5/4 Bui's Journal

In the journal, Bui mentioned a contestant on Vietnam Idol, Phuong Vy. She was an ordinary girl, but
at the end of the season, she turned into this sexy icon. This reminded me of the the entertainment industry in China. After Gangnam Style came out in 2012, Kpop bloomed everywhere in Asia and also in the United States. The entertainment industry started opening up dramas and tv shows to Korean stars. There are even now shows like Show Me The Money, Return of Superman, Take Care of My Refrigerator and many others being or have been remade in China. Using this as an example, it shows that culture and territory is not bounded together but can separate. This example is similar to how Vietnam Idol is copying or trying to be like American Idol. In other words, trying to catch up to the west or pop trends. Another part that caught my eye was what the producer said after getting low ratings for the first season of Vietnam Idol. Like he said, people were not acting as wild as American nor were they as emotional. I mean, why does Vietnam Idol have to be like American Idol? I understand that the producer was trying to introduce 'reality tv' to Vietnamese people, to create a generation that are consumer based, and go against Asian stereotypes. But Vietnamese culture is different from American culture. Yes, there were shy and reserved contestants, but that shows that people were being real about themselves, not the commercialized one on the television. Overall, Vietnam Idol demonstrated contradiction in "cultures" by not being real or true about their culture. Instead, pushed to be part of the American culture that is not relevant nor appealing to consumers in their country.

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