Description
The concept of love has intrigued many social critics, and has led them to accuse media of perpetuating unrealistic notions of romance that are unattainable for a healthy and satisfying relationship. Unrealistic expectations of love and romance are a primary cause of relationship dissatisfaction among real couples. It is imperative to critically analyze media sources in order to gain knowledge of how to counter unhealthy notions of romance. Korean dramas typically present a scenario in which strong mutual love and desire between two people come into conflict with existing sociocultural values. The kkonminam (Flower Boy) genre in particular, caters to young women, and focuses mainly on the romantic lives of young adults, making it a prime genre to analyze Korean portrayals of modern romance. This study used Galician’s myths of hegemonic portrayals of love and romance to see if common themes of Westernized “status quo” love can be detected in Korean dramas. The current study was a textual analysis that examined how love and romance is portrayed in Korean dramas, particularly in the Flower Boy genre, and does so by examining two texts, Boys Over Flowers and Flower Boy, Ramen Shop. This study adds to previous literature on hegemonic ideals of love and romance. Ultimately, this study examined ideas of romance in the media to learn what portrayals present themselves in Korean dramas, a form of mass media targeted at a younger audience whose views and expectations on romantic love are still forming, and may be influenced by media depictions.
Keywords
Korean literature; Love; Love stories; Romances
Disciplines
Communication | Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication
Language
English
Unrealistic Weeds of Love and Romance: The Korean Drama and the "Flower Boy" Genre
The concept of love has intrigued many social critics, and has led them to accuse media of perpetuating unrealistic notions of romance that are unattainable for a healthy and satisfying relationship. Unrealistic expectations of love and romance are a primary cause of relationship dissatisfaction among real couples. It is imperative to critically analyze media sources in order to gain knowledge of how to counter unhealthy notions of romance. Korean dramas typically present a scenario in which strong mutual love and desire between two people come into conflict with existing sociocultural values. The kkonminam (Flower Boy) genre in particular, caters to young women, and focuses mainly on the romantic lives of young adults, making it a prime genre to analyze Korean portrayals of modern romance. This study used Galician’s myths of hegemonic portrayals of love and romance to see if common themes of Westernized “status quo” love can be detected in Korean dramas. The current study was a textual analysis that examined how love and romance is portrayed in Korean dramas, particularly in the Flower Boy genre, and does so by examining two texts, Boys Over Flowers and Flower Boy, Ramen Shop. This study adds to previous literature on hegemonic ideals of love and romance. Ultimately, this study examined ideas of romance in the media to learn what portrayals present themselves in Korean dramas, a form of mass media targeted at a younger audience whose views and expectations on romantic love are still forming, and may be influenced by media depictions.