrases that I recognize or whatever I’m like, okay, like, I get it or like contextually I get it versus fans who don’t understand Korean, like, really want to know, you know, what the context of that lyric is and they’ll go to like the fan translators who usually will also have like, notes or you know, asterisks or things that will, like provide additional context. So I think there’s actually a chance that like, I get less out of it, because I’m like, okay, I understand the intent and like, somebody out, you know, like, not to, like, be racist or whatever, but like, the random white person is like, actually, did you know that there’s everything about this? I’m like, Oh, no, I guess I’ll go and read that lyric translation then. So I think there’s a bit of that, but I think the part for me as a Korean American seeing people like sing along to Korean lyrics, like, it’s, it’s like an incredible feeling. It’s amazing to see like, I’m like, I get like, so proud feeling too because obviously, those people usually they’re singing along, but a large majority of them are, you know, have also like, read the lyrics or done whatever. And, like non Korean speakers also feel a kinship with the lyrics. So I think, honestly, there’s been a bit more of that, for me personally, where it’s like, the lyrics I do actually, like, admit that I probably know less than some others but it’s um, it’s been really just incredible to see people like singing along and Korean and really being moved by what they’re saying. Because again, like as you like, deal with like, insider outsider, what that all means. It’s like, it is literally feels like a cultural shift to see like a blond haired, blue eyed white girl like singing Korean lyrics. I’m like, I don’t. How is this happening? Like, what’s going on?
Diana Jin 27:04
I think for me, as someone who doesn’t speak Korean, just reading the lyrics, I do think a lot probably does get lost in translation, because just like, all Asian languages, certain things are very poetic. So certain phrases mean things when they’re put together. But if you take each word and try to translate it, a lot of that meaning is just, you know, it can’t be translated. So on one hand, I get the basic idea of what the song is trying to say. And I, you know, what, the whole lyric together, you understand how deep the lyrics are. But if I’m taking each line by itself, they might be saying something like way deeper, but because it can’t be properly translated into a language that I can understand maybe I’m not getting the full feeling.
Angela Lin 27:53
So at the beginning of this, you answered the like, where are you from question that’s like a kind of intro to identity. But I think as part of our entire experiment with this podcast, it’s very clear that like, identity can mean a lot of different things. And like, you can identify with much more than just your ethnicity and like, the country that you grew up in. So I’m curious how much ARMY and like your affinity to BTS, you consider as part of your identity.
Leslie Kim 28:25
You know, it’s like, kind of funny, because I feel like now that I’m like, getting older, I’m like, I don’t have any hobbies. I don’t have it. You know, like, I mean, like, when we were younger, we were like, oh, I love like doing all these things. And now I’m like, I like watching YouTube, doing other things. So I think honestly, from that perspective, like, being an ARMY, like being a fan of BTS, is, is very much like a part of my identity now, because now if someone’s like, oh, what do you like to do? I’m like, oh, you know, I like to watch YouTube, which correlates like I love going to concerts correlate. You know, it’s like a lot of stuff for that. And I think I’ve been fortunate enough at work where, you know, I know a lot of times, some people have to kind of like, separate personal from professional and there could be an impact, like, my senior vice president knows that I’m a huge BTS fan, and it is like part of my identity, like having that I’m like, yeah, then it, then it is part of my identities in a group of strangers, maybe I wouldn’t lead with that. But maybe I’d like kind of like figure a way to like, get around it a little bit, and then kind of like, suss it out and see if like, it’s a safe environment to kind of go in on that. But like, I don’t feel like I can’t say that it’s part of my identity, which I think is really nice and is the benefit of ARMY being so like, all encompassing and being able to, you know, apply to such a wide range of people.
Diana Jin 29:42
If you’d asked me maybe 10 years ago, if I would have admitted to a group of people that I’m like a k-pop fan, maybe I wouldn’t be so comfortable doing so. But I think as I’ve grown older, older, it’s, you know, if it’s something I enjoy, I don’t think there’s any reason why it should be looked down upon, I think probably a decade ago people would be like, oh, what’s K-pop is like, you know, as almost like a derogatory, like, why would you listen to that, almost seen as like this weird counterculture or subculture group. But now it’s very much something that I would say, oh, like, I would love to introduce you to, you know, my favorite group or whatever, here share a music video, you would love this or like, yeah, like Leslie said, I wouldn’t, you know, go out to a group of strangers and say, “Hi, my name is Diana, and I’m a ARMY”. There’s more ARMYs than you would expect, though. You know, just you know, sometimes I’m going to, because I have ARMY like a BTS case on my phone. So sometimes when I put it down, they’re like, oh, you like BTS? Yes. Are you ARMY? I mean, it’s like this instant connection that you have with somebody, which is really sort of rare. You know, it’s almost like being from the same hometown, you know, halfway across the globe or something. So it’s really nice.
Jesse Lin 31:00
Love that. Where do you think this Korean wave of people, music, products? Like, where do you think that’s gonna be like a year down the line, five years down the line? I mean, what do you guys think is going to be kind of the continued trend of this moving forward?
