Lena Park Warns Against Imitating Americans

kensai in News on Jan 29, 2008 - 02:20 PM  –  943 Views  –  95 Comments
Tags: rain bi lim jeong hee lena park park jung hyun

Lena Park, Park Jung Hyun

"Rather than imitating Americans, Rain and Lim Jeong Hee should utilize their Asian personalities. Don't try to change just to look American because that's somewhat taboo."

Those were the words of advice Korean American singer Lena Park (Park Jung Hyun) had for fellow entertainers Rain and Lim Jeong Hee, regarding their potential debuts in the United States market.

She went on to say, "Asians in America are more perceived to have an intellectual image; the ones wearing glasses and are the engineers or doctors than singers." An insightful, if not obvious, observation from an individual who was asked about the subject due to her American upbringing and relative knowledge of the market.

For now, there are no clear dates set for either Rain or Lim Jeong Hee's United States debut.

To an extent, both of them would be wise to heed Lena Park's words. Unfortunately, I think the message comes much too late for Rain, who seems to already be stuck in a mode of imitation, and might be forever one step behind his American peers. Lim Jeong Hee, on the other hand, still has an outside chance of being able to sculpt her own path. Doing things her own way might be her only chance at success, because it certainly won't come by trying to blatantly rip off American artists.

But for both of them, I think Lena Park's last quoted comment is what eventually spells out their failure. That is, unless one of them can miraculously come up with a big time hit or gimmick. To most Americans, Asian entertainers are nothing but caricatures of stereotypes, and it would take somebody with extraordinary talent, good looks, and a decent amount of luck, in order to break that mold.

I do wish the both of them good luck in their endeavors, though I might be a tad partial to Lim Jeong Hee at this point. Here's my reason:


lim jeong hee lim jeong hee lim jeong hee lim jeong hee lim jeong hee

Comments

2.  JR
Jan 29, 2008 - 02:36 PM
JR's avatar

I had no idea she was this cute

3.  kensai
Jan 29, 2008 - 02:45 PM
kensai's avatar

JR-Lena Park?

5.  wtgook
Jan 29, 2008 - 03:12 PM
wtgook's avatar

What has Lena Park produced? Never heard of her.

6.  OBEY LADI
Jan 29, 2008 - 03:29 PM
OBEY LADI's avatar

Good luck to both of them.  I agree with what you said about Asians being caricatures of stereotypes.  I think most Americans will point and laugh at them before they’re given a chance.  “They can’t possibly be good, they’re Asian!“  I think the U.S. gets turned off anytime an Asian sings R&B;, raps or plays in a rock band because we’re not looked at in that light.  America isn’t ready yet imo…  unfortunately…  :o

7.  mk23
Jan 29, 2008 - 03:36 PM
mk23's avatar

LJH better get her english perfect.  No konglish plz.

8.  pijiu
Jan 29, 2008 - 04:24 PM
pijiu's avatar

Omg she’s so hot ;o I agree with what she has to say.

9.  kensai
Jan 29, 2008 - 04:40 PM
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JR-I still don’t think she’s that cute. :o

wtgook-She’s released like 6 or 7 albums dude.  Sings pretty well.

OBEY LADI-Agreed, but if Lim Jeong Hee can come out with something relatively non-cliche, and somehow manages to sing without an accent, she has a chance.  If nothing else, because she’s hot.

mk23-Totally agree.

10.  tehelmo
Jan 29, 2008 - 04:42 PM
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I can’t wait until Lim Jeong Hee shaves off her hair. That’ll be the true American act of mimicry.

11.  kensai
Jan 29, 2008 - 04:50 PM
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Maybe she’ll take an umbrella to JYP’s car?

:o

12.  OBEY LADI
Jan 29, 2008 - 04:51 PM
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Yeah, agreed with the accent thing.  It’s amazing how that plays a big role in all this…

13.  kensai
Jan 29, 2008 - 04:53 PM
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Yup.  If she comes out with any type of Asian accent, she’s going to immediately get ridiculed.

Almost every accent/manner of speech is acceptable in entertainment, except the Asian one.

14.  JR
Jan 29, 2008 - 04:53 PM
JR's avatar

lena park warns against imitating lena park

15.  mikekoo
Jan 29, 2008 - 05:56 PM
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i’d put it in her ear

16.  H8erade
Jan 29, 2008 - 06:11 PM
H8erade's avatar

That’s Americans for you, when people first immigrate to this country - they’re going to hate you. Killed off the Native Americans. Americans hated Blacks (Damn N-)... although they were forced here. Americans hated the Irish (Damn Paddy/Patty). Americans hated the Italians (Damn Mafia Goomba Guineas). Americans hated the Polish (Damn Pollocks). They hate asians (dirty chanks) and mexicans (dirty beaner illegal immigrants) now… That’s just how this country is. Hate at first, and then things turn around somewhat eventually. Doesn’t help things that asians make the most money & have the highest test scores in schools.

