33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave #22 Korean Satire & Humor 

#22 “Gangnam Style,” “Parasite,” and Margaret Cho

 

*한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드 #풍자와 해학: 강남 스타일, 기생충, 마가렛 조 <Korean version>

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?mid=Focus&document_srl=4083853

 

Psy’s “Gangnam Style” / Park So-dam in “Parasite” / Stand-up comedian Margaret Cho

 

“One does not kill by anger but by laughter.”

“Perhaps I know best why it is man alone who laughs; he alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter.”

-Friedrich Nietzsche, “The Will to Power” (1901)-

There was a time in Korea when a TV program called “If you laugh, blessings will come your way” dominated the home screen. It is a legendary comedy that began airing on MBC-TV in 1969, ended in 1985, was revived in 1992, ended again two years later, and aired for seven months in 2005. Under the dictatorial regime in the 1970s, contemporary comedians such as Gu Bong-seo, Bae Sam-ryong, Baek Nam-bong, Seo Young-chun, Kwak Gyu-seok, Lee Ki-dong, Song Hae, Nam Bo-won, Nam Cheol, Nam Seong-nam, Yang Hoon, Yang Seok-cheon, Bae Yeon-jeong, and Bae Il-jip provided laughter to Koreans.

 

 

MBC-TV “If you laugh, blessings will come your way”

 

In an era when political topics were banned, the sense of storytelling was found in everyday life. Episodes that represented the gap between the rich and the poor and the psychology of the common people, such as “Great Legacy,” in which a Beggar informs his subordinates of the birthdays, ancestral rites, and wedding dates of rich families, and “Greetings to Noblemen,” in which nobles plot to marry each other by pretending to be nobles, are among the most popular.

 

Koreans may have been able to endure those dark times more easily with the panacea of laughter. Gu Bong-seo, who passed away in 2016, once said in an interview, “There is laughter, but if you put it aside, sadness should come out of it. That’s what comedy is.” Laughter may sometimes be a mask that covers a person’s deep sadness.

 

 

 Talchum-Mask Dance. Photo: Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA)

 

On the surface, the pansori (Korean one-man opera) “Heungboga” is about brotherly love and good and evil punishment, but it is also a story about the conflict between rich and poor, in that Nolbu is a rich farmer and his younger brother Heungbu is a poor farmer. Nolbu’s grumpiness, listed at the beginning of “Heungboga,” is full of humor.

 

“Fanning a fire, feeding a crying child with feces, pouring feces down a well, sprinkling red pepper powder in his sore eyes, breaking up an end-of-the-line bargain, open the jar cover when it rains...”

- “Heungboga”-

 

Satire and humor are the DNA of our people. The Koreans have mercilessly satirized the absurdity of society and moral contradictions through art over our long history. Instead of responding to the sorrow that accumulated while enduring oppression with revenge, Koreans released it with joy and communicated with the public in an exciting way through dance and song. Talchum (“mask dance,” a performing art that encompasses dance, music, and theatre), pansori, genre paintings, and folk paintings are arts that capture the unique humor of our people. Proverbs and riddles are also a type of oral literature that combines the wisdom and humor of the Korean people and the skills of the Korean language.

 

Koreans are a people of Han (deep sorrow) and a people of Hung (joy). Isn’t the talent to sublimate resentment into excitement probably a driving force behind today’s Korean Wave?

 

 

#Satire and humor of Psy and “Gangnam Style”

 

Poster foreshadowing Psy’s appearance on NBC-TV’s “The Ellen Show” / Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video

 

Soul, the black music that was created in the 1950s and 60s under the influence of gospel and rhythm and blues (R&B), has sorrow in its sad melodies and rhythms. In hip-hop, a black music that was born in the Bronx, New York in the 1970s, rap anger conveyed by fast beats is expressed directly. Koreans seem to have an outstanding talent for twisting anger with satire and humor rather than expressing it directly.

 

On July 15, 2012, Psy’s music video “Gangnam Style” shook the world and ushered in the era of K-Pop. “Gangnam Style” had recorded 4.47 billion views on YouTube on its 10th anniversary (July 15, 2022), ranking as the 5th most viewed music video in YouTube history.

