I don't listen to Asian Pop, but it sure amuses the hell out of me...

[dangermousie]

Two unrelated Asian Pop thoughts.

fivil linked me to pics from a Shinhwa naked photobook (for those who are, like me, ignorant of matters of pop, Shinhwa is a very popular Korean boyband. I cannot speak as to their musical merits as I haven't heard a note, but the eye candy factor is very much present).

And by naked, I mean naked. Nekkid, nekkid, nekkid. But not just that! Those pics are not just solo shoots. In fact, a large number of them are so incredibly, explicitly homoerotic that in order to get any further on that scale, it would either become: a. outright groping or b. go off the edge and end up completely straight again :)









The thing that amuses and bemuses me, however, is that if an American band (let alone boyband) had pictures like that, they would be done. Finished. Kaput. But this is from an official book, a publication to promote them, get them more notice etc i.e. looking for a positive reaction! And from what I can tell, Shinhwa is quite mainstream and popular, not a niche band just for gay audiences. I don't know, I am sort of intrigued by the concept difference.

Also, that leaves me with two final notes:

a. If you think your job requires you to get close to your coworkers, think again AND
b. Every time I now see Eric Mun in Que Sera Sera, I experience a brief sense of mingled relief and disappointment that he seems to be dressed. Surely that is abnormal for any Shinhwa member.

On an unrelated note, the Edison Chen sex scandal. Apparently, the rumor now is that those pics of Cecilia Cheung with Edison? Were taken either shortly before her marriage to Nic Tse or even after (!!!!) There are, also, of course, rumors of divorce.

OK, what I want to know, is what sane woman would cheat on Nicholas Tse, surely one of the most gorgeous guys in Chinese pop/cinema/dramaworld with Edison Chen? Seriously. WTF? When Nic Tse looks like this. Also, I don't know anything about Nic Tse's personality but unless he is a complete mental case, he's got to be better than someone so sleazy who takes explicit pics of himself with his conquests, shows them off to his buddies, and then is so dimwitted as to take his computer to the shop without bothering to get the pics off. I mean, whatever else, Nicholas Tse has got to be brighter because surely no one could be dumber than that.

Comments

[autumn-yaar.livejournal.com]

ROFL @ the last picture, that must have been extremely uncomfortable for them. :\

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know! How do you group this? LOL.

[morwen_peredhil]

Yep, those are very naked indeed.

Why couldn't Duran Duran have done something like this way back when I was in high school? :D

[eccequambonum.livejournal.com]

Why couldn't Duran Duran have done something like this way back when I was in high school? :D

::cleans up keyboard::

not that i second that at all or anything. . . .

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOL.

I think I choked on something.

[kittykatz.livejournal.com]

No comparisons whatsoever, Nic Tse is hot and Edison is not.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[lain7.livejournal.com]

I don't take the cheating rumors seriously. Cecilia was a wild girl though; who knows what she got up to while she and Nic were off. Nic/Ceci had quite a twisted and drawn-out love story.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That's true, weren't they on and off for years?

[lain7.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Nic and Ceci started dating in Mach 2002, right after Nic and Faye Wong broke up. Then N/C broke up and N/F got back together. Then N/F broke up and Faye married another man. N/C became close again while shooting The Promise together. Thus began two years of "are they or aren't they" before Nic admitted they're dating in July 2006. They got married two months later without telling their parents.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

God for a moment I thought this was a post by Megan because of the icon (I just woke up so hard to focus on everything) and was very surprised she'd post nudie Asian pop pics.

Shinhwa is very popular. I mean, a lot of credit can be given to their massively devoted fan club but still, I'd say the mainstream digs them as well. When they came back in late 2007 (after a year of solo activities), a lot of non-fans cheered as well. And recently when 3 members did a talk show (promoting their solo albums) together, the topic of the naked photobook came up and it was like a mix of the members being all "oh god how embarrassing!" and the hosts going, "But you guys look so hot! You have excellent bodies!" (the female hosts of course but the male hosts were also appreciative).

Also, one member was like "I didn't really want to do it.." to which another member replied, "That's not true, you were hesitant at first but said yes to it first, too, because you had the best body among all of us back then."

You're right, an American band and their career would tank. Though of course, I suppose black&white photos taken in a jungle/beach environment could count as more artistic. Though in America having a whole photobook dedicated to your nudity.. Probably would only make you a butt of a joke.

Ironically today is Eric Mun's birthday. He turns 30 in Korean years, I think.

The Edison Chen sex scandal makes me wish I knew who these people were. I know the basics but have never seen them in movies/dramas/music videos. XD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

30 in Korean years is what? 29? 28? in Western style? I admit I always get surprised by how relatively old the boybands are in Asia. I always think that nobody over 22 should be in one but then look at SMAP.

Re: photos. It's funny, because I get a magnified version of the same ambivalent reaction I get whenever I see a clothed photoshoot of a celebrity. Part of me finds it voyeuristically fun and the guy hot, but a part of me is rather appalled at the exhibitionism and vanity. And of course, with nudity it gets magnified. Sort of 'keep it private, darnit.'

[thinking-lotus.livejournal.com]

maybe Edison Chen is a nice guy. I have no idea. I have no idea who any of these people are, though Cecilia Cheung seems very attractive.

however Nicolas Tse looks a little scary in that picture!

I've always thought the whole DIY porn thing could be sort of sweet, like your bf or dh or so only ever wanted to look at you, but E Chen seems to have taken it to an extreme.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

He is scary because it's from The Promise, where he played a fan wielding villain (and my fave character :P)

I've always thought the whole DIY porn thing could be sort of sweet, like your bf or dh or so only ever wanted to look at you, but E Chen seems to have taken it to an extreme.

Yeah. 1300 pics! Also, a lot of these were exes so keeping it would be in bad taste IMO.

[thinking-lotus.livejournal.com]

I've always thought the whole DIY porn thing could be sort of sweet, like your bf or dh or so only ever wanted to look at you, but E Chen seems to have taken it to an extreme.

Yeah. 1300 pics!

OMG! And 99% are probably of himself, or at least one part ;-)

damn those digital cameras.

[kirusai.livejournal.com]

These are gorgeous pics. I'm not sure how uncomfortable they'll be - probably not uncomfortable in the sense that they're naked, but just NAKED IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA :D

I think it's because asians from korea, japan, taiwan...etc.. grew up where fraternal bonding is much more lax. I mean hell, we do ONSENS (hotsprings) together. Freaking nakedness all the way, not much to worry about :D

RE: Edison vs. Nicholas

What a huge debacle this has become. Cecilia, if she REALLY took those pictures during her marriage to Nic, has no one to blame but herself. I feel bad for them in the sense that their pictures should have remained private, but what she did was just moronic.

As for Edison, he's got bigger problems to worry about, ie: his life (and I'm totally not joking). There are mafia dudes who want him either dead, or castrated. I just hope this thing ends safely for all parties involved.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I can see why the mob wants him dead.

Re: onsens, yeah, but in that little holding hands pic, they are probably in even mor eproximity then people are in the onsens. Ehhh, no idea :)

[tatterpunk.livejournal.com]

Oh, Shinhwa. They introducted me to male titillation back in high school with their vids. My life has never been quite the same.

Listen, I'm a dork and having trouble with my voicemail -- any ETA on tomorrow's Bollywood?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

There is a show at 12 and a show at 4. Either cold be good. Are you at home? I'll call you...