Michael-5 said:
ToraTiger said:
Michael-5 said:
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Isn't most Asian music more similar to 90's Pop music in Western Society? I don't think it's really influenced that much by western culture, I rarely hear a Japanese Rock song. However there is intermixing, and in general asians get more influence from Westerners then Vice versa, but that's starting to change. K-Pop and J-Pop are becoming bigger and bigger in Western Culture, I mean how big was Gangnam Style a couple months back?
Shit off topic....Plastic surgery. Yes, Western Influence is greater in Asia then Asian influence is here. If the asian influence were strong here, people would not be as obese as they are now LOL.
You are kinda right. Double Eye lid surgery is encouraged, most asian girls get it, and big eyes are considered sexy. Plus asians do die their hair.
However to be fair, I would argue that the influence isn't from Western Culture to Eastern Culture. I don't think anyone, except for Americans, try to look more American. I think the bulk of the influence comes from central and northern Europe. Most people to artificially change their appearance die their hair blonde and get blue contacts. Asians and Americans alike, we're all trying to look swedish or scandenavian.
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Oh, that was an error. XD my bad. You knew what I met, I assume.
As for Asian music. It varies depending on country. Japense prefer Rock music, and classical music, while chinese seem to enjoy R&B a lot.
As for Koreans, their music is full of hip hop, and more modern pop and dance music. It's VERY similar to American music. (Just listen to Gangnam style, it sounds a lot like a L.M.A.O song or something ) Most of their songs contain at least serval english lines, using freuquently used words in American culture, like "swag", "haters", "fly" and several others. You can youtube a lot of Kpop artists plaugerizing American music, just to add.
As for Westerners starting to be influenced by Asians, I think that's a long time away before we can even consider it at all. I mean I'm pretty sure the only reason Americans like K-Pop is because how similar it is. Imo. Seeing as Korean is by far the most popular type of asian music in the west, and all the popular bands/singers in Korea that made it big in American are all techno/hip-hop artists with few exceptions.
For the obese thing, I think that's more of a social thing than a cultural one.
Back on the topic of surgery, well they're definietly trying to look white, that's for sure. Be it a German, English or sweddish. But I think it's safe to assume American, since they've already imitated so much from it already. Hell, even their fashion sense is disturbingly similar.
I don't mean to come off as racist or prejudice, (because really, I'm not) or even a hater or anything.
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About K-Pop, Question is did music like Gangnam style exist in Korea before LMFAO, or was PSY influenced by Americans? From what i've heard of K-Pop, their music has been like that for a while, and I think Americans know about Gangnam style because of how similar it is to American Pop. Essentially I think neither strongly influences the other, they just both coincidently sound similar, and because of it you will see a lot more intermixing in the future.
As for the Obese thing, what do you mean social instead of cultural? I'm curious because I look at it as a cultural thing, and lately (especially in places like California) you're seeing a trend where more and more people eat oriental food because it's healthier and will keep you skinnier. This is American dining (and Canadian, and European too) mimicing Korean.
If you go to Korea, you will rarely see McDonalds, and people doesn't really eat American there like we eat Korean/Japanese/Chinese. I feel a similar situation is happening with Oriental food as happened with Italian food in the past. In Italy you will have trouble finding American diners, but in the USA Pizza Pizza, and other pizza/pasta chains have exploded. Many of them have become Americanized (Italians wouldn't recognize pizza pizza as pizza, but some high salt fast cooked American interpretation of their food).
I can't argue fashion, I don't know what goes on there.
As for Plastic Surgury (the topic in the op), I see a difference. How many Americans are naturally blonde? Isn't USA the mixing pot of the states? What's the definitive American look? Blonde Hair and Blue eyes for sure isn't it, that's swedish, and I think there are more Americans then asians per captia dying their hair blond. Asians aren't really dying their hair brown, maybe red, but not brown. However a lot of American girls straighten their hair to mimic asian hair styles. They don't do it specifically to mimic the asians maybe, but straight hair is only natural in asians since their hair is denser, and thus heavier and straight. However at the same time Double Eyelid Surgury is very common among asian girls, where Cateye Surgury is a pretty small phenomena with Americans. So it turms of plastic surgury, more Asians are mimicing white people (and in this case Americans too), but in terms of culture, more Americans are imitating Asians (Diets, Straight Hair, Black Hair, etc)
So I'll agree with you, a high percentage of asians are trying to look white, specifically swedish, but I won't agree with you that they are trying to look American overall. If you go to Korea, or Japan, muscles on women are frowned upon, and aren't athletic body types considered hot in USA? Europe tends to favor slim girls over athletic as well. So if I were to be specific, Asians are imitating Northern Europeaners.
