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Even I don't think this demerits your comment but the Gangnam video doesn't have anything on it that carries a stamp of any of those you mentioned. It is asiatic+uninhibited+spontaneous and in a very non-American way too.



Really? To me it seems to be more American than anything else. There are guys dancing and pretty girls and special effects. That seems pretty much like an outgrowth of MTV culture, rap videos, etc. which are of American origin. I'll grant it has a unique sense of humor.


> Really? To me it seems to be more American than anything else. There are guys dancing and pretty girls and special effects. That seems pretty much like an outgrowth of MTV culture, rap videos, etc. which are of American origin. I'll grant it has a unique sense of humor.

I would like to differ. People dancing, pretty girls as eye candy is a universal trend that definitely didn't start out of the MTV generation. See for e.g. Bollywood movies.


> To me it seems to be more American than anything else.

Actually, my understanding is that the lyrics are a parody of the Gangnam district of Seoul, and how the rich people there try to act as if they're American, not Korean.

If anything, it's a parody/rejection of Western culture.


Except PSY himself rejects that explanation: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/120oqd/i_am_south_kore...


I remember reading elsewhere that he accepted that explanation (right in the beginning when the video went viral first) as well. He was recently signed up for some record deal by the man that talent spotted Justin Bieber. Perhaps there was a diktat/mandate from those circles as to to not antagonise the "prospective audience" for his music anymore.

Jackie Chan had similar problems when he made the crossover to Hollywood (Source: his autobiography and Wikipedia entries). So, I won't be surprised if PSY was made to temper his views lately to avoid unnecessary controversy to his new paymasters.


Exactly. This was discussed on many talk shows as well and that was the consensus arrived at regarding the message of the video.

I was really trying to find the links to this, but couldn't.


Dancing and pretty girls are uniquely American now?


"unique sense of humor."

I think the appropriate word you're looking for (or rather, to be used instead) is "satire". And that completely changes how you view the whole thing.


I really am not into this kind of stuff (so just coming in as a casual observer/non-fan) but Psy seems to occupy the same genre, marketing/presentation as LMFAO, no? Not that that's uniquely American - I wouldn't know - I just see both of these artists and don't get a vibe of artistic cultural separation.


It is asiatic+uninhibited+spontaneous and in a very non-American way too.

-- Techno. Detroit. Via London, Berlin, etc. Its just pop.


Just to clarify, I was talking about the video there.




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