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Your opinions on "aegyo"

jenna Author
wrote: Aegyo (Hangeul: 애교) is a Korean expression. The closest English translation of aegyo would be "winsome", defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as "generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence." Aegyo derives from the Chinese characters "love (ae)" and "beautiful (gyo)."

Aegyo is considered a feminine trait, generally attributed to women who can charm men and elders through a careful balance of sweetness, cuteness, childish mannerism, poutiness, modesty, thoughtfulness, and submissiveness. A woman with aegyo knows to blush at "dirty jokes" rather than guffaw along with her mouth agape. A woman with aegyo knows to let out a modest and appealing squeal and grab tight her date's hand when watching a horror movie.

Aegyo is considered such an essential female trait that there is even a plastic surgery procedure called "aegyo surgery" in which aegyo-sal ((애교살; aegyo-skin) is created on the bottom eyelid to create a sweeter and more innocent appearance.


source: http://rainbow7.wikia.com/wiki/Aegyo

and few vids (Sunny from SNSD showing off her aegyo in both vids)



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So what's your opinion about aegyo ?

In my opinion it's annoying but in some dramas some characters are cute while doing it. Not extremely aegyo with all the pouting and so on but just the "oppaaa~~~" is cute in some dramas. *makes no sense...*
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Grumpy Witch VIP
When it's done excessively it turns annoying, although I think it's cute when children do it.

Even the guys do it...but Seungho (MBlaq) is not too happy about it...lol
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phoenixtearz9
I find it annoying, and it makes me wonder why that type would be appealing..
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Kawaikochan
Some of it seems a little extreme and forced. I had to laugh at some parts of the videos. Pretending to be a baby and play in a crib is considered a fetish in the USA, not a part of mainstream culture, lol.
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Jeaniessi
I don't find it cute at all. It is annoying, cloying and fake. I'd say the American equivellant is to act like an airhead or stupid on purpose around people (men and boys) to get attention, to get away with things you shouldn't, to get things you want. It is so clearly an act and just grates on me. "Oppppaaaaaahahaha" ~~~ shut it! (presidents daughter from City Hunter...I'm looking at you with my annoyed angry stink eye!) Grow up and act like a woman, ask for what you want like a woman. Get things for yourself on your own merit with your own money / or two hands. Whether you are 14 or 40. Yeeeeeesh.

(does my opinion seem to strong? I need a drink)
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boredandtwitchy
I could write an entire essay on my opinion on aegyo, and I actually met my brilliant girl friend for lunch who is from Korea and is currently working on her PhD in East Asian Studies with a focus on women and gender. I remembered the conversation from the oppa thread, and we talked about both the oppa phenom and aegyo done by both men and women (we like men aegyo; hate girl aegyo). Anyway, I'll restrain myself and just say that the quoted definition made me barf a bit---I can imagine that it was written by some dude who fantasizes about having a "submissive" Asian girlfriend. Ugh, disgusting. (Yes, I am judgmental. =P )
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curie
utkanoplax wrote: I don't find it cute at all. It is annoying, cloying and fake. I'd say the American equivellant is to act like an airhead or stupid on purpose around people (men and boys) to get attention, to get away with things you shouldn't, to get things you want. It is so clearly an act and just grates on me. "Oppppaaaaaahahaha" ~~~ shut it! (presidents daughter from City Hunter...I'm looking at you with my annoyed angry stink eye!) Grow up and act like a woman, ask for what you want like a woman. Get things for yourself on your own merit with your own money / or two hands. Whether you are 14 or 40. Yeeeeeesh.

(does my opinion seem to strong? I need a drink)


no i don't think it's too strong: i actually agree with you.
I found it boring and even disgusting sometimes when men tried it.
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Jeaniessi
Normah wrote: no i don't think it's too strong: i actually agree with you. I found it boring and even disgusting sometimes when men tried it.


I think I would throw up in my mouth if I ever saw a guy do it. ewww... I just don't understand what the people who chose to act that way are thinking? I mean...do they realize it's only a very small portion of the populace who even think it is remotely cute? To everyone else they just look completely stupid. I don't know what is more ridiculous...that they behave that way or that it probably works for them in terms of getting what they want. Maybe that speaks volumes about those who fall for the act more than those doing the acting.
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curie
tngt8f53 wrote: I think I would throw up in my mouth if I ever saw a guy do it. ewww... I just don't understand what the people who chose to act that way are thinking? I mean...do they realize it's only a very small portion of the populace who even think it is remotely cute? To everyone else they just look completely stupid. I don't know what is more ridiculous...that they behave that way or that it probably works for them in terms of getting what they want. Maybe that speaks volumes about those who fall for the act more than those doing the acting.

