http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2012/07/k-town_episode_1_recap.php
"Korean Jersey
Shore" Finally Debuts ... Straight to YouTube
By Sylvie Kim
The oft-discussed but
never-picked-up reality show K-Town
-- dubbed "the Korean American Jersey Shore" -- has
finally debuted as an online series on YouTube pop culture channel Loud. K-Town
follows a group of mostly Korean Americans as they live (and drink) in L.A.,
airing in weekly 10 minute episodes.
Oliver Wang
provides a comprehensive roundup of the controversies surrounding the show
since its production was announced two years ago, as well as the criticism of
its ethnic/cultural reality TV brethren, such as Bravo's Shahs of Sunset and
The History Channel's Swamp People.
While some consider these shows to be progress, others question the
representation: Are marginalized groups being subjected to buffoonery for
mainstream consumption? Is this another notch in the media's "let's demean
people who we think are different" bedpost?
These are questions
larger than the shows themselves and though they can never be answered
definitively, they certainly are important.
This is why I have
taken it upon myself to recap every episode of K-Town's run, fulfilling
my own selfish need for voyeurism and schadenfreude as well as providing weekly
context for the ongoing debate about the show's impact -- racial, cultural, or
otherwise -- on the pop media landscape.
Episode 1: Aired
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The opening sequence
kicks off with fairly slick establishing shots of Koreatown at night and
perhaps some covert advertising ("Hey, there's the Hanmi Bank
building!") before launching into the cast credits. Each cast member has a
designation: Jasmine is "The Jokester," Young is "The Entertainer,"
"Scarlet is "The Troublemaker," Steve is "The Party
Animal," Violet is "The Drama Queen," Joe is "The Bad
Ass," Cammy is "The Sweetheart," and Jowe is "The
Heartbreaker."
If critics were
worried about K-Town recreating stereotypical models of Korean and Asian
Americans, no worries! The cast members have further labeled themselves with
generic personality traits. The generalizations totally cancel each other out.
After a montage of
street signs and business storefronts, we enter a nail salon where we meet
Jasmine, a blond, award-winning hairstylist and lifelong K-Town resident and
her pal Scarlet, who's new to the area. What I love about Jasmine is that she
always sounds slightly drunk when she speaks. As they chat out front, a
motorcycle rolls up and skids to a graceful stop. The leather-clad rider
removes her helmet, whips her hair around in slow motion, and reveals herself
as Violet.
If you didn't know
already, Koreans love them some drama and flash. It was a scene straight out of
a student director's shot-for-shot homage to The Fast and the Furious
franchise. You'll see a lot of this stylization throughout the episode. My hope
is that they'll utilize these filming techniques when someone vomits in a
bathroom stall at a nightclub. Not even Michael Bay has thought of that.
We learn that biker
mama Violet is an actual mama, and works hard to provide for her young son.
Doing what, we don't know, because we then cut to the male half of the cast,
vigorously partaking in a boxing workout. The muscly one is Joe, a club
promoter with a penchant for big earrings, daily exercise, and headbands. If
you think the headband is just for the gym, you're wrong. The headband is a
staple of Joe's wardrobe in all environments and social settings. Then we meet
Steve who says he likes to work hard, drink harder and believes you should
"show your love for the women, man." My immediate thought is that
Steve is gay. Steve, if you're straight, I don't think that line achieves what
you intended.
Next up is Young, a
dancer and aspiring entertainer who looks like this workout is extracting the
very last breath from his lungs. Joe ribs him for not hooking up on his recent
trip to Korea because that is apparently the only reason to ever visit Korea.
Young says he has a big announcement for the group dinner later that night.
Back at the salon, we
learn that Violet is recently heartbroken, an explanation that is intercut with
extensive video footage of her and her ex walking around town and being gooey.
Because, eh, who doesn't film the first six months of their relationship? She
believes her ex to be a fame whore and a regular ol' whore, and she
inadvertently insults herself by saying, "He's the male version of
me," which she follows up by opining that no man should ever be like that.
What?
Scarlet thinks that
Violet is simply attracted to men who are dicks and that there are elements to
the relationship saga that Violet is not revealing. Violet rebuts with a maxim
that I will be incorporating into my life immediately: "The truth comes
from me."
Later that night, the
group meets up at a place called Beer Belly. The server brings out a bottle
from "Violet's secret stash" which is apparently not on the menu.
Considering we don't know Violet's occupation yet, I'm guessing she makes
bootleg soju in her bathtub.
Young quickly makes
his announcement that he is now engaged to his girlfriend, So Young, who
recently returned to Korea after her student visa expired. He also cracks up at
his own lame joke about his name sounding similar to his fiancee's name. Let's
hope his dancing is better than his punchline delivery. He does, however, score
points for demolishing Scarlet's dream of being a bridesmaid in his wedding. I
like Scarlet, but girlfriend's voice is shrill, which might explain Young's
quip, "The moment she opens her mouth, they'll probably cancel the whole
wedding."
The excitement over
Young's pending nuptials is soon dampened by Joe turning the conversation to
business. He's prepping for a large club event and is employing the crew to
help him, making Jasmine do hair and Young work the door. Scarlet offers up her
go-go dancing services but wants to know how much she'll get paid (valid
question). I don't even like helping friends move, so props to these guys for
taking work orders like it ain't no thang. Do any of them have gainful
employment to support gym memberships, mani-pedis, and huge bar tabs? We're not
so sure. I sense a future debate on socioeconomic class and rosy depictions of
supposed Asian-American wealth on the horizon.
The mood changes even
more with the arrival of Violet's ex, Jowe. Please note that "Jowe"
is pronounced "Joey" because the casting directors somehow knew that
this fact would delight people like me. While everyone expects Violet to freak
out, she remains relatively calm even when he sits down right next to her. This
is quite the Herculean task, not just because of their romantic history, but
because Jowe is "The Prince of K-Town." His intro clip looks like a
commercial trying to get you to lease a luxury sedan, and I bet that was Jowe's
idea. He claims that others have bestowed his princely title upon him, but I
believe that about as much as I believe that it's okay to spell your name
"Jowe."
The gang moves from
the bar to a club that requires navigating through basement elevators and
alleyways, which understandably puts K-Town newbie Scarlet on edge. But when
they reach their destination, Scarlet's jaw drops at the sight of what appears
to be every single nightclub to have ever been built after 1999 in America.
Maybe it was in fact a neon wonderland unlike anything else, but I just didn't
see what was so awe-inducing about it.
Thus ends the
inaugural episode of K-Town, with a sneak peek to next week's
developments on the gang's night out, which includes more drinking, some
awkward dance battles, and Scarlet throwing a beverage in Prince Jowe's face.
I cannot wait.
