K-dramas are internationally becoming more and more popular these days. Along with K-pop, K dramas have gained popularity from fans outside of South Korea over the years. What is it about K-dramas that international fans find fascinating? Does the growing number of people that watch K-dramas start out as K-pop fans?
The series "Dramaworld" might also be worth mentioning. It deals with an American girl's obsession with Korean dramas that literally sucks her into those fictional storylines. – aprosaicpintofpisces8 years ago
Thank you very much for that tip! this is my first time using The Artifice, so I am happy to recieve any tips and constructive criticism in order to help me improve as I write more topics/articles. – Nickskey238 years ago
You're welcome! I'm fairly new to The Artifice myself. Based on my personal experience, I'd say interest in K-pop can certainly lead to interest in K-dramas. Whenever you're learning about a different culture, you tend to explore as many avenues as possible whether it's movies, music, books, etc. I think it also might have something to do with the fact that K-drama stars, like many K-pop idols, tend to present audiences with ideals of beauty and character. People gravitate toward pretty, well-dressed people. I personally like how funny and heartfelt K-dramas can be. With the romances, the ones that aren't too clichéd or melodramatic, I like that the relationships tend to take their time and are built up slowly. K-dramas, like a lot of K-pop, doesn't tend to get too dark in its subject matter or at least in its portrayal of difficult subject matter. That can be a little off-putting, but it can also be a refreshing quality since it isn't as common in gritty, American dramas. – aprosaicpintofpisces8 years ago
K-pop probably does play a role! However, I think it definitely raises awareness of the Korean dramas more than anything else. I think Korean dramas retain viewership from cultures outside of Korea due to often their unique storylines and the fact that Korean dramas aren't afraid to be quite silly and funny at times. It definitely has its own merits that keeps it strong. – eugeneleec8 years ago
Coming from a Hispanic culture where we have novellas, Spanish soap operas, there are a wide range of events that can happen within one episode. However, a difference that I have noticed between these two mediums is that they differ in what they show the audience. In my opinion, K-dramas tend to be more on the traditional side of things, where any kind of physical interaction is taboo. However, in novellas all kinds of action take place, from murder to partial sex scenes. K-dramas tend to keep a innocent kind of love alive in which novellas depict differently and therefore gain different audiences. – rubym8 years ago
I really want to thank all of you for your opinions on my topic. I'm gaining a lot of insight from you all and I'm glad. I will work on writing more topics and articles in the near future. – Nickskey238 years ago
I think because most K-pop lovers who aren't Korean are just fascinated with it's uniqueness because its a sum of Korean culture and pop culture influence. – petronellarisita8 years ago
K-pop most definitely raises awareness to the culture in Korean media! K-dramas are completely different from those made in America, making it interesting to an outsider. The gender roles are different, leading to a different "cliche" plot than those in the United States or the UK. – Miranda McClellan8 years ago
One of the first shared themes I find connecting K-pop and K-dramas is heightened fantasy. In K-pop, the beautiful boys and girls are unattainable but seemingly forever single to appeal to audiences and let them fill in the blanks. In K-dramas, the love and tragedy are fantastically over the top while still emotionally accessible for audiences. It's having tangible images and scenarios but presented in a way that is so aestheticized that it plays out as fantasy. – bluishcatbag8 years ago
More and more television showrunners are pulling double duty as directors of their shows, foregoing the practice of bringing in guest directors. Alec Berg and Mike Judge alternated writing and directing episodes of season two of Silicon Valley. Sam Esmail took over directing duties for the second season of Mr. Robot. Does the lack of guest directors help or hurt a show's quality?
Interesting topic, but I don't necessarily agree with it. In most cases, the showrunner is the head writer, and is therefore not necessarily someone with sufficient directorial talent, experience, or inclination to bring their shows to life. An example that comes to mind is Vince Gilligan directing the final episode of Breaking Bad, which (despite being a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to an objectively perfect show) if viewed on its own, is one of the weaker episodes of the series. It begs the question as to how much better it might have been if he had let Michelle McLaren or Rian Johnson take the helm. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
What are the duties of showrunners? Are they too different from director's? Maybe these are questions that should be addressed first. However, this topic doesn't fit quit right with this magazine's themes. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Analyze the understanding of American cultural values in todays' shows and how they relate to the general public opinions and beliefs. Shows like "Notorious" is a perfect example where one can analyze the impact of media in our everyday lives. Gather data from the 60s shows and compare to the shows of today. Or even pick two different time periods to compare American cultural values across different genres of shows.
