JYJ rant: if easily offended, don't read.
Okay so if you haven't already seen me spazz over JYJ, you will now listen to me rant over them. I have decided that I really do not like the MV they did for "Ayyy Girl." Mostly because there are some shots that are really awkward and to me, the MV doesn't fit the song. At first I was "OMG it's JYJ! It's JYJ!" when it was announced that they had released an MV and really excited when the MV first started, sort of. Then as the MV continued, the shots of the three boys running towards the camera in slow-motion was really, frightening. I'm not sure if that's the right word, but in my opinion, Jae-joong didn't look like Jae-joong, and Mickey's face was. . . unattractive. The only one who had a semi-decent shot was Junsu, and I think that was mostly because you didn't get his full face. (Not that I don't love looking at his face, I do, he's really handsome.) Most of these shots were not attractive especially in the slow-motion.
Another reason for me disliking this MV is that it is a really dumb way to debut in the USA. JYJ's current fans will love it no matter what, but using this MV as a promotion of who they are and what they can do, is NOT a good representation. Someone I know who has been dancing and performing for years made the comment, "They look like a 1980's boy band." And despite the costumes and CGI, they do. Boy bands stopped being popular in the USA when I was in middle school/starting high school. That's about 8 years ago. If JYJ wanted to earn new fans in the USA, they are doing it wrong. Mostly because of the MV. It would fly in Japan and in Korea, but there is no way it will fly with USA music consumers. When watching the MV, I thought, "Oh great, they're proving my sister's point." As much as I try to convince my sister and American friends and family, they all reject the musicians I like saying they are too girly and not manly enough, despite never even having listened to them or having seen them perform. The other part of it is that I grew up/live in a conservative mid-west American state where country is the most popular form of music. Now in some of the cultural hubs of the USA, like NYC or LA, the MV might be a bit more acceptable. But it is still not a great way to win over new American fans.
What JYJ needed to make this MV more appropriate, is a USA/Korean cultural expert. And I'm not saying just culture. This person would need to know pop culture of both countries, the music scene in both countries, and have a working knowledge of theatre/performing arts. This person would have to be able to fuse who JYJ is, as Korean superstars, with what the American public expects from it's musicians.
Now I am no expert yet in this field, but I majored in Theatre and in East Asian Culture and Society in school. I also lived in Japan and am living in South Korea. So I think I have some idea of what would or wouldn't work. Please don't hate. I love and support JYJ and would be at their concert in a heartbeat (if it hadn't sold out before I could get tickets). I just did not like the MV. Also this is MY OPINION. Take it or leave it. comments are love. You can criticize my opinion, I am open to hearing all opinions and would love to start a dialogue over this or anything else.
11/16/2010
I'm adding to this post as I think these people are amazing and I agree with them/they agree with me: LinzerDinzerTV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O8JcBpV2GE&NR=1
Asian Pop Addict http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uKJ2MYkaYk&feature=related
Hope you wonder ladies don't mind me tagging you in here!