미국문화우월주의 그리고 한국의 성공(SCMP)

에이미시상식에서 오징어게임의 놀라운 선전은 영화 기생충의 수상만큼이나 미국 대중문화계에 특별한 일이었다. 불과 몇년 전만 하더라도, 미국에서는 비주류라는 말에도 해당될 수 없던 심하게 말해 듣보잡이던 한국 드라마가 미국최고의 쇼에 주어지는 권위있는 시상식인 에이미에서 가장 큰 스포트라이트를 받았으니 말이다. 개인적으로 나는 한국인으로써, 특히 외국에 사는 한국인으로써 오징어게임과 배우들의 수상 소식에 더 기쁘고 감격스러운 것이 사실이다. 이런 수상 소식들로 인해 한국과 한국 문화에 대한 더 높은 관심과 좋은 이미지가 만들어 지고 있다. 

 

이런 매우 긍정적인 사실과는 별개로 한국 문화의 눈부신 선전에 대해 다소 논쟁의 영역에 있는 관점이 있다. 아래 글의 글쓴이는 오징어 게임이라는 작품에 대한 평가 보다는 한국의 컨텐츠가 미국문화우월주의의 중심에 있는 여러 주요 시상식에 선전하는 것에 대해 미국백인중심 문화 헤게모니에 대한 도전이라는 관점에서 평가하는 것이다. PC의 틀 안에서 옳고 그름을 이미 정해 놓고, 작품의 성공요인에 초첨을 맞추기 보다는 미국의 백인중심문화를 가해자 및 억압의 존재인 것으로 유색인종의문화를 피해자 및 억압받고 있는 대상으로 보는 관점으로 작품을 평가하는 것이다. 

 

물론 작품의 평가에 대한 여러가지 비평의 관점이 있으며 이 역시 다양성의 관점에서 수용할 수 있겠으나, 오징어 게임이나기생충의 성공을 바라보는 관점 중 항상 놓쳐서는 안되는 것이 바로 뛰어나며 완성도 높은 작품성이라고 해야 할 것이다. 글쓴이의 미국의 백인중심의 문화에 대한 비판적인 시각을 조금 비판적으로 평한다면, 아무리 백날 미국문화계를 PC의 틀안에서 말로만 비판해보아도 자신이 이상적으로 보는 백인과 유색인 문화가 타협해서 평등한 문화 헤게모니를 만들어내는 날은 결코 오지 않는다. 진정 변화를 원한다면, 유색인종이 되었던 아시아나 제 3세계로 부터 좋은 작품이 많이 나와야 하고, 그 들의 작품을 작품 그대로 미국문화에 잘 전달하는 역할을 해야 한다. 사람들은 물건이 좋아야 사는 것이다. 이런저런 이유를 대며 좋지 않은 물건을 사라고 하는 것은 전혀 합리적이지도 않고, 그렇게 해서 사람들을 지갑을 절대 열 수 없다. 쓸모없고 질이 좋지 않은 물건을 강매시키는 대다수의 불법 다단계가 망하는 이유도 이와 같은 것이 아닌가?

 

원문 https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192596/squid-games-emmy-success-korean-cultures-latest-blow-against-us?module=opinion&pgtype=homepage 

Squid Game’s Emmy success is Korea’s latest blow against US cultural hegemony

A TV screen shows Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk accepting his Emmy award during a news programme at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul on September 13. Photo: AP

Squid Game did not go to the 74th Emmy Awards to play. With its impressive 14 nominations – including one for most outstanding drama series, the first non-English language series to be so recognised – the Korean show had made history even before stepping onto the competition’s red carpet in Los Angeles.

The cast of Netflix’s most watched series did more than just show up on Monday. Lead actor Lee Jung-jae and director Hwang Dong-hyuk became the first Asians to win the top awards of outstanding directing and outstanding lead actor in a drama series, adding to the six technical awards the show garnered earlier.

The drama’s success at the Emmys was greeted with cheers in South Korea and hailed as the latest example of the country’s rise as a cultural powerhouse. Pride was the feeling that stood out the most from the many media interviews conducted with regular Korean people following Squid Game’s wins.

Looking at the bigger picture, this year’s edition included a record number of Asian acting nominees. Sandra Oh, Himesh Patel and Bowen Yang were among the dozens selected throughout the different categories.

Some other remarkable nominees – such as Zendaya and Lizzo, who have advocated for a more diverse Hollywood – also won awards. In many aspects, this year’s Emmys were perceived as a win for diversity.

Korean culture’s success is refreshing in Hollywood. Not only has it brought global attention to talented performers outside the US mainstream, its popularity is also raising questions about the perception of US awards and standards as the sole arbiter of excellence.

For too long, these awards have been seen as the ultimate goal to reach for “foreign” talent. Korean culture is now shaking the walls of long-established US cultural supremacy. The US grip on global pop culture has loosened recently, partly as a result of the rise of streaming platforms as well as the Covid-19 pandemic and the election of Donald Trump as US president eroding the country’s global standing.

Bong Joon-ho, director of the Oscar-winning film Parasite, has been vocal about this phenomenon. He described the Oscars as a “very local” competition in an interview with Vulture in 2019. In another not-so-subtle jab, Bong challenged his audience as he picked up his Oscar: “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

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Globalisation is a two-way street, and the United States is late to the party. Despite efforts to fix that, it is clear the country is more used to giving than taking, and this translates in a flawed reception of foreign cultures.

Last year, an American journalist asked Lee Jung-jae: “I’m sure you can’t leave the house any more without people recognising you. What has been the biggest life change for you since the series came out?” The video went viral as she missed the fact that the 49-year-old actor has been a household name in South Korea for nearly three decades.

 

Similarly, the Grammys have been criticised for having double standards by inviting K-pop megastar BTS to the awards for their large fan base without recognising the band’s talent through meaningful awards. It’s no surprise that their first music nominations went to their English-language song “Dynamite” and not any of the Korean songs from Map of the Soul: 7 and BE, two No 1 albums released earlier that year.

Latin-American influence on US pop culture set the scene for this cultural reset. However, it might have resonated differently within the industry because of the different kind of racism the Latin population faces in the US.

 

 

While the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) population, especially East Asians, have been perceived as a hard-working model minority, people of Latin descent are often perceived as criminals. Despite the early success of reggaeton and songs such as Despacito, the music genre is still considered by some as too dirty and sexual, which could undermine its influence on US culture.

While celebrating Squid Game’s success, some hope the win will bring changes in the US movie industry. The next step is the creation of more authentic and relatable roles for AAPI actors, celebrating local talent, diversifying narratives within the US and preventing exotification of foreign films in the US.

Salomé Grouard is production editor, social media, at the Post and a member of Lunar, an initiative that highlights key issues related to women and gender equality in Asia