A Critical Analysis of Biased Representations of Women in South Korean Rap Competitions

Abstract

This thesis aimed to unpack the representation and characterization of women in South Korean rap competition shows and how it transformed itself throughout the years. So, the three competitions, from 2013 to 2023, were reviewed and analyzed in order to understand how women were generally represented and perceived while participating. These shows combined television and music with the public's opinion through different voting systems; if well-liked, the career of a female contestant could be jumpstarted with just one appearance. Whether the show was running or after it had finished, some of the male contestants were usually offered more opportunities that assisted in expanding their careers into the vast space of multimedia, from invitations to podcasts to appearances at other shows or even in the cinema. Through the research, the same could only be seen from a handful of women, especially those who already had a career, a contract, or connections to other rappers, especially male rappers. But being on these shows didn't always open a door, sometimes it closed all doors. This was the case for quite a few of the contestants in Unpretty Rapstar, who after appearing on the show did nothing else in the entertainment industry. Through content analysis, this research also described all instances of female contestants participating, in them there were faced double standards, tokenism, and systemic obstacles that impeded their success and recognition. Moreover, it examined the role of the media and the male contestants in perpetuating and amplifying gender biases within the context of the shows. In Korean Hip-Hop, much like in its American origins, women are not only rappers but also one of the main topics for male rappers to explore, shaped by the culture that surrounds them, which can be seen in the songs from these shows. By analyzing each one of the songs, both their lyrics and the rappers behind them, this research has determined that while there are quite a few songs that negatively represent women, there were also a lot on the opposite side of the spectrum, that represented women positively, especially those that mentioned motherly figures.