The Matjang Phenomenon
About 2 months ago, friends of mine told me that they were going to be on the pilot episode of a new TV reality/game show that would have foreigners living in Korea competing against each other to ultimately cook a traditional Korean meal. The show, Matjang, means "Good taste" (I won't make a comment about irony here, I won't!) and it seemed like a really neat concept. I remember watching the first episode with a group of friends and thinking "Yeah, I want to do this!"... and not just for the "I'm gonna be on TV" aspect... but for the idea that it was Jeollanamdo instead of Seoul or Busan, and that, really, it looked like FUN.
Our near brush with fame came shortly after Randi and Jens had done their show. Randi gave a list of names to the producers. I was contacted by phone and e-mail and we set a date for our appearance. Which changed. Then changed again. Then, two days before Halloween, another desperate phone call: Can you do the show this weekend? Well, no, actually, we are going to be out of town. The tearful voice on the other end of the phone said, "I don't understand why I can't find anyone for this weekend!" until I explained that it was Halloween, which is a pretty big deal around here. Everyone was either hosting a party in their hometown or heading off to parties elsewhere.
After a month of calls back and forth like this, we were set to film our show on a Sunday in November (November 15th, I think). Our friend Jessika's visit from Suncheon was shuffled from Saturday to Friday so that we could be free on Sunday. On the Thursday before, however, not having heard anything from them in over 2 weeks, I got a text on my cellphone: "Be at MBC studios at 8am on Saturday. Don't be late."
Wait. Hadn't we planned and confirmed over the past month that Sunday was the date?
So... more calls back and forth, and finally, I canceled (the words "unprofessional", "disrespectful" and "completely disorganized" may have been used as well).
I've managed to watch most of the episodes... I mean, hey, it's my friends on TV! ... and talked to just about everyone who has done it. I don't regret not doing it at all.
Generally, a person who has been on Matjang reacts like this: Oh yeah. I mean, it was a really fun thing, you know. Kind of frustrating. Like, we never really knew what was going on. We were supposed to do a different challenge than the one we did, but that didn't work out for some reason... Oh, and the games were rigged so that one team always beat the other one. Like, we had to (sell cookies/shuck clams/pick potatoes/shovel cow manure) and we were pretty even with the other team until *insert interference by production team*, so they won. Oh, and they changed the rules from when *prior competitors' names* were on it last week. And, when it came time to cook, our recipes were pretty unclear and we didn't have enough/the right proportions of/exact ingredients. We never had a clue what we were doing, but you know, it was fun. I don't think I'd want to do it again though, and you really have to walk in with your eyes open, but the producer says that my show is going to be on either this week, or next month, or maybe in 2 weeks. I'm not sure....
The idea behind it, I think, is a good one: showcase the often misunderstood province of Jeollanamdo, celebrate Korean culture (in each show, the contestants do something purely Korean - go to a temple, learn a poem, or a game, or somehow interact with older generations of Koreans), and show something about foreigners, all with an angle of humour. The problem, for me, is watching my friends stand there, puzzled because nobody has told them what is happening, so that they can be laughed at for not having a clue what to do. Minor mispronunciations when they speak Korean are emphasized in bright flashy letters along the bottom of the screen (Can you imagine if I did that to my students, to my taxi driver, to my boss??? Ohhhhhh! You said that WRONG! Hahahahahahaha. Can you imagine if we did a show like this in Canada, laughing at immigrants with accents???) Manipulating the rules, while the games are being played, so that a certain team always comes out ahead - doubly unfair as they are playing for money - or setting it up so that the foreigner inevitably becomes the buffoon... all this just bothers me.
I know that it is all for TV, but I think that Matjang has missed the mark. What could have shown off the best about Jeollanamdo and Korea (the history, culture, humour, insane situations that just spring up when you've got a lot of happy people and a camera) has ended up showcasing the worst (complete disorganization, unfairness in competitions, the cult of the "couple", and making foreigners into "dancing monkeys").
Our near brush with fame came shortly after Randi and Jens had done their show. Randi gave a list of names to the producers. I was contacted by phone and e-mail and we set a date for our appearance. Which changed. Then changed again. Then, two days before Halloween, another desperate phone call: Can you do the show this weekend? Well, no, actually, we are going to be out of town. The tearful voice on the other end of the phone said, "I don't understand why I can't find anyone for this weekend!" until I explained that it was Halloween, which is a pretty big deal around here. Everyone was either hosting a party in their hometown or heading off to parties elsewhere.
After a month of calls back and forth like this, we were set to film our show on a Sunday in November (November 15th, I think). Our friend Jessika's visit from Suncheon was shuffled from Saturday to Friday so that we could be free on Sunday. On the Thursday before, however, not having heard anything from them in over 2 weeks, I got a text on my cellphone: "Be at MBC studios at 8am on Saturday. Don't be late."
Wait. Hadn't we planned and confirmed over the past month that Sunday was the date?
