Why K-Pop has Korean Men Wearing Makeup

[leopolitan.livejournal.com]

Here’s a novel stat: South Korea accounts for about 20% of the world market for men’s cosmetics. This means annual sales of more than $1 billion courtesy of a mere 25 million men, and this figure will inflate by 50% over the next five years. On a per capita level, Korean men have everyone beat. Why? Because “appearance is power” and “youth equals ability.”

We’re not just talking skin lotions or aftershave here. Korean urbanites are also smitten with BB Cream, brow pencils and guyliner. Girlfriends and spouses not only shop cosmetics for their male partners in Seoul, but also casually apply lipstick to their faces in public without anyone sharpening the proverbial pitchforks.

That said, shouldn’t gender-bending be a complete no-no in the deeply Confucian culture of Korea? Also, befitting its two years of mandatory military service for young men, shouldn’t Korea’s benchmark for masculine beauty be the hardy, rugged type? Like Clark Gable? Even Bruce Lee? While that was once true, South Koreans now prize the puckish, Peter Pan look over Gerard Butler-esque alpha male chic.

These stats won’t surprise longtime fans of Korean pop music (K-Pop) one bit, though. The industry has been key in redefining what South Koreans consider the comely male. Pick out just about any K-Pop video on You Tube featuring a lad or two and you will be dazzled by thick, smoky eyes, impossibly chiseled features and a penchant for bright lipstick. Hell, there are video tutorials online offering DIY tips to look just like them.

Selling androgyny for sex appeal is not new to mainstream music. Everyone from Bowie to Boy George to hair-metal did so. Even Lord Bieber and One Direction get dolled up for shoots, though nothing remotely as radical as G-Dragon or Seventeen. Still, most makeup-wearing western acts came, shocked and left without greatly changing the status quo. Many had a feral component to their sexiness, a kind of danger by association.

The purse strings of K-Pop — formally known as SM, YG and JYP Entertainments — probably took the long view on revenue streams here. Therefore, while you always worried that Billy Idol or Adam Ant could shiv you mid-serenade, there is no such edge to most meticulously packaged males that constitute K-Pop. Sure, we get the odd edgy visuals sometimes, but these generally seem contrived and for effect.

The most elaborate marketing plans would, of course, be completely useless without strong economic drivers pushing social change. South Korea is an ultra competitive society with some of the longest working hours among developed nations. It went from having a per capita output less than the communist north’s five decades ago to becoming an immovable member of the elite G20 club. Such single-minded pursuit of the almighty won can, unfortunately, be a double-edged sword.



South Korean workers may be the most stressed in the world and the country’s suicide stats trump every nation barring Guyana, especially for young men. In a social order orbiting around material success, where everyone is competing for the same handful of topflight universities and corporations, male citizens latched onto makeup as a means to snake past the competition. Egged on by cultural pillars like K-Pop, the idea of emulating “flower boys” became “a marker of social success.”

South Korean companies probably enabled this obsession with skin-deep. Every job application, after all, requires a headshot and many owners prefer having face-readers on board interviews to determine if an applicant’s visage is suitable for their business beyond academics and skills.

Unsurprisingly then, plastic surgery is commonplace in South Korea and an increasing number of men desire Caucasian noses and slim jawlines, while approximately 1 in 5 female Seoul-dwellers have gone under the knife for various procedures. Indeed, long before Psy broke You Tube counters with his monster hit, the city’s Gangnam district was famous throughout Asia for its strip mall-like array of personal enhancement clinics.

Two events in the late 1990s reportedly accelerated the upending of traditional masculine ideals in South Korea. First, Japanese cultural staples like manga and anime fascinated Koreans after the government eased restrictions on their import. Especially popular were the “shoujo” variety targeting teenaged girls where male characters are “bishonen” or “beautiful boys” with exoplanet-sized eyes.



Not long after, the first wave of “flower boys” crashed onto Korean TV screens courtesy of K-Pop acts like DBSK (aka TVXQ) and later through the super popular local drama “Boys Over Flowers,” again inspired by a Japanese manga. Suddenly, macho men were passé and elvish imps made women swoon across the land.

The IMF Crisis of 1997 also ostensibly pushed Korean women to rebel against male stereotypes. When the downturn hit South Korea, female workers were laid off in much higher numbers than their male colleagues. Since weathering the crisis required a resurgence of nationalism, society expected them to take one for the team and quietly support their men.

Even so, Korean women didn’t take kindly to this slight and began rejecting the “the ideals of men as strong, provider types.” Coupled with the influence of Japanese comics, the emergence of “flower boys” in advertising and new movies that sold the soft, feminine male, they began pining for partners that were “more interested in satisfying them than their companies.”

Suspicious that mainstream media sources were cherry-picking narratives that made Korean men seem kooky, I reached out to my good friend Hyoung Jun Rim in Seoul. Hyoung is a record producer in the thick of all things K-Pop and a professor of music at the Korea Art Conservatory.