héhéhéhéhé. I totally understand what you mean.
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boredandtwitchy
Aw, I feel like I have to speak up for men aegyo. The reason why I like men aegyo is because it breaks gender stereotypes. In the West at least, mainstream society raises men to be emotionless, ambitious, macho men-beasts. If a guy is in any way soft, he's queer-bashed mercilessly, and I find that extremely damaging to men. I appreciate that Korean men don't seem to have this inhibition, and can be cute, and can think their food at a restaurant is so pretty that they have to take a picture of it---all of that, and still be entirely secure about themselves as men. On the flip side, I hate girl aegyo because it re-enforces this idea of women, or at least the ideal Woman, as being naive, innocent, pure, childish, and helpless. In which case I find girl aegyo to be extremely damaging to women.

In the conversation I had with my friend, we both agreed that aegyo does not translate well across cultures; it's definitely something that's specifically Korean, and needs to be understood within the Korean context. Granted, even within that context, I still find it annoying, but as my friend pointed out, aegyo is a result of the gender inequality prevalent in S. Korea. (Out of the 30 or so OECD countries, Korea has the largest pay gap between men and women workers; since women are expected to stay at home anyway once they marry, it's seen as a waste to invest in them by giving them a large salary.) I wish I could relay everything my friend said because it was interesting and awesome, but I won't be able to do her thoughts justice. =/
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amrita828
There's something similar in Japanese too, where a woman who speaks her mind or does not pout is often told she is not a bit kawaii, which has everything to do with this type of "feminine" attitude and nothing with her being pretty, or alluring. Needless to say, it seems to be viewed as an offence: "you're not kawaii. You'll die a spinster".
I have no idea how men in general view this, but as a woman I find it degrading and an offence to intelligence. I don't know if I'm disturbed more by the idea that some men like this or by the fact that some women THINK men like this and conform accordingly. Yes, on re-reading, the second hypotesis is definitely the most disturbing.

I have issues even with that "cuuuteeeee" chirped at every turn. I understand cute in reference to children and puppies, but I confess I am invariably taken aback and slightly irked by reading of a cute 35 year-old male. What, does he stomp with his foot because someone stole his pink ribbon?
To cut it short: be it aegyo, kawaii, cuuuuuuteeeeeee, opppppaaaaa!!!!! make me shudder, as if I had suddenly landed in some Victorian drawing-room with an eagle-eye matron telling me to sit with composure, be silent and bat my eyelashes if necessary. :P
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Kawaikochan
As a grown woman whose voice has not changed since she was twelve I can give a little insight into what guys, in America and the UK at least, think of it. They love it. Men of all ages love it. Although they tell me that if I were trying on purpose it would be a turn off, I'm not sure if I believe them because 1) they all know I'm a feminist and would not be ok with female infantilism and 2) I'm not sure they'd be able to tell.

That said, I also experience negative backlash because of it. Some girls automatically hate me as soon as they meet me, and it's very hard to be taken seriously when discussing important matters. I've had guys pat me on the head while I was having an important conversation before....seriously. It's annoying and frustrating. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents :)
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Jeaniessi
lily-chan wrote: Aw, I feel like I have to speak up for men aegyo. The reason why I like men aegyo is because it breaks gender stereotypes. In the West at least, mainstream society raises men to be emotionless, ambitious, macho men-beasts. If a guy is in any way soft, he's queer-bashed mercilessly, and I find that extremely damaging to men. I appreciate that Korean men don't seem to have this inhibition, and can be cute, and can think their food at a restaurant is so pretty that they have to take a picture of it---all of that, and still be entirely secure about themselves as men. On the flip side, I hate girl aegyo because it re-enforces this idea of women, or at least the ideal Woman, as being naive, innocent, pure, childish, and helpless. In which case I find girl aegyo to be extremely damaging to women.=/


This aspect of "aegyo" ...of men in korea being more ...oh, I guess I'd really rather call it metrosexual or not so stupidly emotionless and macho, is very appealing. I agree. But I see it differently not because I am a woman but because this aspect to me, isn't men acting overly cutesie or feminine. They aren't acting stupid or whiny or spoiled bratty. It isn't calculated behavior outside of their normal personality for the singular purpose of attaining a handbag or a free meal. It's the thought process that accompanies the whiney-cutesy-bratty aegyo that I think is awful.
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CouchEmpress
occasional aegyo is nice, but when girls do it all the time it becomes so obvious and annoying.
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kdramamad
In some ways Its cute but in more *****y characters i find it rather annoying and needy. Like you said the presidents daughter from city hunter or the high school girls from boys over flowers who cry because he has a gf. Like jeez when they say it really whiney that annoys me very much !!
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