 

“Gangnam Style” is a music video that fully reflects the Korean spirit of satire and humor. Psy was wearing sunglasses and a bow tie suit, shouting, “Oppa, Gangnam Style!” Singing while shouting. Gangnam (located south of the Han River) is the wealthiest area in Seoul and is probably the dream residence where most Koreans want to live. In New York, it’s the Upper East Side, and in LA, it’s Beverly Hills. Psy, a man who wants to belong to Gangnam culture, has the attire of a handsome gentleman, but his behavior is childish. He tans at a children’s playground, seduces women on the subway, dances wildly on a tour bus, takes a sauna with gangsters, and sits forlornly on the toilet. Psy is a “wannabe” who aspires to “Gangnam Style,” but he is merely an outsider who cannot belong to Gangnam. “Gangnam Style” depicts 21st-century Seoul men as caricatures. 

 

From Psy’s “Gangnam Style” (2012) music video / “City Lights” (1931) starring Charlie Chaplin

When Psy appeared on NBC-TV’s “The Ellen Show” in 2012, the promotional poster introduced him with the phrase “Dress Classy, Dance Cheesy.” Psy reminds me of Charlie Chaplin in the silent films, who tried to maintain his dignity by wearing business clothes but was nothing more than a poor vagabond.

 

Perhaps Psy in “Gangnam Style” is a Korean man wearing a tal (mask) of business clothes and bravado, and he is continuing the tradition of mask dance in that he humorously expresses the reality of Korea while performing a horse dance. Malttugi, a nobleman’s servant who appears in Bongsan Talchum, was also a coachman. Malttugi accuses, satirizes, and ridicules the corruption, incompetence, and bravado of fallen noblemen. This provides a sense of mental liberation to the people. In Talchum, the main theme is the conflict between the ruling class and the ruled class.

 

“Gangnam Style” is not just a humorous music video; it satirizes Gangnam’s conspicuous consumption culture. It’s a Korean man’s daydream to live like a rich man in Gangnam. Instead of criticizing Korean society’s addiction to money, position, and excessive consumption, Psy armed himself with satire and humor and produced self-deprecating slapstick comedy like a modern-day Chaplin. And, Koreans, as descendants of the equestrian people, Psy performed ingenious horse dances and hypnotic and addictive rhythms. He sublimated the serious social issues of the gap between the rich and the poor and consumer culture into the exciting play of slapstick comedy, caricature, black humor, and horse dance.

 

 

Psy's horse dance in "Gangnam Style" music video(2012) 

 

The original music video “Gangnam Style” connected with people around the world and served as an opportunity to open the door to K-Pop. Psy and “Gangnam Style” accelerated the spread of the Korean Wave. From K-Pop to K-Dramas to K-Food, “Things Korean” have become popular as cool cultural products. And Gangnam in Seoul has emerged as a new tourist attraction in Korea. In December 2012, the former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was the Mayor of London at the time, wrote in the Daily Telegraph column “How Gangnam Style and Fifty Shades gave culture a spanking” that “Gangnam Style” was “the greatest cultural masterpiece of 2012.”

 

 

#Bong Joon-ho and the Black Humor of “Parasite”

 

Director Bong Joon-ho giving his thoughts after winning the Best Director trophy at the Academy Awards on 2020.

 

Director Bong Joon-ho, a sociology major from Yonsei University, explores issues of capitalist society such as class conflict and greed in his films. “Parasite,” which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and four Academy Awards (Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and International Feature Film), is a tragedy but, overall, a black comedy rich in humor. Like his previous work “Snowpiercer,” “Parasite” delves into the class conflict between the upper and lower classes.

 

If “Parasite” can be described as a “staircase movie” (i.e., upstairs/downstairs) depicting class differences within a vertical space that includes a basement, a semi-basement, and a mansion on a hill, “Snowpiercer (2013)” can be seen as a “train car movie” illustrating class divisions along a horizontal axis, from the head (engine) compartment to the tail compartment. There is a clear divide between the compartments, reflecting the distinct boundaries that protect the interests of the bourgeoisie in capitalist society. “Parasite” starkly displays the tragedy that unfolds when the proletariat attempts to cross that line.

