[KoTEX Issue No.7] The Effect of Stereotyping: A Perspective on Media Diversity
July 26, 2023 — The acclaim and honors that Korean media has earned from the foreign community have raised the value and notoriety of Korean dramas, films, and other forms of Korean-produced media. Korean media is making new history, from Parasite winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020 to The Squid Game winning several Emmy Awards in 2022. However, the Korean media also faces criticism, particularly because of this attention. More foreign audiences are becoming aware of the diversity that is embodied and presented by Korean media, and this has raised some controversy.
The portrayal of diversity in media, particularly mass media, is a challenging issue for all authors and producers behind the cameras. Stereotyping is commonly associated with the representation of people and cultures, which can lead to inaccurate grasping or sentiments about foreign cultures and foreigners. The media, which is a powerful social structure, strongly influences a person's perspective of reality (Gergen, 1999). Many of the messages that people acquire from the media are inadvertent. The media is an effective tool that can ingest knowledge into the minds of people of all ages. For example, Hollywood has a long and infamous history of portraying Asians as math nerds, odd, and cutely strange people. As a result, misconceptions about a certain culture or group of foreigners might lead to an unintended bias against all members of that group.
In the recent Korean drama Backstreet Rookie, one of the Korean characters interacted with a Nigerian customer in a convenience store and suggested they were a Jamaican family because of the character’s thick dreadlocks and exaggerated Jamaican accent. Many spectators from around the world viewed this kind of interpretation of "black style" as a reinforcement of unfavorable preconceptions. Furthermore, many viewers in Korea laughed when the 2018 Korean drama Miss Hammurabi depicted the lead character wearing a burqa as a satirical response to Korea's traditional and patriarchal workplace. However, such images have not necessarily provided viewers with information about burqas, their cultural significance, or their history. This is because the show focused on Korean corporate regulations rather than burkas. Many viewers from other countries, however, felt that the representation was inappropriate and was used as a mockery. Any incorrect or inappropriate representation of a culture has the potential to offend a certain audience.
The main issue here is what follows these clichéd representations of culture in the media. A culture or a group of people might be portrayed favorably or poorly, giving the impression that everyone exercising the culture fits into the same negative framework. A certain attitude toward other cultures and the people who inhabit them is produced by the representation itself. This extends beyond South Korea to include all instances in which stereotypes are employed in the international media. While some may find humor in it, even if it is a satire about their own culture, others may find it terribly offensive to see their culture depicted in such a negative light. In all honesty, nobody would be pleased if everything they stand for was ridiculed and shown in a poor manner.
The most crucial strategy is to teach media literacy to viewers all over the world so that they can recognize when anything in the media is exaggerated or, more often than not, completely false. People need clear guidance on how to distinguish between comedy and mockery, especially in a time and place where people are closely connected, obtaining and sharing information, and learning about one another through the media. Thus, while portraying other cultures and foreigners in the media, a two-way effort must be considered: to inform and educate viewers on what constitutes accurate and inaccurate portrayals in the media, and to advise writers and producers to think carefully about the possible repercussions of portraying diversity in the media. Everyone enjoys a good laugh, but when it comes to representing diversity in media, the objective should be to provide people knowledge that is both identifiable and relatable as well as pleasant, exciting, and engaging.
Reference:
- Gergen, K. J. (1999). An invitation to social construction. London: Sage.
About the Author
Ms. Amy Suna Kim, Program Coordinator
Amy Suna Kim recently graduated with a master’s degree in International Studies from the Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University. Before this, Amy lived in the U.S., where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Religion at Cornell College. Amy is not new to Asia Society. Previously, she assisted our colleagues at Asia Society Philippines as a program management intern. Amy will be responsible for brainstorming new ideas for upcoming projects and raising the visibility of Asia Society Korea across various audiences. She is fluent in both English and Korean.