Leslie Kim 31:15
I think it’s really hard to tell, because I think it’s hard to know if it’s going to reach the saturation point really quickly, because now like every group is trying to expand into America, right? Like, every group has now partnering with the, you know, a US label, and they’ve got plans, and they’re doing all of this like, now it’s very, almost formulaic. It’s almost like taking the K-pop formula. And then now like saying, like, oh, how can we bring it into mainstream? So I do wonder if we’re starting to kind of hit that inflection point, because I think a lot of Western audience, audiences are like, ooh, here’s the shiny thing. And then once it becomes like, too, oversaturated, or like too whatever, then you start having like, the backlash to that, right? And then it’s just like, oh, no, now we’re gonna reject it. So that’s the pessimistic outlook. But I do worry that we might be reaching kind of a saturation point with that, but I think to be said, like this stuff, yeah, like Parasite winning, like, and everyone’s like, it would like, this film deserves this, but it won’t win. You know, like, it was kind of like, we’re gonna hope it wins, but it probably won’t to like, sort of protect everyone’s like pride and not get too excited. But I think what that does is all of a sudden, now it’s not just like music, right? Because now it’s film and then you know, whatever, what what else is next? So I do think that there will be this kind of like, growing need to start outsourcing or like pulling in for like content ideas or doing all of that I think for better or for worse, what’s happening all now with, with all like, the anti racist, you know, movement, and everybody wanting to be more inclusive and thinking about that, I, I hope that that also continues like to be, you know, to start including Asian content, as well like not to take away from that moment, and you know, what’s important for like, the BIPOC community, but I do think that there is gonna be like, oh, hey, like, we weren’t really paying attention to this before. But like, maybe we should check this out. And that’s where the real future in that five year mark is going to be that people are now actually starting to, like, pay attention to what’s going on over there. Like, we have seen it like there are adaptations of like Korean shows that have come over into the US. And I do think that that type of sort of, like, cross collaboration, I guess, of content is what’s going to continue and help not make it be like, oh, here’s this like, foreign thing that’s coming into our country, but then it’s just part of like, oh, yeah, this is like the next evolution of American you know, media or Western media.
Diana Jin 33:35
Yeah, I think just like, you know, Latin music broke through with, you know, trailblazers in the industry, you know, the Shakiras and the J-Los of the world. Maybe BTS will be a trailblazer in that sense, it may never be as mainstream as something that’s 100% in English, that’s gonna be played on top 40 charts every single day on the radio, but it can be something where it’s more accepted in general where it’s no longer niche or it’s no longer something that you have to explain every single time like what is K-pop to you know your friend so I think there’s definitely a potential for growth there and not just in music but also in film as Leslie said, you know, you had Crazy Rich Asians then you have Parasite, and you have Mulan coming out on Disney with and you know, all Asian cast trends like that is obviously very positive, but I hope it’s not just a blip on the radar where like, yes, right now, we’re very interested in Asians like this is a new thing like, like hibachi is the new thing or sushi is the new thing, or boba is the new thing. But I hope that it can continue and just become something that is just another music, right? Like it’s, it’s just music, it’s just in a different language or it’s just film it’s in another language and it can just be consumed as such. Not be considered a separate category. Oh, it’s foreign film or it’s foreign music and stuff like that. There is growing acceptance. And as people get more exposure to something, it becomes less of a thing that they’re scared of or nervous about, and more something that they can easily accept.
Angela Lin 35:19
Beautiful.
All right, this has been a really lovely conversation. Thank you for bringing the fire here. This have been a very passionate discussion as we anticipated. And so we’ll move into our closing section our Fortune Cookie, because we always like to end on a sweet treat. And we thought a fun way to end this because the two are massive BTS fans, and I believe you’ve both done some crazy things to see BTS. What is the craziest thing, or like the most you’ve ever done to see BTS live.
Diana Jin 36:01
In 2016, I flew to Japan so I could see their stadium show. From New York. And I think I stayed for only five days in Japan. But the main purpose of the trip was really just to see them live. And I think I bought the tickets through some third party courier person, because in order to buy tickets for the Japanese shows, you have to be part of a Japanese fan club. And then there’s a lottery if you’re in the fan club to even be able to purchase tickets. So it was a whole thing. I was working through Google Translate and emailing back and forth with someone who was Japanese and didn’t speak perfect English. And then I was trying to, you know, communicate payment and how I would get the tickets, but it worked out. So I did see them.
Leslie Kim 36:55
It’s funny, because it’s like, what’s the craziest thing and I feel like both of our things are exactly related. So maybe not that crazy if you’re an ARMY, but mine would have to do with a concert. So I went to Korea for the start of their Love Yourself tour, which is back in 2018. And I basically paid four times the ticket price to sit in literally the 10th from the row like 10 from the back row in a stadium of 55,000 people so basically they were like ants, but I was so happy to be there. It was great. It was one of the highlights.
Jesse Lin 37:29
Awesome.
Angela Lin 37:29
Thank you both for joining us. This has been a really fun conversation and Jesse and I knew nothing really going into this. This is like perfect, very educational.
Jesse Lin 37:40
And now we know something Yes.
Angela Lin 37:42
The surface level I would say
Leslie Kim 37:44
Join the ARMY guys. It’s very it’s very welcoming.
Angela Lin 37:49
All right. Yes, well, so if you like this episode, write us in at Telluswhereyourefrom@gmail.com tell us if you’re an ARMY, tell us that there’s a different K-pop artist that you’re really into, share that love with us that we can connect everyone in this community together. And we will come back next week with a fresh new episode.