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Cosmetic Surgery

Obsession Over the Right Line and the Media that Pushes it

Mon, 02/11/2013 - 16:46 — idlewordship

Over at Haps, James Turnbull looks at South Korea’s line obsession, (e.g. “S-line”, “V-line”, “X-line”) and those that push them. He has some especially choice words for the “Bagel Girl” concept.

One more, is the deeply misogynistic, almost pedophilic label ‘bagel girl’ heavily promoted in the media, the “bay” referring to young, “baby” faces, and the “gul” referring to “glamour,” which means large breasts in Korean.

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“Juvis Professional Diet” Does it Again…

Wed, 06/15/2011 - 16:11 — James Turnbull
(Source: Busan Focus, 15 June 2011, page 17)

With apologies to the guinea pigs that were the first to receive it back in March, as I get more practice I’m constantly updating (and hopefully improving) my public lecture on gender and Korean advertising, and as I prepare to give it a fourth time this weekend I realize I’ve been seriously remiss in not mentioning Koreans’ exceptionally tolerant attitudes towards photoshopping in it previously.

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With Great Legs Comes Great Responsibility?

Thu, 06/02/2011 - 21:28 — James Turnbull
(Source: Seoul Focus, May 17 2011, p. 13)
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Perfect Upper Bodies, But “Healthy” Legs: Update

Sun, 03/27/2011 - 17:37 — James Turnbull
(Source)

Do you think Arirang should have removed its  Twist in Figures video from YouTube?

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Korean Sociological Image #57: Perfect Upper Bodies, But “Healthy” Legs

Tue, 03/22/2011 - 23:58 — James Turnbull

Normally I’d reserve something like this for the next “Korean Gender Reader” post, but then this is simply one of the most appalling things I’ve seen on Korean television in nearly 11 years here. Or, as a friend put it, it’s “totally fucking reprehensible”, and in the strange event that it’s not rapidly removed from YouTube because of the overwhelmingly negative response, then we’ll both be calling Arirang TV to complain about it.

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Plastic Surgery Struggling in Korea? Some Untold Facts

Fri, 03/11/2011 - 17:00 — thelostseoul

The Unknown Truth About Economics in Plastic Surgery

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Reading the Lolita Effect in Korea, Part 2: The role of K-pop and the Korean media in sexual socialization and the formation of body image

Thu, 12/16/2010 - 17:55 — James Turnbull

A simply surreal video making the rounds at the moment. As explained by Lisa at Sociological Images, it:

…beautifully illustrates the socialization of children into particular kinds of worship. With hand motions, body movements, and facial expressions, this child is doing a wonderful job learning the culturally-specific rules guiding the performance of devotion.

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The effeminacy of male beauty in Korea

Thu, 12/09/2010 - 16:10 — James Turnbull
( Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, 2007.
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Creative Korean Advertising #25: Change Your Emoticon!

Sat, 10/09/2010 - 10:12 — James Turnbull

Regardless of your feelings about cosmetic surgery, hopefully this will still bring a smile to your face this weekend. Thanks to reader Tobi for passing it on!^^

Update: Fellow blogger 아름답다, ah-lum-dahp-dah also noticed the ad.

(For all posts in the Creative Korean Advertising series, see here)

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Korean Sociological Image #49: Lee Hyori has an Asian Bottom?

Sun, 08/22/2010 - 21:49 — James Turnbull

Well, bottom half of her body to be precise. But then she is Korean after all, so what on Earth does that make her top half?

Western, according to her. And while she’s quite happy with that at least, in contrast she’s dissatisfied with her Asian legs, claiming that she has to always wear high heels to compensate for them.

Despite my original shock at hearing her describe herself in such terms though, ironically I find myself defending her statements. No, really.

But first, the context. From the Hankyung:

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The Grand Narrative on Air

Wed, 08/04/2010 - 18:18 — James Turnbull

This time, a live phone-interview on tomorrow’s This Morning show on TBS e-FM, Busan e-FM’s sister station in Seoul. Hosted by Dr Hans Schattle, a political science professor at Yonsei University, I’ll be talking alongside Dr. Robert Kushner of Northwestern University on the overuse of diet pills in Korea, with me focused on the sociological aspects of dieting and body image in general. Catch me there from roughly 8:40am either before, together with, or after Dr.

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The Hips Don’t Lie…

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 23:43 — James Turnbull
( But is she smart too? Source )

As long-term readers will be well aware, I’m a big fan of evolutionary psychology. And why not?

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Korean Sociological Image #40: As Pretty as a Picture?

Wed, 06/16/2010 - 22:20 — James Turnbull
( Source )

As any visitor to the country soon becomes well aware, Korea seems to be a society obsessed with appearance.

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Gender Studies 101: How the media perpetuates negative body images

Fri, 05/28/2010 - 13:56 — James Turnbull
( Source )

Alas, I’m still taking a break from blogging for another week or so(!), so let me just quickly pass on a Korea Times article on “X-lines” and women’s body images that I’m quoted in today. New readers who want to learn more about them, please see:

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Korean Photoshop Disaster #4: NOBODY’S Perfect!

Thu, 04/29/2010 - 22:02 — James Turnbull

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