K-Pop, Idols, and Fandom

This course explores the complex relationship between Korean popular music (K-Pop) idols and the complex global online (anti-)fandoms that have formed around these industry entertainers. Through a critical analysis of K-Pop music videos, and documentaries, this course examines the historical roots of idol culture in South Korea, the current state of the K-Pop industry, fan behaviors, and the global expansion of K-Pop fandom to understand how these dynamics shape both the industry and the idols themselves. This course nuances concerns about what drives one to become an idol and what it means to be a fan by engaging in moral and ethical debates surrounding the emerging Western consumption of a predatory music genre with its own complex relationship to global music flows.