So... more calls back and forth, and finally, I canceled (the words "unprofessional", "disrespectful" and "completely disorganized" may have been used as well).
I've managed to watch most of the episodes... I mean, hey, it's my friends on TV! ... and talked to just about everyone who has done it. I don't regret not doing it at all.
Generally, a person who has been on Matjang reacts like this: Oh yeah. I mean, it was a really fun thing, you know. Kind of frustrating. Like, we never really knew what was going on. We were supposed to do a different challenge than the one we did, but that didn't work out for some reason... Oh, and the games were rigged so that one team always beat the other one. Like, we had to (sell cookies/shuck clams/pick potatoes/shovel cow manure) and we were pretty even with the other team until *insert interference by production team*, so they won. Oh, and they changed the rules from when *prior competitors' names* were on it last week. And, when it came time to cook, our recipes were pretty unclear and we didn't have enough/the right proportions of/exact ingredients. We never had a clue what we were doing, but you know, it was fun. I don't think I'd want to do it again though, and you really have to walk in with your eyes open, but the producer says that my show is going to be on either this week, or next month, or maybe in 2 weeks. I'm not sure....
The idea behind it, I think, is a good one: showcase the often misunderstood province of Jeollanamdo, celebrate Korean culture (in each show, the contestants do something purely Korean - go to a temple, learn a poem, or a game, or somehow interact with older generations of Koreans), and show something about foreigners, all with an angle of humour. The problem, for me, is watching my friends stand there, puzzled because nobody has told them what is happening, so that they can be laughed at for not having a clue what to do. Minor mispronunciations when they speak Korean are emphasized in bright flashy letters along the bottom of the screen (Can you imagine if I did that to my students, to my taxi driver, to my boss??? Ohhhhhh! You said that WRONG! Hahahahahahaha. Can you imagine if we did a show like this in Canada, laughing at immigrants with accents???) Manipulating the rules, while the games are being played, so that a certain team always comes out ahead - doubly unfair as they are playing for money - or setting it up so that the foreigner inevitably becomes the buffoon... all this just bothers me.
I know that it is all for TV, but I think that Matjang has missed the mark. What could have shown off the best about Jeollanamdo and Korea (the history, culture, humour, insane situations that just spring up when you've got a lot of happy people and a camera) has ended up showcasing the worst (complete disorganization, unfairness in competitions, the cult of the "couple", and making foreigners into "dancing monkeys").
posted by Ms Parker at
6:33 AM
13 Comments:
Really good post, thanks for sharing. I think I'm the only foreigner in Jeollanam-do not asked to be on TV. There were a bunch of Suncheon people on TV for some reason (not this Matjjang one).
Those kinds of shows irritate me because you rarely see a positive portrayl of a foreigner on TV. I can only think of a couple examples off the top of my head. And you NEVER see a positive portrayl of a non-Korean speaking foreigner in Korea.
Those shows piss me off, as do the various English-teaching programs where the foreigners have to act like complete monkeys. Because I can think of no other way to teach English. ajf9w3j89awjefa.
By
Brian, at 12:32 PM
When I was in grad school in Gwangju, all the foreign students were dragged out for some cultural bullshit tv program. We were promised to be paid for our days worth of boredom so we all agreed to it. It was complete shit as we were pressured to act like fools and use the local dialect. I have no training in Cheolla dialect as I learned in Seoul but they kept pushing me to do it.
I was the only whitie in the group and was singled out on several occasions. I was asked to attempt to sing 판소리, do some drumming and try a dance as well. Not a fun time.
I left with a bad taste in my mouth and an envelope with a single green man won. Joy!
I knew a guy who was a regular on television when I first came to Korea in 1995. He plyed the American-love-interest-who-eventually-loses-hottie-of-the-week-Korean-girl-to-some-random-tough-Korean-guy. His Korean was fantastic and could hold his own in any situation. He played the fool bit for some time until he was dragged out water skiing with a famous boy bad of the time. He was excited, as he was a state champion in water skiing, but excitement turned to anger. He was expected to pretend to fall down and not be capable of skiing to show the bo band as being capable. He refused and never made it back to network TV. He left during the Asian financial crisis and never gave Korea a second thought.
By
Simning, at 2:10 PM
This was disappointing to read. Although, I remember watching lots of similar shows. Hopefully a positive change will occur sometime in the near future showing the true dipiction of the country, province and foreigners visiting. My students asked me today (amongst other days) if I would ever go back - my answer always varies with "maybe" or "someday, I miss it so much". Your blog reminded me of one of the reasons I came home. It's sometimes tough being a foreigner in a country such as Korea. I think I'll stick to my positive memories of my old home, while crossing my fingers for better tv shows!
A :)
By
Anonymous, at 2:42 PM
Thanks to Brian, Michael and A. (I think I know who you are... ;) for sharing.