17.  SCS
Jan 29, 2008 - 06:21 PM
SCS's avatar

Lim Jeong Hee’s strengths in her debut include the fact that A) she’s a chick B) she’s debuting with Outkast.

The reason why being a girl will put her a step ahead of Rain is that there’s less social stigma on Asian women than men—plus, she’ll undoubtedly get points from the male demographic for being ‘exotic’. Aside from that, I think that breaking into the market with Outkast will be another thing that will matter, since it won’t exactly be her headlining—more along the lines of her being an addition to the group.

In the end, maybe things won’t work out, but she’ll get further than Rain did.

18.  SCS
Jan 29, 2008 - 06:22 PM
SCS's avatar

Outkast has a lot of cred in the mainstream music market, too, which can count in her favor. They’ve been known for being a little off-beat in both their presentation and their musical expression.

19.  De La Methode
Jan 29, 2008 - 06:34 PM
De La Methode's avatar

I remember when hip hop gangsta rap had a huge social stigma to it, now it’s mainstream & one of the most popular forms of music. You just need an awesome producer that can make great music & polish the product, and things will eventually change.

20.  AsianStyle
Jan 29, 2008 - 08:40 PM

i hate it when americans don’t even give asian singers a chance. stars who will debut in the US should really listen to Lena’s warning cause its so true. i mean i give american music a chance….even though i regret it a lot of the time. >_> no offence intended

21.  Rivers
Jan 29, 2008 - 09:05 PM

I personally have to disagree with most of comments above here.  I love Korean musicians, and I am American, with no ties to the Asian community by blood.  I think that Rain will do well because he is a great performer!  I have been a fan of his for a long time too.  I think that anyone who actually appreciates music, and takes the time to listen and watch anything that Rain does will be amazed. Chris Brown dances like Usher, but no one says anything about it…they adore him.  Plus, Rain is attractive and a lot of American girls actually like Asian men.
Anyone who debuts with OutKast will have some serious clout automatically, that much is very true. 
  @h8erade I can’t speak for all of America, but I can speak for who I know around me when I say this.  When it comes to my generation, most of those stereotypes are just that…I don’t have friends who hate people just because they have accents, or they make more money, or have higher test scores.  I think a lot of younger Americans think this way, and I must say that I am sad to hear someone say things like that.  Everyone country has it’s prejudices against people, America has been no different.  Hopefully some day soon the rest of the world will notice the difference in younger America.  Bashing Americans for past behaviors is slightly unfair.

22.  wizkid4785
Jan 29, 2008 - 09:14 PM

random critic? never heard of lena park but im ignorant

23.  kensai
Jan 29, 2008 - 09:24 PM
kensai's avatar

H8erade-Yeah, but I don’t see us turning on this issue anytime soon.

SCS-Yeah, good point, being an Asian woman helps a lot.  If Outkast really help her, and it’s not just lip service, then she might have an easier time garnering credibility.  That’s why it’s interesting to see which direction they go with her.

De La Methode-Yeah but that was a style of music, the issue here isn’t so much the style as it is race/ethnicity. :o

AsianStyle-Yeah, but Asian Americans don’t even give Asian singers a chance.  A lot of them, at least.

Rivers-I realize that you, personally, might not feel that way, but the reality is that a lot of mainstream America does not see it as you do.  All of us are here because we obviously have some semblance of an interest in Asian music, and are therefore a lot more open to it than most people in this country.

You can’t extrapolate personal experience to everybody in America.  Rain has already been made fun of in the mainstream media, and he hasn’t even debuted yet.  We might be slowly changing, but it sure as hell hasn’t happened yet.

24.  TheUltimateNewbie
Jan 29, 2008 - 10:28 PM

Lena Park should just stick to singing OP’s for animes instead of stating the obvious.

25.  Rivers
Jan 29, 2008 - 10:29 PM

@kensai…
  I wasn’t really talking about all of America, I was just talking about what I see from people around my age and younger (here in Kentucky)...and how popular Asian culture is becoming here.  Japanese rock for instance is pretty big here right now, partially due to anime popularity.  So I just see this becoming more mainstream too. 
  If everyone I knew listened to what the mainstream media said about people, we wouldn’t like anyone new!  I tend to have friends who are more likely to go the opposite direction of what the media says…especially where music is concerned.  I have a lot of friends who are involved in the local music scene here as well.  We just had a discussion about this last week, our city at least seems primed for an Asian invasion. (that sounded so corny…sorry)
I wish Rain and Lim Jeong Hee the best though!  I will be rooting for them! raspberry

26.  TheUltimateNewbie
Jan 29, 2008 - 10:30 PM

Rivers-You live in Kentucky…your opinion is meaningless.

