The rise of kpop has brought Korean culture and its idols to new fans around the world. As Western fans adopt kpop into their hearts at a rapid pace, some say there’s a sinister side to adoring an idol — fetishization. So what does fetishization really mean? Are Western fans engaging with kpop in healthy or toxic ways? What happens when cultures collide and western fans digest kpop and where does fetishization fit in?
We’re joined by cultural anthropologist Dr. Thomas Baudinette to take a closer look and understand how cultures expand and and what that means for the fans who love celebrities from countries other than their own.
If you want to check out Tom’s work you can do so here or follow him on Twitter!
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Past episodes of Name 3 Songs we think you’ll enjoy: Kpop, Capitalism and the Illusion of the American Dream (with Stephanie Parker of the KpopCast) & The Gamification of Music: History of the Billboard Charts (with journalist Bryan Rolli)
Research for When Cultures Collide: Kpop, Western Fans & Fetishization
- Fetishization Of Male K-Pop Idols: Thoughts From A K-Pop Stan (Her Campus, Dulani Hannadige, Sept 2021)
- What Is Fetishization And How Does It Contribute To Racism? (Forbes, Janica Gassam Asare, Feb 2021)
- Opinion: The Fetishization of the K-Pop Boy Band (Soompi, Timmy Dee, Oct 2015)
- The Rise of K-Pop and the Fetishization of Korean Men (Afinity, Sameera Khan, March 2017)
- There Is A Difference Between Fans That Fetishize K-Pop Versus Fans That Support Inclusion (The Odyssey, Mia Reid, Oct 2018)
- Asian Fetishization from Current Media (The WIldcat, Ink S, March 2022)
- The Issue With Fetishization: Asian American Acceptance ( Texas JSA Lonestar, Gabrielle Choi, March 2021).
- The K-Pop Boy Fetish (Arpi Park on YouTube)
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