SweetxAesthetic

No that’s not a typo, that’s genuinely what I think the MNET show, Unpretty Rapstar: Volume 2 should be renamed, as that’s all I’ve witnessed so far. And this time, I’m here for all of it.

After the runaway success of the first season, one thing was made very clear: pettiness sells and gets people talking. So this season, all the focus is on petty one-upmanship, poor attempts at throwing shade and of course, our favorite type of appropriation: cultural appropriation.

I initially refused to watch Unpretty Rapstar, because I loathe the Korean variety/competition show editing technique where they instant replay before the event has even happened, which kills the momentum entirely. I used to find myself shouting at the screen in frustration over wanting just to experience the complete scene uninterrupted by other people’s reactions, (Jackson of GOT7 reuniting with his parents on Roommates is a great example of this terrible editing technique). Seriously Korea, stop it. Just let the scene speak for itself.

I’m also not a fan of runner-up Jessi. As a long time BoA fan, I wasn’t too impressed with the remarks she made about BoA’s alleged sexuality (it was a while ago, but still), plus I don’t like the delusion she has about being a skilled MC, when all she does is throw in random Korean words amongst mostly mangled English. However when I was introduced to the Goddess that is Cheetah, I changed my mind about this particular show.

So when I found out that Yubin, of the newly reformed Wonder Girls was scheduled to be on the show, it was a done deal.

I decided to watch it solely for Yubin (and maybe Hyorin, even though I’m still confused as to why she’s on the show).

A majority of the girls are very talented, mostly the older heads like Yubin, Gilme and Kittib. There’s even a wildcard in Yezi, but we all know that the standout talent is Truedy.

This young cat, entered the arena, decked out in old-skool hip-hop attire and threw so many English phrases around within the first 20 seconds of everyone meeting her, that they immediately questioned her nationality. When faced with the dreaded question that most mixed-Koreans face, she looked genuinely shocked and proclaimed that, she was a person from Eunpyeong-Gu (a region in Seoul). At no point did she mention the fact that she was mixed, either on the show or in any of the TV-spots before hand.

To anyone familiar with Korean culture you'll already have a gist on today's post. Most know that face shape in Korea is a HUGE deal that starts from childhood all the way to the ajummah days. During my time as a teacher in Korea, I heard my students fret over their face shape, eyes not being big enough or skin not be white enough. Though these topics can be concerns of any preteen, the worriment and stress emphasized in South Korea impacts ones daily life and career tremendously.

To go more in depth on this trend one must look at its history. How did face shape like the V-Line become so important and why is it such a huge factor today for Koreans? And after that I'll segue into a review of Etude House's popular Firm V-Zone Patch, that when used daily, can give the coveted pointy V-Line chin! Though for me it seemed more like being wrapped in a neck brace but we'll get there soon enough.

So why are pointy chins and face shape so important in Korea?

For years Hollywood has been the leader in the way of the cinematic world. Truth be told, from just about every aspect of all things arts and entertainment, Hollywood has always been the go to (historically speaking)….the gold standard by which every other entertainment market around the world sets itself against. However, I must admit that even as I say that, I think Hollywood has “fallen off” a bit lately. With the re-vamping (*or re-hashing as some would say*) of many of its most popular movie franchises from the not-too-distant past, I was inspired…if you will…to turn my mind’s eye to some of Hollywood’s most popular leading men. I would say Hollywood could do with a fresh take on some of its age old ideas and become even more diverse. Sooo the daydream began……I thought….”if Hollywood came a’calling in Korea, what Korean male lovelies would they choose for the most popular categories for male leads on film…these are my thoughts. Hey Hollywood…..you might want to take notes?!

The Strong Silent type:

The strong silent type may be a man of a few words, but his eyes will tell you everything you need to know. However, when he does speak, he’s “E.F. Hutton” in full effect. Mysteriously, sexy…..this one will have you waiting with bated breath.

We're starting Guest Blogger Month off with a bang with writer Shonna giving you the top places to visit in Korea! Some of these places I've never heard of so I will have to check them out!

1. Namhansanseong Fortress

But before we get started let's get more acquainted with BB, CC, DD and EE (ahah j/k) creams! Because honestly they can be confusing. Fashionista.com has a simple but great article explaining the difference of each. The world of K Beauty is a Pandora's box of surprises so the more you know the better you'll be at buying the right products for you.