I was born in South Korea but immigrated to the British colony of Hong Kong shortly before my first birthday. And while I speak and write fluent Korean and spent several summers there I never really got into K-pop (Korean pop). I never glommed onto NKOTB either… pre-fab pop just isn’t really my thing (and for anyone who is insulted at this parallel I’m talking K-pop circa the mid-80s, yeah, I’m old, suck it). But what I did find fascinating about Korean entertainment during the sticky, non-AC-having months at my grandma’s house was that: a) Variety shows and melodramas are HUGE b) famous people there seem WAY more grateful to their fans (like, they actually break the fourth wall and recognize what an incredible LOTTO-type situation they’re in) and c) the oligopolies that rule Korea, known as chaebol (or diversified conglomerates, think Samsung, LG, Hyundai) can really fuck up your gravy train if you disrespect them in anyway or do anything that they deem “inappropriate.” It’s like Disney standards for EVERYTHING. Can you imagine? It’s like a world without JIM JONES. The humanity.

That is my LONGWINDED entrée into talking about KBS (Korean Broadcasting System), arguably the most influential television station in the country that recently banned SeungRi’s song “Strong Baby” for the use of the word “crack.” The label, YG Entertainment, has changed the word to “clap.”

Here is the offensive song in question complete with video and what in my personal estimation has a CRAZY beat despite the questionable choreography.

And here is a message from our sponsors.

This one too.