I used to work with a guy who got a few bit parts on Korean TV. It wasn't lucrative enough for him to live off, but it was a great supplement to his income. I think it's pretty awesome when someone I know ends up enjoying their 15 minutes of fame on TV or elsehwere. I think, however, it depends on how it is happening, and the slant put on it.
By
Ms Parker, at 3:35 PM
I dunno about Canada, but it sure as hell does happen in the US. Think William Hung, and all the other screwed up Asian caricatures that pop up every now and then.
It's difficult to get through to people's head that westerners --especially americans -- hardly have any right to make national comparisons regarding immigrant/race issues. Sure, complain all you want -- I'm all for it -- but just don't make comparisons unless you know exactly what the hell you're talking about.
By
JW, at 11:10 PM
If I remember correctly, William Hung has been made a caricature because of his singing and blinders to his own lack of talent. I don't remember hearing of any "American Idol" producers going to trying to find foreigners to make fun of. William Hung was a joke no matter what race he was. I don't even remember him speaking with an accent. Did he have one?
By
ZenKimchi, at 12:28 AM
Friends don't let friends go on these TV programs, simple as that. I know some people like the attention, think it's cute, harmless, friendly, unique, whatever . . . and I know that 95% of foreigners here don't follow the boards or blogs to have any idea of our opinions . . . but it's disrespectful and degrading, and does nothing but continue the stereotype that we're here solely for purposes of entertainment.
The irony between the rush to learn English and globalize, and the necessity to always render its speakers ridiculous or bizarre is probably the greatest difficulty I've dealt with these few years.
Ms. P, sorry for bogging down your comments section. I'm sure you don't need to be reminded that the little trash can next to each comment lets you moderate out the garbage.
By
Brian, at 12:33 AM
Just to make clear, I'm against caricatures 100% whether it's in Korea or in America. What I'm against is off the cuff *national comparisons* that are thrown around like they're obviously true.
By
JW, at 1:27 AM
Zenkimchi, so are you suggesting that out of all the fools that tried out for American Idol, somehow by a coincidence that nobody could have imagine that idiots like William Hung and Sanjaya were offered to go to the final competition?
You sicken me. But then I sicken myself quite often also so let's just leave it at that.
By
JW, at 3:03 AM
I'll just say that I've often thought I'm happy that I left Korea when I did, but this makes me doubly happy to have done so. I valued my anonymity on the street.
By
Jen @ Light Enough to Travel, at 3:15 AM
I'm all for healthy debate. I've re-read what I wrote and I don't think any of JW's comments are relevant. If he/she continues to comment here, I'll simply delete them all and disable comments on this post.
By
Ms Parker, at 8:40 AM
Upon first reading this my initial reaction was closer to JW's, barre the brash and attacking undertone... and perhaps the fact that I quite often enjoy a good caracature, because I know the difference.
I believe that shows that could be taken as offensive to different groups, brimming with stereotypes are made everywhere... sometimes with the intention to offend, sometimes not, but generally to get a laugh from a target audience. I believe this show to be the latter... that there is no intention to belittle and stereotype foreigners (though, as with all things comical, it depends on the perceptions of the viewer... whether they walk away from this show thinking, man oh man, foreigners are dumb, or if they think, man that was funny, I can see the caracature in that... but I know foreigners aren't really like that... I can see the caracuture we make of Koreans too)
Koreans, in their own shows seem to spend a whole lot of time making fun of themselves (silly things they do are emphasized in bright flashy colours, the Jeollanamdo accent is repeatedly ripped off)and though I don't claim to fully understand the sense of humour, it seems to err in the the direction of the absurd and silly.
A comedy show about foreigners that wants to appeal to Korean sensabilities, is not necesarily about making them look incompetent as a group, but perhaps to create a ridiculous situation where people are reacting in less than perfect ways.
I have since gone back and re-read the posting, and it is brimming with really strong points. I absolutely agree that the show could have been used to showcase the positives of this country, and the foreigners in it, while still keeping a humourous slant. It could, and probably should, have been better tackled and better organised.
It's always a fine line when comedy is involved, and finer still when the comedy involves a minority group, who has developed there own sterotypes by being seen to do certain things that stick out more than others.
This is of course how we have all ended up with some kind of Soju Ajoshi notion, or the Bent Back Ajuma notion.
Stereotypes come from somewhere (granted, this can and does often involve skewed media), but the problem comes when the individual can not see past these stereotypes, and begins to see the stereotypes as representing all individuals of an entire group... when the stereotype is seen before the person.
And whether someone has a tendency to do this is another individual matter... whether you're a Korean looking at foreigners, or a foreigner looking at Koreans.
By
Mr Fowler, at 12:57 AM
Excellent idea, and possibly even with good intentions, but the execution? Wow.
Now maybe I'll reconsider my criticism of the misuda show in context of what might be going on behind the scenes to portray the girls in a certain light.
By
kissmykimchi, at 12:16 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home