27.  De La Methode
Jan 29, 2008 - 10:32 PM
De La Methode's avatar

Type of music but who did it represent? The urban black youth. You associate hip hop with african americans, therefore the correlation with race. So it still applies here.

28.  SCS
Jan 29, 2008 - 10:38 PM
SCS's avatar

Her part with Outkast should be more than just singing choruses—she shouldn’t be background or filler. Hopefully she gets enough exposure for her to matter in the group.

If they can manage to do splits between them and her or between all 3 of them, like Big Boi and Andre typically do in their songs, she just might have a fighting chance.

30.  mitchybits
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:03 PM

I don’t think I can even name one Asian singer that has successfully crossed over to the U.S. market. Many have attempted & failed miserably or temporarily succeed then failed. Good luck to Lim Jeong Hee, she will need it! For Rain, he needs a f*ckin’ miracle for him to even step foot in the U.S. LOL I kid, I kid.

31.  ch0sshi
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:11 PM
ch0sshi's avatar

As talented as Lim Jeong Hee is, I doubt her career will be any different from Rain’s. YES, she’s talented amongst Asians, but you go through the US and you can find hundreds that are so much better than her.

But w/e, Amen to what Park Jung Hyun said, and good luck to LJH.

32.  janeberryblue
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:11 PM
janeberryblue's avatar

why does that not look like lena park to me? did she lose weight? i can’t quite point out what looks different…

i think rain will fail (already has?) and so will se7en because no one takes asian men seriously :D
LJH might’ve had a chance with her looks/talents but that fobby accent will give it away.
and Min is just way too ugly to make it in america.
how sad.

Rivers: YOU LIVE IN KENTUCKY TOO!?!?!!

33.  AsianStyle
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:20 PM

kensai- well maybe the asian americans you know don’t give asian singers a chance but every asian that i know (most are asian american) know and like more asian singers than american singers. i’m just saying because this is how my friends and enemies (that are asian) all act. they have more interest in asian singers. or at least listen to them more. and when you say a ‘a lot of them at least’ i think your referring to your experiences right? well i’m referring to mine. and like i said, mine are that every asian american i know gives more of a chance to asian singers than to american ones.

34.  DawMinda
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:23 PM
DawMinda's avatar

I think that is good advice, Bi and Lim should be individuals and do their own things.  American’s only hold onto copy cats for a while, but the originals last forever.  (^_^)

35.  kensai
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:35 PM
kensai's avatar

Rivers-That’s good to hear, especially from a place like Kentucky, but I still highly doubt that the majority of Kentucky feels the same way as you.

De La Methode-Right, but neither Rain nor Lim Jeong Hee are coming over with a specific style of music.  Rain is pop, and Lim Jeong Hee is pop/r&b;, both already have a history.  It’s not like some Japanese singer is coming over with Enka or something.

SCS-I don’t think her singing background initially is a bad thing, especially if she’s going to be involved in r&b;.  She needs to get a break somehow.

ch0sshi-Unless you are the elite of the elite, there are always people more talented than somebody, based on subjectivity or otherwise.  I would say Lim Jeong Hee is vocally better than a good majority of American pop singers with hit songs right now.

Jane-It’s the angle that hides the ugly.

AsianStyle-Yeah, of course Asians will generally be more open to Asian singers, that’s just common sense.  But ask most of the Asians that we would deem “white-washed”, and they would no more be open to an Asian artist than any regular white dude.

I’m just trying to not be delusional here, Asians represent barely 4% of the market, and many of those have assimilated so much that they no longer care about Asian identity or anything of that nature.  Not that it’s a bad thing, but it’s the reality of the situation.  It’s a huge uphill battle, that’s the point.

36.  H8erade
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:38 PM
H8erade's avatar

Talent doesn’t matter. If talent is all that mattered, cookie cutter acts like Britney Spears would never have been popular. What sells is the product. Why was the macarena so popular in america a few years ago? It was just two old spanish dudes dancing & singing to a catchy beat. Sure it was a one hit wonder, but hit is the key word. If you can get a asian singer with pretty good looks, decent voice, and a catchy ass beat then I can guarantee you’ll have a hit. Now it’s not easy to have a combination, you need everything coming together at the right time but it’s not impossible. Asian guys were non-existant in sports just a few years ago. In baseball there were basically no asian players until Hideo Nomo and later Ichiro paved the way, now there’s an influx of asians coming in every year. There’s big Asian stars in Ichiro, Dice-K, Okajima, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, etc ... and halfies like Hines Ward, Kailee Wong, etc. Things can turn quickly, just need one person to first step through that door. I don’t think someone from Korea could be it, maybe someone who grew up in America and can speak english perfectly with no accent (Teddy/Danny/Taebin from 1tym?). But if I were JYP, I would look for talent in the states and go from there.

