Video Analysis on "I'm Bad"

The music video “I’m Bad” by NU’EST starts off with a 20 second relay of specific shots of each member which is quickly replaced by the introduction of the female character, also known as one of the current members of Pristin, Xiyeon. The video if simply a compilation of focused shots of each member of NU’EST individually and close ups of Xiyeon’s body as she dances to a ballet routine. Despite the song being about a breakup between two lovers, the female character, Xiyeon never interacts with the members of the boy group. The members only take part in the music video via their intense facial expressions as they walk around empty rooms, sit against walls or upon leather chairs, while the main focus is on Xiyeon. In this essay, I argue that the music video of “I’m Bad” uses close-up shots focused on the female character as an approach of sexual objectification and the establishment of “dollification” to set beauty standards for the female audience of the video, while reinforcing traditional gender roles.

Kim suggested that female K-pop idols often portray a mature and excessive feminine image, which is revealed through their body composition (2011: 339). As Kim puts it, girl idols often have long hairstyles and their clothes demonstrate a childlike atmosphere (Ibid.). Xiyeon establishes her mature feminine image by having her hair down while wearing a black laced ballerina dress. Scholars such as Kim argue that legs are the most important component of female idols’ figures, which is often highlighted through their dress codes (2011: 339). Meanwhile, Aubrey and Frisby argue that sexual objectification is conveyed through body exposure and camera shots which focus on body parts (2011: 480). This was most evident as the camera shoots close ups of Xiyeon’s legs as she dances and her lacy dress which fully shows off her legs up to her thighs. Throughout the video, there is a large number of close ups on her hands and arms as Xiyeon moves them across or around her body. Additionally, Kim argues that the bodies of female idols are often sexualized through the emphasis on passive postures and simplistic dance routines (2011: 339). This is most predominant as Xiyeon is seen passively dancing to a simple ballet routine throughout the entire duration of the music video. Most importantly, Kim suggests that a girl’s sexuality is best established through “ambiguity” and the “clash between the contradictory elements of their image” (2011: 340). This is most obvious between the contrast of Xiyeon’s establishment of a pure and innocent image through her clean looks and young age, which is compared to the sexualized focuses on her body parts, the over-revealing ballet dress and her seductive dance moves. This is also amplified as the two shots on Xiyeon’s legs remained quite blurry and disappeared quickly. Xiyeon is therefore viewed as the perfect juxtaposition between an innocent pretty young girl and a woman that is dancing seductively. This also aligns with Lin and Rudolf’s comment that K-pop often balances sexual images of female idols with “innocent, fragile, and childlike Lolita concepts” (2017: 31). Most importantly, Xiyeon was 14 when the music video was filmed, this then corresponds to the age group of NU’EST’s fans at the time. Therefore, I argue that Xiyeon’s performance in the video demonstrates how young audience learn social expectations from “dollified” female idols, which leads to the conformation of the “neo-Confucian patriarchal social structure” (Puzar 2011). This therefore suggests that the MV is used as an approach to encourage the young female viewers to become “dolls” and conform to the social norm in which Korean women are supposed to be submissive and develop femininity that does not threaten the current social structure and dominance of Korean men.

The music video of “I’m Bad” focuses heavily on the female character, Xiyeon, establishing concepts such as sexual objectification and dollification in order to reinforce the current patriarchal social structure.

Bibliography

Aubrey, Jennifer Stevens and Frisby, Cynthia M. “Sexual Objectification in Music Videos: A Content Analysis Comparing Gender and Genre.” Mass Communication and Society 14, no. 4 (2011): 475-501.

Kim, Yeran. “Idol Republic: The Global Emergence of Girl Industries and the

Commercialization of Girl Bodies.” Journal of Gender Studies 20, no. 4 (2011): 333-45.

Lin, Xi and Rudolf, Robert. “Does K-pop Reinforce Gender Inequalities? Empirical Evidence

from a New Data Set.” Asian Women 33, no. 4 (2017): 27-54.

Pužar, A. “Asian Dolls and the Westernized Gaze: Notes on the Female Dollification in South

Korea.” Asian Women 27, no. 2 (2011): 81-111.