 

 

"Parasite"(2019) by Bong Joon-ho 

 

The social classes in “Parasite” are determined not only by the characters’ living conditions and occupations, but also by their smell. After Mr. Kim’s son, Ki-woo, poses as a college student to become a tutor for Mr. Park’s daughter, the rest of the Kim family, who were previously unemployed, secure jobs within the Park household. Daughter Ki-jeong takes on the role of an art therapist with fake overseas credentials, father Ki-taek becomes the driver, and mother Chung-sook assumes the position of a housekeeper. This con artist family dons invisible masks to conceal their true identities and engages in role-play using Mr. Park’s mansion as their stage.

 

The Kim family hosts a party at the Park residence on the day the Park family departs for camping. Suddenly, the former housekeeper, Moon-gwang, arrives during a thunderstorm, leading to a clash of threats and a battle between the lower classes. This conflict unveils the secret of the underground bunker. 

 

The movie’s climax occurs at Park’s son Da-song’s birthday party. On this occasion, Ki-taek masquerades as a villainous Indian in a situation comedy. For Ki-taek, donning the chief’s headdress is another form of masking. The garden party turns into another bloody skirmish in the underground bomb shelter. Geun-se from the bunker makes an appearance in the garden, transforming the party into a catastrophe. When Park expresses disdain for the smell of Geun-se, Ki-taek confronts him with a kitchen knife.

 

 

Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho, above) wearing an Indian chief's hat and participating in a role play at Da-song's birthday party in 'Parasite' / Books about mask dance (Talchum)

 

In the movie, Mr. Park states, “I hate people who cross the line the most.” The bourgeoisie are determined to safeguard their vested interests, while the proletariat strives to transcend class boundaries. The Kim family successfully crosses the physical barrier of Mr. Park’s mansion through deceitful employment. However, the Park family remains oblivious to the scheme until ...

 

Da-song, Kim’s son, is the first to realize that the scent symbolizing class has crossed a threshold. The smell, referred to as “old-radish” by Mr. Park, is a part of lower-class identity and cannot be concealed. Ki-taek goes to the extent of committing murder after being mocked due to the odor associated with their semi-basement residence. He even dons an Indian chief headdress. This scene is also a metaphor for the history of colonialism involving American Indians. The audience experiences tension and suspense as the Kim family crosses an invisible “line.”

 

 

The Servant"(1963) by Joseph Losey

 

One of the films believed to have influenced director Bong Joon-ho is the thriller “The Servant (1963),” written by Harold Pinter and directed by Joseph Losey. In a mansion in England, a hierarchical society, a servant (Dirk Bogarde) reverses his relationship with his master (James Fox), causing the master to regress into an infantile state. In contrast, the class conflict in “Parasite” unfolds within a family setting and is a black comedy replete with dark humor.

 

“Battleship Potemkin (1925),” directed by Sergey Eisenstein, is based on a true story set in 1905. The sailors on the battleship Potemkin, floating in the Russian Black Sea, mutinied due to being fed rotten meat infested with maggots. Their rebellion arose from the quality of the soup served. In “Parasite,” Mr. Kim commits murder at Mr. Park’s son’s birthday party due to his contempt and anger, incited by the odor symbolizing class. The motive behind the murder is linked to the lower class’s scent.

 

 

"Parasite"(2019) by Bong Joon-ho

 

Despite being a tragedy, “Parasite” is sprinkled with comical situations, serving as seasoning. The movie begins with Ki-woo and Ki-jeong, who reside in a semi-basement, desperately searching for free Wi-Fi around the house. Eventually, they find Wi-Fi in the bathroom.

 

Ki-woo fabricates a resume to secure a job for Ki-jeong. She recites Jeong Gwang-tae’s song “Dokdo is Our Land” with modified lyrics in front of the Park mansion’s door. “Jessica is her only daughter, from Chicago, Illinois, and her senior is Kim Jin-mo, and he is your cousin~.” This parody song, known as “Jessica’s Jingle” or “Jessica’s Song,” garnered attention.

