The Kangaroo Panopticon
Why do I like Park Chan-wook’s Korean film, Oldboy, you ask? Why, the reason I like Oldboy is because I long to punish my enemies. Not only do I want to tit their tat, but also to utterly annihilate their entire existence while ruining everything they love. If they love nothing? Then I want to give them love only to violate it while blossoming. My enemies should not only suffer physically, but should also endure every possible psychological torture procurable. I want my adversaries to be at the peak of their hopes before kicking down their sandcastles. Before you indignantly judge me, you must remember that when I say “I”, you know that it means “we”: for beneath all of our politeness, beneath all of our reservations, linger spiteful, vindictive thoughts. Speak for myself? No, I will speak for all of us.
Elucidating this idea, Russell Roberts, the director of Vancouver, Canada’s Shakespearian Bard on the Beach play, Titus Andronicus, defends the choice of using gratuitous fake blood instead of “arty-farty” red ribbons:
“We’re very inhuman, we human beings. I mean, look what’s happening in Afghanistan, in Baghdad, in Somalia. It has happened since day one. This is no more violent or horrible than what’s going on around the globe right now. Titus has been catalogued as a problem play, but I think that the problem—if there’s a problem—is that we don’t like to have that mirror put up to us.”
Oldboy for Little Girls and Little Boys
Why do I like Park Chan-wook’s Korean film, Oldboy, you ask? Why, I love the quirky action-packed romantic comedy because it’s good wholesome fun for the whole family! Are you a fan of true love, superheroes, and octopuses? If you are, you will definitely enjoy this showdown between good and evil based on the popular Japanese comic written by Nobuaki Minegishi. If you like anti-heroes such as the Dark Knight and pretty Grrl-power heroines such as Batgirl, you will love the zany adventures of Oh Dae-su and Mi-do. There’s no lame Aquaman in the movie! No way, no how!
Oldboy has it all: adventure, suspense, humour, and of course, love! Our hero, Oh Dae-su, similar to Harry Potter, begins the tale as a loser just getting through life one day at a time. One dark night, Dae-su is kidnapped then imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years. During this time, Dae-su trains himself by shadowboxing. He begins to find his true destiny that will lead him to making the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of others. When he is finally mysteriously released back into the world, Dae-su seeks to avenge the cruel murder of his wife and save his daughter. In the end, Dae-su must fight for justice and face the evil mastermind, Woo-jin, and his henchman, Mr. Han. Woo-jin has all of the answers and knows a secret that will change everyone’s lives forever. Dae-su must solve the puzzle quickly—it’s a race against the clock! Can Dae-su find Woo-jin in time?
The Candy Vaccine: Prejudice and Generosity in South Korea
Written by Knigel Holmes
(Isaac Asimov)
After watching a video of a foreigner assaulting a Korean grandfather, a Young Korean man spits on an uninvolved Canadian subway passenger. The incident shakes the white Canadian who does not usually have to experience direct hostile racism. Later, a Korean grandmother's kindness reminds the Canadian not form his own prejudice.
I did not know what I knew, yet glancing up at his eyes—I knew. Locking eyes with mine, the young Korean gentleman exiting the subway car—jaw violently shaking—spat on me. His mouthful of lukewarm water drenched my leg. Deserving the diminutive, this kid appeared, if not acted, twenty or twenty-one; an age too close, yet still too far from rationality. Youth suffer their impulses. Still, by spitting on me, the boy demanded satisfaction.
Undoubtedly, few misunderstand the contempt and disgust behind the gesture. Expressions of disgust cross language barriers; we need no white glove formalities. Few insults slight worse than spitting at another; therefore, one would have to do something deserving of such vengeance. This kind of pre-emptive aggression could not be without a logical explanation.
Explaining logically, however, proved difficult with Korean medication making my brain kvetch against any thought except getting home, yet I did find myself off the train asking this kid, in monosyllabic, butchered Korean, why he would use me for a spittoon. Too busy wrestling my cough away from infecting other passengers, I had not unintentionally given the stink eye. The unexpected expectoration remained inexplicable.
A Gentleman’s Modest Douchebag Guide
Written by: Knigel Holmes
Obsession with cleanliness leaves us fearful of nauseating those around us because we worry about getting so used to our own selves that we remain oblivious to our own foulness. Those around us, in turn, exacerbate this problem by not wanting to break etiquette and, instead, edge away while jettisoning polite excuses. The unfortunate lack of feedback leaves people wondering when they too will be unknowing offenders stewing in their own mess. As an outcome of this self-consciousness, and so many people seeking ways to cover up their inadequacies, douchebags gain popularity. Despite dangers, this guide describes several douchebag techniques. Remember, these methods are at best unnecessary while potentially causing serious harm.
Before going on, we will first need to learn about douchebags. While intending to combat unpleasantness, these invasive, difficult-to-puncture, rubbery nuisances are relatively clean on the outside, yet sullied internally; therefore, douchebags tend to aggravate, irritate, and inflame instead of calm the symptoms. Similarly, improper handling causes embarrassing messes. For this reason, keep douchebags away from polite company. Most people, after interacting with douchebags, want to wash and disinfect themselves thoroughly. Additionally, while douchebags may not be foolproof measures against pregnancy, they do significantly reduce the chances of procreation. Now that we understand the concept of a douchebag, we simply need to keep the previous details in mind as we proceed.
All Blade, No Handle: A Survey of Asian and Western Victim Blaming Acculturation
How would you attribute blame in these research questions? If you had to distribute a total score of 100% between the characters, how would you split it? Do you think that males and females would distribute the total score differently?
1. Jiyoung is at her first membership training. While at the party, her seniors pressure her into drinking many shots of Soju. She groggily wakes up later in a hotel room with one of her male seniors. The senior is having sex with Jiyoung, but Jiyoung does not say anything.
2. Suji is upset because her boyfriend, Jake, of seven years has to work overtime. She knows that he just bought her an expensive handbag and new earrings, so has to work more to pay off the credit card bills. Suji goes out to the club and then goes to a hotel with a man to have sex. Jake’s friend tells Jake about seeing Suji go into the hotel with the man. The next night, when Jake comes home, he is in a rage. He screams at Suji who admits she had an affair. Finally, Jake slaps Suji one time across the face.
3. Hyemin is at a dinner party with her schoolmates. She has been enjoying her conversation with her senior named Taehoon. They have known each other for over one year. Hyemin tells Taehoon that she is tired and too drunk, so she wants to go home. Taehoon offers to bring her to a nearby motel. Hyemin is worried at first, but Taehoon promises that he will be the perfect gentleman—besides, he says, he is like her older brother. Hyemin goes to the motel with Taehoon; however, while she starts to sleep, Taehoon makes sexual advances. Hyemin says she only wants to sleep and keeps rejecting Taehoon until Taehoon becomes frustrated and angry. Hyemin asks Taehoon why he tricked her into coming to the hotel. Taehoon counters saying Hyemin knew his intention all along and knew what was going to happen. Taehoon reminds Hyemin that he paid for the motel room and then tells Hyemin to stop pretending to be innocent.
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- The Kangaroo Panopticon
- Please, I Want to Go to Prison
- Oldboy for Little Girls and Little Boys
- On Pico Iyer’s ‘Where Worlds Collide’
- We are God, and God is Dead: The Deaths and Resurrections of the comedic genius, Kim Jong-il
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