Ringo's

Sometimes Ringo is lost in idle fancies. Misgiving about the future, distress for existence. Wrong faiths and right ways. And thinking about the world, me or them.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

My E-Zine article, about Doenjang-Nyeo

Have you ever heard about Doenjang-Nyeo? Now, Korea is seething over this syndrome. Doenjang(soybean paste) which is a traditional heathy food of Korea is used for young women who are consumption-oriented and like expensive brand products but depend on men for money. There are some guesses about the origin of a word Doenjang-Nyeo. Among them, the most proper remark is that this word made by some netizens who criticise the younger generation women who spend a lot of money for shopping and beauty. We can look for easily Doenjang-Nyeo in many internet news articles. Moreover among netizens Doenjang-Nyeo raising game is popular. What on the earth are they Doenjang-Nyeo? Why are many people crazy for this word?

In summer 2006, the word Doenjang-Nyeo was appeared in an internet bulletin board. It became a hot potato of Korean society holding the whole internet communities. As previously stated, it is a name of women who pursue high price brand products and are driven by vanity. They eat brunch, cling to expensive cloths and shoes, enjoy drinking starbucks coffee. Sometimes they don't reluctant to make men spend money for them at all. All of them want to live like New-yoker 'Sarah Jessica Parker' in 'Sex and the City.' Actually the brunch culture which is unfamiliar in Korea is spreading fast through young Korean women. At first sight we don't know well why it is a problem. But many people blame their vanity, luxury and blind attachment for foreign brand goods. They say that Doenjang-Nyeo use much money for their appearance and dream a wild dream but don't have earning ability. So they are typical incompetence women. In fact Korean's tenacity about high price brands has already exceeded the limits. It is social ills. And main consumers are women, it cannot denied.
But there is one important thing we must not pass over. Those who are crazed about brands without economic power are not only women but also men. Besides Korean women are no more rely on men's power. Sarah Jessica Parker never depend on her men even though she buy expensive shoes with anxiety of a house rent. Many consumption-oriented Korean women have their jobs and live her gorgeous life openly. They enjoy their own lifestyle and express their desires. Why especially in Korea, about women, does this event occur? Of course a taste and lifestyle is the freedom of the individual. In spite of this fact, the reasons why Doenjang-Nyeo syndrome condemns including innocent women, are strong androcentric of Korean society and machos who envy women's social activities. So now people criticize this syndrome and say that some narrow-minded men suppress and belittle women through this chance.

'Consumption is a virtue.' This phrase reflects well spending conception of capitalism however, these days 'consumption is a vice' for Korean women. It is good that Doenjang-Nyeo syndrome brings criticism and reconsideration about intemperate spending and epicurism. But if it do not stop on the self-examination but be used for constricting special social class of people, Doenjang-Nyeo syndrome will just remain the bitterish happening which was made by mad Korea about brands and poor machos.

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