Entertaining politics: Exploring historical transformation of production, distribution, and consumption of political entertainment in Korea

• Main Author: You, Kyung Han
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2014
• Subjects: Political science
• ISBN: 1369545134; 9781369545135

Observing the paucity of research on political entertainment in Korea, this study has explored the historical transformation in Korean political entertainment through the lens of changing social and economic conditions, as well as shifts in power relations, over the past several decades. The study has taken two broad and interrelated research questions as its starting points: “How are political, economic, and social forms of power associated with the production, distribution, and consumption of political entertainment?” and “How has the production and dissemination of such programs changed over the past half-century and in what specific contexts?” This approach has allowed particular attention to the role of political institutions in regulating media industries; the origin of Korean political entertainment and its distinctive features; the factors and conditions influencing the transformation in formats and genres of political entertainment; and the effects of technological shifts on political entertainment. To answer these questions, this study began by examining the politics of Mandam, as its origin of a hybrid form of political information and entertainment during the period of the 1930s. In particular, I argue that the initial rise of political entertainment in the early stages of modern Korea was led by the business sectors for commercial purposes, i.e., Mandam was situated at the nexus of the record industry, the theater business, the newspaper business, and the radio broadcasting industry. Though Mandam played a crucial role in the shaping of political opinion by conveying political information in a satirical way, it lost cultural influence with technological breakthroughs such as developments in radio broadcasting and the introduction of television. Accordingly, political entertainment did not flourish due to stringent political censorship until 1987, and the breakdown in the business relationships between newspaper companies and radio stations, which I called the dark period of political entertainment in Korea. During the period of military regimes which implemented a dual media policy epitomized as regulation and promotion directly influenced a transformation in the formats and genres of comedy on television. During the period, a handful of allegorical comedies as well as satiric call-in-shows continued to broadcast, stand-up comedy programs could not be dominate the airwaves. Political entertainment faced another dramatic change concurrent with changing political circumstances in 1987. The ’87 democratization movement proved a turning point for the boost in producing allegorical political satiric comedies and mock news shows. However, the IMF crisis and the rise of hallyu phenomenon contributed to the commercialization and globalization of Korean media industry, which resulted in a decrease of production and distribution of political entertainment program. Along with the rapid commercialization and globalization of Korean media industry after the IMF crisis, political entertainment programs were integrated into a unique form of Korean infotainment called the real variety show. Though the real variety show drew some attention, it focused more on civic education than political criticism, thereby causing the level of satiric criticism in infotainment to significantly decrease. Recently, politics-oriented blended programs reappear along with the introduction of a comprehensive programming system on cable networks (CP-CATV) cross-owned by major newspaper companies. These cable networks actively produced programs that blended news and entertainment for commercial purposes such as live news shows with political pundits and celebrities, mock news shows, and televisual satires. Though such hybrid programs contributed to the commercial success of CP-CATVs by reducing production costs, These programs provide on cable TV raised serious concerns about journalistic principles such as objectivity and impartiality in reporting, although these programs provides helped increase interest in political affairs. In the meantime, political entertainment within new media has shed light on the possibility of producing a counter-political discourse that would provide an alternative to the conservative bent mainstream news media, as exemplified by NaNeunGgomSuda (NGS). Over the past decade, political entertainment has faced dramatic change concurrent with technological breakthroughs and with dramatic changing political-economic circumstances such as a dual media policy epitomized as regulation and promotion led by two military regimes, the ’87 democratization movement, the IMF economic crisis in 1997 and the rise of the hallyu phenomenon, which have directly influenced a transformation in the formats and genres of political entertainment programming. Political entertainment has undergone various transformations in response to a variety of external and internal challenges it has faced. Recently, a number of new hybrid formats that more strikingly problematize traditional distinctions between news and entertainment, and even fact and fiction, have developed. Political entertainment can be characterized as border genres that populate the space between the still-potent public perceptions of news/entertainment and fact/fiction. The results of the historical analysis of the transformation of political entertainment within Korean context can provide insight into how political entertainment has been generated and its history and functioning in specific contexts, given the current rise in the number of political entertainment programs. The implications of the study and recommendations for further research directions are also discussed.