Theological Reflections on "Gangnam Style" ― A Racial, Sexual, and Cultural Critique

When Psy's (Park Jae-sang) music video "Gangnam Style" went viral, it achieved not only overnight global appeal, but also made the Korean sensation an unexpected pop star breaking into the mainstream American music market. The popularity of Gangnam Style in the American scene has as much to say about our racialized society as is does about the man who fashioned a rap music with an infectious dance routine. Those who oppose this view maintain that Gangnam Style has achieved an overnight global appeal in part because of its catchy tune and a dance that is easy for audiences to imitate. As we listen to his music video, do we Americans laugh at him or with him? In this book, the authors respond to this question from historical and theological perspectives that tackle the pressing issues concerning racial stereotypes, racialized bodies, hegemonic masculinity, and mimicry.

Joseph Cheah is Associate Professor of Comparative Theology at the University of Saint Joseph, USA. He is the author of Race and Religion in American Buddhism (2011) and he is a co-editor with Grace Ji-Sun Kim for the Palgrave Macmillan Book Series, Asian Christianity in Diaspora.

Grace Ji-Sun Kim is Visiting Researcher at Georgetown University, USA. She is the author of Contemplations from the Heart (2014); Colonialism, Han, and the Transformative Spirit; The Holy Spirit, Chi, and the Other; and The Grace of Sophia (2002). She is a co-editor with Joseph Cheah for the Palgrave Macmillan Book Series, Asian Christianity in Diaspora.