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Being interviewed as an 'expert' voice: My perspective.
So, in the last few months I have been interviewed a lot. It's still scary. You want to sound articulate. You want to say something original. You want to look good if you'll be on camera. You don't want to be cancelled.
So, in the last few months I have been interviewed a lot. It's still scary. You want to sound articulate. You want to say something original. You want to look good if you'll be on camera. You don't want to be cancelled.
You're always afraid you'll be taken out of context, and that you will end up looking like you said something that you really didn't say. (This is esp. true with email).
You wonder if they should have contacted you, which of your academic friends might have a better take.
You wonder if they should have contacted you, which of your academic friends might have a better take.
They break down into two types:
Those who already understand the issue want one sound bite or pithy quote (maybe two).
Those who don't want to be educated.
Those who already understand the issue want one sound bite or pithy quote (maybe two).
Those who don't want to be educated.
But I teach a semester long course on K-pop-- it's not that simple. You really need to know a lot to understand even a little (I'm still learning every day).
And just like I can teach a student all semester and they can STILL think the thing they thought on the first day,
And just like I can teach a student all semester and they can STILL think the thing they thought on the first day,
so too can some journalists ignore what you're trying to tell them.
And when they want to be educated it takes *so much time*
They say "can we do a 15 minutes skype?" and you know it'll be 1 hour.
And when they want to be educated it takes *so much time*
They say "can we do a 15 minutes skype?" and you know it'll be 1 hour.
My husband asked me today (as I prepared for Arirang TV pre-recorded video clip), "do you feel like you have to do the interviews?" and the answer is sort of yes.
For a moment here people are paying attention to Korea and K-pop. I spent 25 years doing that and most of the time
For a moment here people are paying attention to Korea and K-pop. I spent 25 years doing that and most of the time
no one cared. People told me I should learn Japanese. I should move to another foreign country "better" than Korea. I should do my PhD on something "sexier."
So, for today, I'm going to make my statement and I'm going to recommend smart people as other sources
So, for today, I'm going to make my statement and I'm going to recommend smart people as other sources
(And *many* of them are going to say no b/c it's stressful to make a statement and wonder if it will be used or twisted, if it will be understood or not, if you'll be cancelled.)
Most of all because Korea is amazing and I want to honor what I love.
Most of all because Korea is amazing and I want to honor what I love.
And all of it takes SO MUCH time. A single minute on Arirang meant a shower, making my make-up really nice, writing out what I wanted to say (that was probably 5 minutes worth, not 1 minutes worth) prepping so that it looked like I was speaking naturally not reading...
To talk for one minute I honed those sentences for thirty? fifty? minutes. And that was based on how many years of listening/watching K-pop, and how many years of struggling to learn Korean, and two degrees (one in Korea), and countless books and articles.
