It's Monday and It's Morning {Monday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng}

Greetings dear AddicKts!  And how was your weekend?  Good and restful?  Good and not restful?  A mix of both?  I hope that it was great and that you are prepared for a new week!  If not, well, do what I do, fake it til you make it.  Even if you don't "make it" until Friday afternoon.

What should we talk about today?  I haven't the foggiest notion.  Well, actually, there is one thing on my mind.  What else could it be but Psy?  Psy oppa has done it again.  He released his new MV for Gentleman over the weekend and it's already out there.  How do I know it's out there?  For one, allkpop.com told me so.  Gentleman broke the record for most number of views in a single day.  Beating out the Biebs.  Again.  I also know it's "out there" because my brother-in-law, who has an appreciation for all things ridiculous and funny, "liked" it on Facebook.

My thoughts on this?

Do you really want to know?

Okay, but don't shoot the messenger.

My eyes are rolling, and I'm saying, "Oh brother, here we go again."

Now, please don't get me wrong.  I like Psy.  I liked Psy long before Gangnam.  I even like Gentleman (though I don't think my kids should be watching it) and had it stuck in my head all weekend.  I like that Psy has been successful and has made a name for himself.  I like that it has brought attention to the world of KPop.  But, my question is, is it the right kind of attention?  We've hashed this out on the blog before, so I won't go too deep into my opinions, but I don't like that many see Psy, and as an extension, KPop, as just a laughable phenomenon.  I realize that Psy is, at his core, trying to be an entertainer and using humor and satire as his vehicle for success.  I appreciate and respect and love that about him.  It's what drew me to him.  I'm all for a good laugh.  And Gangnam and Gentleman, and all of the many, many others are good for just that.  But, I have an affinity for KPop and Korean culture in general and so that laughing comes with a whole heap of respect.  Is that what he gets though through this worldwide popularity?  Is it laughter with appreciation and respect?  Or are people just laughing at the goofy Asian guy dancing like an idiot?  Does it help cross borders or perpetuate stereotypes?  I know, I know...it's just good, fun music, so chill the heck out, right?  I know I should.  I just tend to go on the defensive anytime I hear people mock the man and the genre.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the end result of the Psy phenomenon is for the world of KPop as a whole and leave it at that for now.  I do wish to extend my wholehearted congratulations though to Psy in his already very successful release of this new song and video.  And to show that I harbor no true ill-will, here it is, in case you were stranded on a deserted island without internet over the weekend and missed it.


Wanna see it live too? Well, you know, recorded live, I'm not offering any giveaways or anything cray cray like that ;)  This was from Gentleman's debut at the HAPPENING concert.


We also can't talk Gentleman without mentioning the originators of the dance, Brown Eyed Girls in Abracadabra. Now, it was all done on the up and up, no one stole or ripped off or plagarized, so let's not start in on that. Ga In is obviously in the MV, so it's not like there was anything sneaky or nefarious, so let's not play any of the fan war games, huh?  I just want to give props to BEG and help spread the love where the love deserves to be spread.

Psy also credits another man as being the inspiration behind the dance this time around. Any guesses? As if you don't already know...hahahaha...silly Dongsaeng. Obviously we are all equally obsessed over this person and know anything and everything ever having to do with him, right?  This site here has a transcript of the tweets between the two (including the translation made by a fan for those a little rusty in our Korean).

Speaking of Twitter and GD... did you see GD's tweet after the HAPPENING concert?  I love when the YG family supports each other, don't you? <3  Especially when it involves me getting to see a picture of my GD baby.

Speaking of GD, one last story to tell you.  Friday night I was in a mood.  I don't know why (ok, yes I do - Mother Nature likes to play with us poor women, doesn't she?).  I was exhausted and grumpy...at 6:30pm.  All I wanted to do was go to bed, but it was too early.  I wasn't in the mood for dramas.  I wasn't in the mood for American tv.  I just was grouchier than I have been in a very long time.  The Husband was out with a friend, so I was on my own for entertainment.  And then, genius struck.  I thought of the absolute perfect cure-all.  Duh.  How could I have been so silly as to forget the magic of Korean variety shows?  What a better way to crawl out of my sour mood than a little Hwasin showcasing none other than GD talking about dating?  Helllooo!  Brilliant!  And worked like a charm!  Have you seen it yet?  DramaFever has it subbed in case you haven't gotten around to it.  He looks absolutely dreamy here.  I want to watch it over and over and over again.  Let that be a lesson to us all.  Need a pick-me-up when nothing else will satisfy?  Korean variety shows, especially those with GDragon, are a sure-fire cure to banish all your grouchiness.  I was 100% cured and quite pleasant the rest of the evening.

Now, I think I've blabbered on for long enough. I will let you get on with your day.  I wish you all the best today and this week.  Thanks for stopping by!