37.  Music4urSoul
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:40 PM
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I dont think Rain will ever debut in US. I think most people are still pretty angry about the US Concerts.

38.  kensai
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:41 PM
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I don’t think athletics is a good comparison, because that really generally is based on merit rather than luck.

Most of what is involved in generating a hit is luck, like I said.

39.  De La Methode
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:44 PM
De La Methode's avatar

But you’re arguing semantics by saying type of music. The point was an asian person becoming popular in the american mainstream. You brought out the notion that there was a stigma with asians. I pointed out how there was a stigma with ethnic black “gangsta” rappers (you could classify them into a group) and how it’s now mainstream. I’m not saying anything about an asian bringing a type of music here, just how in music that social stigma’s can be overcome.

40.  Charlotte
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:45 PM
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Pssh..I’ve never heard of this b*tch before.

41.  H8erade
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:48 PM
H8erade's avatar

What was the Nippon League once thought of? Exactly, an inferior league that was thought to be around AA minor league baseball. There was a stigma there about asian players & its leagues. Players coming over showed that they can play just as good, if not better if given the opportunity. I’m saying the same could be said/happen for eventual artists.

42.  kensai
Jan 29, 2008 - 11:53 PM
kensai's avatar

De La Methode-I brought up type of music and invention for a reason.  Rap/hip-hop was a new foray into music, what Rain/Lim Jeong Hee/Utada Hikaru/etc are doing, is not anything new, nor is it an Asian specific sound.

H8erade-It still is an inferior league.  Just their elite players are now given the opportunity to play overseas due to a loophole Hideo Nomo’s agent found in his Japanese baseball contract.

This isn’t exactly an issue of contracts regarding musicians, so I don’t see the comparison.  Asia’s elite singers are free to try and make it in America if they want, nothing is technically stopping them.

43.  De La Methode
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:03 AM
De La Methode's avatar

Rap started in the 1970’s. Gangsta Rap on the other hand was a spinoff of that (more controversial topics) and came into light in the late 80’s/early 90’s. It was still rap but it didn’t become mainstream until the likes of Snoop Dogg/Jay-Z/etc came about. Arguing something else again. It’s not about doing anything new, it’s about becoming popular in the mainstream.

44.  H8erade
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:08 AM
H8erade's avatar

It is the inferior league (but not by much - who won the world baseball classic? Japan. Korea beat the US - with players such as Arod/Jeter/Peavy/Roger Clemens & also beat Japan twice… lost the 3rd time but that’s a different story). The perception before was that no asian players could even play in the major leagues, they thought even the elite in asian baseball would be at best mediocre players in the major leagues. Now you know that isn’t the case. Asian signers I believe are looked at the same way (stigma). I believe that stigma is there therefore that is the biggest hurdle of the elite signers trying to make it here. Once they are shown that one person can make it, the floodgates will open.

45.  kensai
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:08 AM
kensai's avatar

Thanks for the history lesson. :o

No, you don’t have to do anything new.  Still I don’t think they are comparable by any means, due to reasons i’ve given earlier.

If i’m wrong, and I hope I am, i’ll be glad to eat my words.  I just don’t think i’ll have to.

46.  kensai
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:11 AM
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H8erade-You’re seriously using the WBC as a comparison?  Seriously?  So the best players come from Japan and Cuba and Korea?  No.  Just no. :o

Asian singers are looked at the same way, but it’s going to take a considerable effort to overhaul the institutionalized perception of Asians in the United States.

47.  minjooie
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:13 AM

amen to lena. =)

48.  H8erade
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:19 AM
H8erade's avatar

Yes, I’m using the WBC as comparison. That is the only competition in the world where professional players of each nation can play in a tournament. A lot of good players come from Japan, Cuba, and Korea. The best players do not come from the United States, they come from the latin countries mainly Dthe ominican Republic (Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero, Pedro Martinez, Miguel Tejada, Jose Reyes, Alfonso Soriano, etc). It’s going to take an effort to overhaul the perception. Considerable? Maybe, but I don’t really agree with that.

49.  kensai
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:25 AM
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Yes, i’m well aware of where the best players come from.  I’m sorta into baseball and stuff, sorta.  And in comparison to other countries, Japan/Cuban/Korean players are still in the vast minority.

It takes a considerable effort to overhaul any image that’s been institutionalized.  I don’t see why that would be surprising.  I would bet a good portion of my money that we won’t see it in our lifetime.  Blacks and Latinos have like 12 and 14 percent of the population, respectively.  They also have infiltration into mainstream media and popularity, still their institutionalized images are problematic to them.

50.  renski
Jan 30, 2008 - 12:28 AM

Lena speaks the truth! Who care about americans, they should stay in Asia where the fans love them!

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