omonatheydid | G-Dragon’s thoughts on being called a “herbivore”

hp-eternalglory.livejournal.com posting in

"Herbivore" or "Cho Shik Nam" (초식남) is a fairly new term in Korea. Herbivore is a slang term that comes from a new phenomenon in Japan that refers to men who do not show off their masculinity. They're passive about sex and relationships because they're too busy and aggressive when it comes to their own hobbies, interests, which are often considered "childish." They're "rebels," don't have money-driven careers and don't really care about pursuing women. Want an example? G-Dragon, who has been quite busy lately with his solo album HEARTBREAKER, is often referred to as a herbivore. Now, what does he think of the term?

G-Dragon performed at the 2009 Wonderful Korea concert on the 27th. When the MC of the show asked him "Aren't you a herbivore?," he smiled and answered. "I'm not sure what it means but I think it refers to a person who dresses well. In that sense, I think the term suits me." He might be way off there, but its nice that he at least took the question positively.

When the MC joked "Herbivores apparently aren't into relationships," G-Dragon answered, "On the contrary, I'm very interested in having a relationship. I just don't have a girlfriend yet though." And I'm pretty sure that G-Dragon is VERY interested in relationships, judging from this infamous look of his.

G-Dragon also told stories of other Big Bang members: "Taeyang is preparing for his second solo album, Daesung is pretty well now so you'll be able to see him soon. Seungri is preparing for a musical again and TOP is shooting a drama. Everyone is working hard."

edit:
About the term herbivore:
As a result of Japan's languishing economy, a growing population of young adult males is deeming themselves "herbivores" and pursuing a radically different lifestyle than traditionally expected, Reuters reports. Herbivores derive their name from their disinterest in flesh--or the pursuit of women--and, according to a survey cited by Reuters, are a growing population of rebels who have no wish to follow in the corporate footsteps of their fathers.
Forget being a workaholic, corporate salary-man. These men, raised as the economic bubble burst, are turning their backs on Japan's stereotypical male roles in what is seen as a symptom of growing disillusionment in their country's troubled economy.

"Since I was a child, I hated people telling me, 'Behave like a man'," said Roshinante, who runs a forum on popular Japanese social network site Mixi for frank discussion about herbivores.
Roshinante, the 'herbivore' whom the Reuters story centers on, rejects the money-driven careers and attention-seeking purchases endemic during economic bubbles, especially during the 1980s in Japan, and his different perspective as a consumer intrigues marketing experts. Due to the herbivores' abstention from material extravagance, though, they will presumably be a tougher market to break into.
source
full article on "herbivore" (ngl, its pretty interesting to read)

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