 

Father Ki-taek devises a scheme to drive out the housekeeper, Moon-gwang, and recruit his wife, Chung-sook, as her replacement. He falsely reports to Park’s wife, Yeon-gyo, that Moon-gwang, allergic to peaches, is a tuberculosis patient. In the end, the Kim family’s intricate scheme turns the garden birthday party into a scene of chaos and tragedy.

 

  

Director Bong Joon-ho and the 'Parasite' team are holding a discussion session at the 2019 New York Film Festival. Photo: FSLC

 

During a discussion at the New York Film Festival 2019, after a screening of “Parasite,” actress Park So-dam, who played Ki-jeong, humorously distributed peaches to the audience. Director Bong Joon-ho’s remarks at the 2020 Academy Awards ceremony were also filled with humor.

 

He stated, “If the Academy allows, I would like to get a Texas chainsaw, split the award into five and share it with all of you. Thank you. I will drink until next morning, thank you.” rather than listing a long roster of names in gratitude. This display of Korean black humor was unlike anything the Film Academy members had seen before and demonstrated that director Bong Joon-ho excels not only in his work but also in his personality and wit.

 

 

 #Margaret Cho: A Queen of Stand-up Comedy

 

Margaret Cho / 2012 Margaret Cho and her parents (Mr. Seung-hoon Cho and Mrs. Young-hee Cho) / Margaret with her mother in the 1970s. Photo: https://margaretcho.com  

 

The individual who introduced the United States to the idea that Koreans are a humorous people was stand-up comedian Margaret Cho, whose Korean name is Cho Moran (Peony in Korean).

 

Her father, Seung-Hoon Cho, was a humorist who wrote columns for Korean newspapers and operated a bookstore called “Paperback Traffic” in San Francisco. Margaret aspired to become a comedian by frequenting the comedy club next to her father’s bookstore. After winning a comedy contest, she was invited to appear on “The Bob Hope Show,” where she served as the opening act for Jerry Seinfeld. Her name became widely recognized as she toured colleges and universities across the country, breaking into the comedy scene, which was sparse in terms of women and Asians.

 

Margaret Cho won the American Comedy Award for Best Female Stand-Up Comic in 1994. That year, the Best Actor award went to Robin Williams for “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and the Best Actress award was bestowed upon Meg Ryan for “Sleepless in Seattle.”

 

 

'All-American Girl'(1994), ABC-TV

 

In 1994, ABC-TV produced the sitcom “All-American Girl,” with Margaret Cho cast as the lead role, Margaret Kim. It was set to make history as the first sitcom on an American network to depict the story of an Asian family. However, during production, the producers began to criticize Margaret Cho for her weight and round face. In response, Margaret Cho underwent a crash diet for two weeks, resulting in a 30-pound weight loss. Unfortunately, her extreme diet led to kidney failure.

After the sitcom aired, Cho received criticism from the Asian community, labeling her as a messy, overweight, and unattractive woman who distorted the image of Koreans. The production team faced criticism from both sides, with some producers calling her "too Asian," while others argued it was "not Asian enough." Ultimately, "All American Girl" struggled with low viewership ratings and concluded after only one season (19 episodes).

 

Devastated by these experiences, Margaret Cho spiraled into drug and alcohol addiction, reckless behavior, and even sought psychotherapy. However, in 1999, she managed to break free from the darkness. She made a remarkable comeback with her autobiographical comedy show “I’m the One That I Want.” She returned to the stage as Margaret Cho, embracing life on her own terms, rather than conforming to others’ expectations. Margaret Cho toured across the United States, bringing laughter to a wide range of topics, from her own parents and politicians, to racism, homosexuality, and more. She rose to superstardom in the American stand-up comedy world.

 

Margaret Cho was the first Asian leading actress on television. A decade after the airing of “All American Girl,” in 2004, “Lost,” starring Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim, debuted, followed by the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” featuring Sandra Oh, in 2005. Although Margaret Cho faced initial challenges, her pioneering work paved the way for her successors.