Even a selective chronology over the decades might form a useful comparison. How have views evolved? – Munjeera8 years ago
Examining the evolution of representations of gender/race over time is a current issue. Comparative analysis from a cultural standpoint would be a great addition to the material here. – DanielRobertKelly8 years ago
For me there is a big difference between the UK and US sitcoms, both have some great shows but for me as a whole I prefer UK sitcoms but some of the US shows are my favourites. What do you think?
I would advise editing your topic to include a more focused approach. Just what about the sitcoms do you think makes UK ones better? Filming? Writing? Ect. I would suggest maybe looking into the shooting styles and the humour styles between the US and UK. They are actually quite varied. – LondonFog8 years ago
A agree with @Christien ^^ I believe that a more direct analysis would be necessary- Perhaps try taking some shows that have both US and UK counterparts and comparing and contrasting them would create a better piece. What social issues do US/UK sitcoms seem to present more? What is "funnier" to their respective audiences? Do these TV shows have any success in the opposite market? – AndyJanz8 years ago
Analyse how television and the 24 hour news channels directly influence our bias of political candidates. Narrow down on Australian views of American politics.
I'm interested what outsiders have to say about the 2016 Clown vs. Devil debates. – Tigey8 years ago
From I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched to Seinfeld and FRIENDS to How I Met Your Mother (among many, many others), the sitcom has its own history in television. It would be interesting to do a study on sitcoms, focusing on how sitcoms over the decades have also been shaped by the sociocultural underpinnings of that era.
You could compare sitcoms all the way back from the 50's to now. – asd52618 years ago
It would be great to see if you compared the messages that were implied through sitcoms such as The Golden Girls, The Little House on the Prairie, and etc. – hwm52118 years ago
You should also include old ones, such as the nanny and fresh prince of bel-air that had comedic as well as meaningful episodes in relation the real-life situations at the time. – cjeacat8 years ago
Huge and unspecific topic for the kind of articles published in this magazine. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Analyse whether the use of cliffhangers in popular television series and their seasons, such as Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, is a shallow attempt to maintain returning viewers or if it is an effective plot device.
Also, does the "shallow attempt" work? If it is considered as such, does this sort of basic viewer manipulation alienate viewers, or are they hooked regardless? – JimEis8 years ago
This sort of tactic is poignant to a degree and definitely expected from mega-popular series, and really any television show is going to leave at least some things unanswered by the end of the episode or season because that's basically how you keep viewers engaged. But I think after a certain point the manipulation becomes too obvious and it can be alienating for viewers because it takes them out of the moment and forces them to realize they're being toyed with in a sense. It would be interesting to see a piece about this that uses specific examples and the reactions from fans. – darapoizner8 years ago
Though cliffhangers are absolutely infuriating, they act like a drug that leads the viewer needing more and more of it. When everything is tied up in a nice bow, what is going to push the audience to impatiently await the start of the next season?
I do view it as means of maintaining returning viewers, as well as acting as an effective plot device. Now, for clarification sake, it is an effective plot device when it is well thought out, drives the plot further, and serves a purpose in the show. Those cliffhangers that rely on pure sensationalism to "hook," the returning viewer, while leaving he or she with no real substance, is a shallow attempt to maintain returning viewers. Nice topic...I would like to see what is done with this. – danielle5778 years ago
It might benefit the topic, which is presently binary, to ask when is it effective and when is it manipulative, shallow, or unfair? – Tigey8 years ago
Very interesting idea. Cliffhangers are the ultimate catch 22. They might seem like a trope, but it is important to keep people interested. Plot is sometimes underestimated. – cbell8 years ago
In defense of GoT, there are too many story lines to not leave any one cliffhanger at the end of a season. Things just don't line up like that. As for the Walking Dead, as a consumer it did feel a bit cheap. In shows with only one real story line season ending cliff hangers don't inspire me to keep watching because everyone knows it'll all get resolved in the first bit of the next episode. Cliffhangers today need more depth, more layers to keep people interested, not just "oh, which one of these pre-determined people dies?" There's cliffhangers vs plot twists, and cliffhangers are the easier of the two. – Slaidey8 years ago
'The Path' unfolds, largely, through the POV of a member of a cult who deals with his shaken faith and thoughts of leaving his community. The show relies heavily on his family life and wife whom was born into the cult. Other story lines unfold around him as we get a look into the ways the cult hooks, indoctrinates, and keeps its members. There are also key stories involving outside views of the community.
This article could explore the depiction of religion in this contemporary thriller and how it addresses the "American staple" aspects American cults have in American culture. Possibly compare contemporary foreign films depicting cults and how cultures depict them through media. How does the view towards the main character shift the show from a one-sided negative depiction to a sympathetic American issue?
Cool topic. The serious side of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or Bowfinger. – Tigey8 years ago