He admits that Korean men use makeup on a daily basis, but improved job prospects are only part of the equation. “It is about competition, but not only for job interviews.” There is a “self-satisfaction” that comes from looking good in the mirror and appealing to the opposite sex, Hyoung says. In short, a need to preen as human as hitting the john, although what constitutes “handsome” in South Korea today might incur homophobic slurs elsewhere.

Hyoung also doesn’t buy the Japanese cultural imports or IMF Crisis theories to explain the shift in masculine standards. K-Pop, he suggests, is a relatively new industry still experimenting with its image and focused solely on making money. Korean boy bands like TVXQ and EXO, for example, are really popular in manga-obsessed Japan, so androgyny could simply be a branding strategy.

Seoul may be the male makeup capital of the world, but personally Hyoung still puzzles over why South Koreans are infatuated with waif-like men wearing heavy cosmetics. He tells me he overhears people enthusing, “That guy’s head is sooo small, so handsome!” and just shakes his head.

by S. Mubashir Noor @ Medium

Comments

[a-cheshire-grin.livejournal.com]

Make-up is not gendered. It's our modern society and patriarchy that expect women to always wear make-up and call men who also do "gay".

I mean, men wearing make-up is really nothing new. They have done so many times throughout history, it's just that people nowadays mostly don't know that.

[psharp10.livejournal.com]

+1000

[gray-fairy.livejournal.com]

Make-up is not gendered. It's our modern society and patriarchy that expect women to always wear make-up and call men who also do "gay"
perfect comment.

[milkfloo.livejournal.com]

IA

[kwikimart.livejournal.com]

lol and it still got published
this is part of why media is dying

[phililen3.livejournal.com]

Have your hypothesis and then investigate. He just talks about SK and then interviews one Korean man right at the end and that's it. Bring back the research.

[fayfayren.livejournal.com]

LOL i hope the end footnote was "source: korean friend who lives in seoul"

[lazmy.livejournal.com]

read the article and bc it didn't answer the question i will
because they look good in makeup that's why???

[crystalheng.livejournal.com]

an increasing number of men desire Caucasian noses

Again with the "Asians want to look white" thing zzz. Just because we find a higher nose bridge and less bulbous nose more appealing doesn't mean we want to look white. Same goes with the eyes, skin tone and everything else. Stop flattering yourselves.

[kitty9163.livejournal.com]

This so much

[ohlookshiny.livejournal.com]

i wish i could get paid for writing crap like this

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

i so don't like "guyliner" as a word that my brain stopped processing this text after that.

i guess it's a good artictle for provoking a discussion, but some of the assumptions and stereotypes presented as facts...... nah.

[phililen3.livejournal.com]

Because guyliner is gay. Those fragile masculinities need to be protected.



I have to stop reading and roll my eyes every time I see "guyliner". It's "eyeliner". It lines the eyes.

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

first time i encountered the word, i thought it was a brand and/or a new type of product. it took me many rounds of googling to realize it was just... eyeliner.
oh well. i'll just keep on using eyeliner and wait for the world to forget the other word.

[rewindnext.livejournal.com]

men don't have eyes; much too feminine

[kwikimart.livejournal.com]

i read this basura a week ago lol
can't wait for media to start hiring journalists that actually know what they are talking about and are interested in the topic

[ariellm13.livejournal.com]

This article makes it sound like more than it actually is. The average Korean dude is wearing the most basic makeup, if that, not heavy cosmetics. Like, we are talking toner and bb cream. Maybe some dudes like to fill in their brows and moisturize too but that's not really out of the norm even in the places like America. They aren't really out here breaking the social norms. Also, the article makes it seem like the regular joes of Korea are wearing the same makeup as the kpop idols and that just isn't true for the majority. There's nothing wrong with the idol makeup but it's not the norm.

If I had to pick a reason as to why it's spread so much in Korea and not other places, it's because Korea has male makeup lines with male spokesmen, WHICH THEY ADVERTISE. Lots of dudes care about their appearance but how many dudes are gonna feel really comfortable walking into places like Sephora or Clinique, which is marketed towards women, for the cosmetic needs? I bet most dudes in America don't even know places like Sephora have mens lines. You probably can't even accurately account for male makeup sales in America because most dudes end up buying from the womens lines.

[tungatunga.livejournal.com]

I stop at "bright lipstick" and assumption that K-pop trends are mirrored on streets, seriously with internet era journalists should finally catch that crappy research is no go any more.

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

i cringe a bit while reading this , if feel like an old article from some conservative magazine
like "that guy is wearing make up, dont worry! he's not gay ... he just wants to be like people on tv" lol


joke aside i hate this dated concept of masculinity that involves not having some personal hygiene habits or not wanting to primp yourself a bit

[imienazwisko.livejournal.com]

joke aside i hate this dated concept of masculinity that involves not having some personal hygiene habits or not wanting to primp yourself a bit
same, it took me ages to convince my bother that having a basic skincare routine is good for him... i know some girls that would dump a guy who takes good care of his skin and that's just dumb

[premonitioner.livejournal.com]

westerners writing about trends in a country they know nothing about and have not been to is always fun

and what an exaggeration, very few korean men wear makeup. they take care of their skin, sure. i wish more men would wear makeup. if society is gonna guilt trip me into spending money in covering up my skin imperfections then i refuse to accept that men get away with flaunting their awful skin at me. IF I HAVE TO PUT EFFORT IN SO DO THEY

[iznanassi.livejournal.com]

Caucasian noses

[arysthaeniru.livejournal.com]

Also, it's not like western male celebrities aren't wearing makeup...? Sure, it's not eyeliner and shit, but you can be sure they have foundation, BB cream, lipstain and stuff on, especially during films and shit, in order to look better on camera and achieve a specific sort of idea. Like....just because kpop idols have prominent makeup, doesn't mean that other celebrities don't wear makeup, even abroad.

