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Soft Masculinity in Kpop

In recent years, beauty standards within Kpop has evolved with the growth of a new pop culture. As people continue to become more open minded, fashion and beauty has begun to blur the lines between gender roles and expectations. Kpop idols push the limits of modern day trends, inspiring their followers to do the same. One of the most interesting trends that have risen since the rise in Kpop is the gender fluidity amongst male Kpop idols. The idea of soft masculinity has flooded the Kpop culture and has reacted well with Kpop fandoms. Another term that may be used for this concept is metrosexual men, which is the idea of a refined man who takes particular interest in their appearance and kind nature. Soft masculinity is seen in a variety of ways between male Kpop idols through their makeup, clothing, dancing, and behavior; we see the gender lines blurred to some extent. Yet fans find this completely normal and find themselves diving deeper into their obsession with the artist. Male Kpop musicians are carefully branded and sculpted to meet this ideal Korean male image to gain a bigger following. Over time, this stereotypical male image has developed to where it is today through foreign influences and the increased popularity of Kpop groups.

Only in recent years has gender fluidity become a topic of interest in modern society, so it is surprising how these Korean beauty standards are being accepted all over the world. The more viewers that are seeing this portrayal of the "ideal" man, the more normal it becomes and the more accepting the audience becomes. The growing acceptance can be drawn to the Korean wave, also known as "Hallyu", which is the spread of Korean pop culture into other countries and societies. In most pop culture media, the male figure is displayed as overly masculine, exhibiting behaviors of sexual dominance and aggressiveness. But in Korean pop culture, the male figure is shown to be soft and caring, exhibiting behaviors similar to that of a friend rather than a sex object. This becomes more appealing to women because they find that these Korean men have more sympathy and understanding for them.

While Korean culture has evolved into a more advanced society through technological advancements and outside influences, the branding of these male Kpop idols are mainly used to increase popularity and sales. In this day and age, the buying power of women has become more important and influential. What comes with this is a high demand for the ideal man, which has been shaped by the recent growth of feminine influence in our economy, thus influencing the way these Kpop stars portray themselves. The power of the consumer overcame the power of gender roles and can actually be seen changing the way we look at gender, making soft masculinity normal.

Previously, men had been looked at for their actions, now it is more about how they look. Going back to the idea of metrosexual men, these Kpop stars will make sure their hair is perfect, and that they are wearing the right outfit and have the right accessories. The idea of soft masculinity and gender bending allows these men to care about themselves in a way that was previously not considered and often dubbed as something females would do. Although soft masculinity is gaining popularity, it must not be mistaken that all of these men and Kpop idols are what they say. Companies strategically brand these idols to appeal to the new wave of feminism and gender equality, but there is still the portrayal of traditional masculinity in songs and music videos such as "Crayon" by G-Dragon. The visual image of these artists is crucial to their financial success within the music videos. Contracts with different agencies put pressure of the artists to create the perfect music videos that will appeal to their consumers, artists will achieve this by going to whatever lengths necessary. From makeup and hair to plastic surgery, the wave of metrosexual soft masculinity has engulfed the Kpop scene.

On the other hand, the use of soft masculinity within Korean boy bands is also used to appeal transnationally. They are able to appeal to a multitude of societal standards through distributed masculinity where each group member has their own unique brand, giving the fans more choices about which band member they like the most. Along side of soft masculinity comes other portrayals of masculinity designed to appeal to different cultures. Most common is the aggressive military man and the powerful patriarchal man. Including soft masculinity, all three portrayals appeal to different consumers and different cultures. For example, soft masculinity is especially satisfactory towards Japanese women who are accustom to the cute and lovable male stereotype also called "bishnen" or pretty boy. Overall, gender is very much performative, and these bands use that to their advantage to please their audiences and make their music more transnational.