Cover Dance and the Domination of Korean Culture

The Famous Super Junior Cover in Thailand: Pandora

Super Junior

The first picture shows one of Thai  famous cover dance bands "Pandora", which is imitating the album jacket of one of the most famous Korean boy bands "Super Junior". In Pandora's picture, the members stand juxtaposing to one another while posing the actions as if they are the boy band members themselves. The shade of the picture is black and white, the photo-shooting area, and the caption are similar to the original one as well. This picture is interesting in the way that it shows how Korean music and stars have  become world's domination, including in Thai society. The imitation of singers' character and dance moves become a new self-expression in Thai society, which reveals the popularity of Korean domination that Thai society embraces.Cover dance does not only concern with the imitation of dance moves or the appreciation of Korean music, but it also addresses how Thai society agrees to accept their cultures, ranging from language, food, fashion, or entertainment. In Thai society nowadays, the appreciation over Korean popular culture are conspicuous in which some Thai people even refuse to listen to Thai songs due to the thought that Korean music is better. The cover dance and its supporter then reveal how much Thai teenagers want to be like the Koreans. In this way, it might unveil the perception of Thai society that Korean influences are superior that we want to be similar to them.

                                                                              

"The Middle Way"

This fresco is presented at Sarnath, India. It depicts the picture of Suchada giving the rice to emaciated Prince Siddhartha Guatama before his enlightenment as the Bhudda. The fresco uses light colors, instead of the dark ones to portray the enlightenment and wisdom that are going to happen. The fresco focus on both Prince Siddhartha and the humble Suchada who is faithful and kind-hearted. In addition, the emanciated Siddharta is revealed to acquire light radiance around his head, which signals his upcoming realization that will be stimulated by the offering of this lady. This event is very significant in Bhuddhism, since it triggers the realization of Bhudda as everything will be successful and achieved only if the middle way is chosen. As a result, Prince Siddhartha stopped his fasting and meditated without tormenting himself. The fresco does not only become a historical memento, but also as a didactic artwork in order to remind the audience that instead of being to intense or lackadaisical, we should keep ourselves in balance and do our best. Similar to our commendable Bhudda, the middle way and consciousness from meditation are essential in order to live a meaningful and serene life.

Once in Thai Fashion History: The Revolution to Civilization

This poster was used during 1940s  to accommodate "Thai Cultural Revolution" in order to make Thailand more "civilized" as it was the national project of Field Marshal Phibun Sonkhram, the prime minister. As Phibun aimed to modernize and made Thai society progressive and civilized, he tried to change Thai people's way of life in every aspect in order to make it similar to Western countries, who were considered to be "progressed" and "civilized". Therefore, this poster became an evidence to show how the government during that time was trying to reformat people's dress code as the first step of becoming advanced. The poster's heading reads "Thai Culture", while there are two charts addressing what should and should not be worn. 

The first column "Don't" shows Thai traditional dress codes as most of the citizens, especially men will be bare chest and wearing traditional cloth or "jong-kra-ben", while the other column "Do" shows Western dress code as  men must wear shirt and a trouser, and women will wear a shirt and a skirt. The picture is interesting in a way that it conspicuously shows how the government tries to obtruding this new fashion to the citizens by using the phrase "Thai Culture" as the heading, which makes it automatically indisputable and sounded like it is already been accepted by everyone in the society. In this way, it also reveals how authoritative and powerful the government was during that time. Also, it unveils how Western cultures were being praised highly and regarded as prime example of the country. Moreover, it also tells the image of a good and civilized citizen should be during that time as it becomes the foundation of Western fashion of Thai society.