This is a pretty dumb article, have to say, pretty fed up of these assumptions done without much research.

[a-cheshire-grin.livejournal.com]

Pretty much this! I'm sure 99% of men we see on TV are wearing make-up...from actors to male news reporters and models in advertisements.

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

yes, powder is the bare minimum on tv. without powder, you just get way too oily staying under studio lights. but most of them get more make up done than just powder.

[seulgibear.livejournal.com]

[achan123.livejournal.com]

wohoo! guys wearing makeup represeeeeeent!!!!

lol, its just occasional dabs of bb cream to cover my acne marks :P

[jrt131n.livejournal.com]

You're a DUDE? OoO I honestly thought you were a girl....go fig....

[achan123.livejournal.com]

its ok :/
on omona all users are women unless told.

on r/kpop, all users are men unless told.

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

why not do some actual research and learn where Korean men get their beauty standards and fashion inspiration?

[jrt131n.livejournal.com]

People would cut into his bro time...which is siting on the couch, scratching his balls and being a MMMAAAANNNNN!!!!!!

[lizanka23.livejournal.com]

this guys sounds like he's jealous and despondent. what happened to all the rugged "real men". look what they've done to the men in korea, why are women so weird, etc. they could have done a survey or something with more concrete results. instead i'm just going to state things as though they are fact without providing proof. he makes it sound like male celebrities don't wear makeup in other countries besides androgynous ones, which is obviously not true. it's just not as flashy. and you're just going to mention plastic surgery and not give stats about the men? he tried to make it seem as though men are discrimimated against based on their looks just as much as women in korean society. you can see so many ajusshi type guys on korean tv too, not just flowerboys. and they have the more rugged celebrities too.

[fayfayren.livejournal.com]

desire caucasian noses....guyliner...
nope.

i hate this "POC just want to be white. everyone wants to be white" mentality people have. also i hate that words need to be turned more masculine for men to accept them. (ex. bromance, guyliner, murses). masculinity is so fragile.

[jrt131n.livejournal.com]

The fact this needed an article...like why? Why South Korean men are wearing makeup...maybe because they want too? Maybe because putting on a bit a eyeliner and some conclear puts a little more pep in their step, maybe they just have fun trying new things that aren't consider the norm and want to break away from the standards of what makes a man a man because they are tried of being told they aren't man enough so they're like screw it I'mma do what I want? MAYBE BECAUSE THEY CAN?!!! HMMMMMMMMMMMM.

As you can tell, I didn't particularly fancy this article, nope, not one bit.

[swhyeon1991.livejournal.com]

Lma...ooo? Thank god I read the comments first, no need to read this trash then.

[audiograms.livejournal.com]

Why are people still writing shit like this.

[kaninasan.livejournal.com]

this is an interesting topic but this article is pure trash and explains nothing.

it's so sad that it's considered ~weird that some men actually care about the way they look and *gasp* use cosmetic products. i wish some of the unwashed hipsters where i live would do this.

[jrt131n.livejournal.com]

desire Caucasian noses and slim jawlines

Yes because all Asain want to look white.....

Or....maybe they just want a better nose...not because they want to look a white person....but because they want a better nose......shocking thought right?

[alleybetwixt.livejournal.com]

The writer is definitely too caught up in the idea that cosmetics are innately 'female'.

Like assuming that MAN + MAKEUP = Androgyny. Like the makeup is some kind of female-ifying mask. These are arbitrary cultural constructs, dude!

Androgyny has to do with natural bone structure and features which obscure any typical binary traits.
I actually don't think there's much androgyny in Kpop. I can only think of a few cases... men and women. There's a large difference between an androgynous person and a man wearing makeup to enhance/decorate his male features.

"Suddenly, macho men were passé and elvish imps made women swoon across the land."

Pretty obviously bull-honky when we all know most Kpop dudes are ripped to some degree. Few of them are 'impish'. They aren't bodybuilders, but they're certainly not super slim or waifish. Being muscled and masculine is still the ideal... accompanied by wearing makeup, because it... wait for it... LOOKS GOOD.

[sweet16een.livejournal.com]

Why is it that when an Asian person changes something about themselves they say that trying or wanting to look more Caucasian?

Why is when they say something about TVXQ in japan they add EXO...Are they on same level now?

I have no problem with a guys wearing make up. -_- I don't wear make up but if my bf wanted to wear it I would ok with it.
and maybe he could give me some tips. ^^