 

Twenty years after “All American Girl,” in 2015, ABC-TV broadcast the sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat,” which told the story of an Asian American family and ran for six seasons until 2020. Randall Park and Constance Wu played starring roles in this series, based on the autobiography of Taiwanese chef Eddie Huang. 

 

 

 Descendants of 'Queen of Comedy' Margaret Cho  

 

Asian American representation and the changing face of comedy

 

Margaret Cho was the first Asian woman to break the glass ceiling in the comedy world, which was largely dominated by white men. She also shattered stereotypes about Koreans. What’s the secret to her success? Could it be that she was born with the genetic predisposition of using humor, satire, and comedy to cope with resentment and trauma, a trait often associated with Koreans? She followed in the footsteps of her father, Seung-hoon Cho, who was a humorist and brought laughter to audiences, living up to the saying “Like Father, Like Daughter.”

 

For Margaret Cho, the path to becoming a stand-up comedian was far from smooth. She recalls a time when she was 14 and told her mom that she wanted to become a comedian, and her mother responded by saying, “Oh, maybe it’s better if you just die.” Nonetheless, Margaret Cho eventually realized her dream, paving the way for the next generation of Asian comedians.

 

In May 2010, the Asia Society’s San Francisco branch hosted a discussion session titled “Beyond ‘Ching-Chong,’ or The Changing Face of Comedy” during Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. “Ching-Chong” is a derogatory term for Asians that caricatures Chinese intonation. The panel, featuring LA comedienne Tina Kim, Indian comedian Samson Koletkar, and San Francisco comedian Edwin Li, cited Asian comedians Margaret Cho,Russell Peters, and Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow as their role models. These individuals shattered the stereotype that “Asians have no sense of humor” and offered hope that one could make a living through comedy.

 

Asian American representation and the changing face of comedy

 

In celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) in May 2022, ABC News featured Jo Koy in a special titled “Asian American Representation and the Changing Face of Comedy.” The program included an interview with Margaret Cho, a stand-up comedy pioneer who paved the way for Asian comedians like Ali Wong and Hasan Minhaj, who rose to prominence 30 years later.

 

In the interview, Margaret Cho stated, “I’m excited to see so many different Asian American comedians now. My greatest achievement isn’t really my work as it stands on its own, but the fact that I influenced an entire generation to pursue their dream in stand-up comedy, and that, to me, is more important than anything else.”

 

Asian comedians, including Bobby Lee (Lee Seong-woo), a Korean American who gained popularity by parodying Kim Jong-il, Steve Byrne, an Irish-Korean comedian who made appearances on late-night TV shows like “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman,” Aziz Ansari and Hasan Minhaj (both Indian-American),  Jo Koy of Filipino descent, Ali Wong of Vietnamese and Chinese heritage (nominated for an Emmy Best Lead Actress for “Beef”), Jimmy O. Yang of Chinese descent, and Kumail Nanjiani of Pakistani heritage, all followed in the footsteps of Margaret Cho.

 

 

Artists in the Joseon era who satirized the lives of the yangban (aristocratic class). Kim Hong-do (1745-1806), “Tajakdo,” from the “Danwon Pungsokhwacheop” collection, Treasure No. 527, National Museum of Korea/ Shin Yun-bok (1758-1814), “Cheongeumsangryeon/Yeondangyayu”, from the “Hyewon Pungsokdocheop” collection, National Treasure No. 135, Gansong Art Museum.

 

 

Sukie Park 

A native Korean, Sukie Park studied journalism and film & theater in Seoul. She worked as a reporter with several Korean pop, cinema, photography and video magazines, as a writer at Korean radio (KBS-2FM 영화음악실) and television (MBC-TV 출발 비디오 여행) stations, and as a copywriter at a video company(대우 비디오). Since she moved to New York City, Sukie covered culture and travel for The Korea Daily of New York(뉴욕중앙일보) as a journalist. In 2012 she founded www.NYCultureBeat.com, a Korean language website about cultural events, food, wine, shopping, sightseeing, travel and people. She is also the author of the book recently-published in Korea, "한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드: 방탄소년단(BTS), '기생충' 그리고 '오징어 게임'을 넘어서 (33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game)."