Americans on the other hand, they aren't imitating anyone, they are just trying to become more shocking, and this is the new American look. Orange Skin, Breast Implants, Calf Implants (to look more muscular), Fat injections to the lips, blond hair, blue eyes, tatoos (I wouldn't associate any other country as strongly with tatoos), and a lot of make up on girls. This is very different from the typical European clean look, where most women are just naturally beautiful (except the english) because of good diets and high maintenance (Not in a make-up way, in the way where they takes care of themselves, cook home cooked meals and in general live healthier).
P.S. Please tell me why you think Obesity is a Social thing and not a cultural. Isn't the Fast Food buisness a heavy part of American culture (like it or not)? Aren't Burgers and pop a culturally American meal? Aren't Steakhouses predominantly integrated with American diets?
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Korean music became westernized relatively recently, probably around 2005, don't know for sure, just look at 'Kpop' on wikipedia for that. Also, I can't see how you think the similarities are just a 'coincidence', when they also dance the same, dress the same, and even speak 'American english' in the marjority of their songs, while also passing the same 'swag' image into it. Lastly, If you look at a Korean top 50 music chart, you'd see tons of American singers on it, while on the other hand, if an Asian charts in America, it's news worthy, and only a handful have been able to accomplish this feat. If someone can view this as a coincidence, that is beyond me.
I do agree with you that Chinese, Japanese and Korean foods are popular in america, though I don't think it's because people view it as healthy. That stuff can hardly be considered healthy, it's full with sodium and carbs, and is probably the reason Asians are so short and usually lack muscle mass. On the same hand, while Asian food maybe popular, so is Mexican, Italian, and French food. All the ones I named are far more popular than Korean food in America. And on the other hand, I read somewhere that McDonalds is the most widespread food chain in the world. And I'm sure their are a considerable amount in Korea, as in Japan. So I think it's about even in the culinary space, being fair.
Back on the topic of surgery, the thing is in America surgery is met with negative reception for the most part (Look at previous posts in this thread) and many people see the 'jersey' look, a small minority mind you, as ridiculous or just weird. As opposed to Korea where double-eyelids, V-jaws, and western noses are seen as almost universal beauty, and is so encouraged. These are things that most of them aren't going to be born with anyway, so basically, in Korea few women are born beautiful. They only achieve this after they acquire these very western standards of beauty through surgery, and I think that's just sad.
How many white Americans have naturally blonde hair? I'd say about a quarter, though many more dye it that color. While on that topic, I feel like I need to correct you when you said you don't see a lot of brown hair in Asia and that Americans mimic Asian hair styles more. That's not the case. In Korea, brown makes up a vast majority of hair colors, while black, the color that most everyone is born with is not. Many also have curly hair. While in America, black hair isn't something that is a near impossibility to acquire, and at the same time way less Americans dye their hair black than compared to asians dying their hair brown. I do concur that Americans do straighten their hair like Asians, but I don't see that as copying, neither do I see Asians curling it as such.
When I said I see obesity more as a social problem, is because in America, various factors contribute to people becoming fat. It could be that they spend a lot of time out and so they have fastfood, or they over eat for joy, or for celebration, or just plain over-eating. Though I think it could also be considered a cultural problem since it's so widespread. Either works.
Honestly, I don't think it's a fair arguement to say that Asians influence Americans as much as the other way around. One thing that comes to mind is to think about how seriously big Smartphones and tablets are in Korean culture. Something that was invented, and popularized in the US. I mean just look at how Samsung, a korean company is constantly being sued by Apple for copy-right infringement.
Having said all that, I said that to say that America's influence is strong all over the world, but it's particularly strong in South Korea. And I agree with you that Americans do try to be shocking, or outrageous. Though I think this is why America's influences are so strong in so many places. It's more 'creative', though that is not always a good thing.
So to summerize some of this, I think it's pretty insane to think that in terms of culture more Americans are mimicing Asians than vise versa, because of;
1. American hairstyles are just as popular in Asian as vise versa if not more. Curling and straightening is about equal
2. Mobile technology, a major part of Korean culture, is something born and raised in USA.
3. Koreans like American music far more than Americans like Korean music, plus it's safe to assume Korean music is inspired by A-pop anyway.
4. Korean food is hardly widespread here, and their are at least 200 McDonald diners in Korea.
Finally, my analogy is this, if Koreans have already borrowed so many things from the USA, isn't it safe to assume that they're trying to look white to look American, and not European?
