Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Sulli: The woman who rebelled against the K-pop world
K-pop stars are expected to maintain a perfect image at all times, but Sulli broke the mould.
www.bbc.com
How can humanity go on without her? My cat died on Wednesday and he was only two. Who cares how she dressed and why do I need to know whether or not she wore a bra?
AsherNothing to do with those dressing choices. See if you can imagine why is significant today.
Besides, who are you to compare her to your cat? That’s not merely dismissive about her but represents what of you?
Asher
Well, in that case, you are correct.
The Korean society is flourishing economically and is an extreme example of the growth of modern luxury seeking societies, where the old social values have been replaced by hedonism and yet paradoxically conservatives at the same time. The society is harsh to anyone who steps out of line. Whereas north ?Korea has speakers in lampposts to spread the adoration of the "Supreme Leader," in South Korea the adoration is for the individual who has "followers" in social media. The North tolerates no dissent. But in the South, they are also intolerant of new voices and there is disdain, rejection and cyberbullying and consequently, increase in suicides.
Hers was such a voice and was extinguished by social totalitarianism. In that its important as its a symptom of a ironically successful but peaking society in actual decline, although they are blind to it. The young by an overwhelming majority are not getting married and the birth rate has plummeted below replacement numbers. In that context, her death is significant if one can view the changes in society as I do as Gomperzian and tragic. This is what seems to happen to many societies that blossom for a while.
In that case, its as important as 911 but hardly as dramatic and requires some meditation and thought to realize how serious things really are.
Asher
Peter,Is there any indication of what drove her to suicide? As she was a spokesperson for what one might call personality disorders perhaps my question is moot. Who'd a thunk back in the nineteen eighties the invention of the internet would so completely take over so many peoples' lives and cause so many suicides.