A bit of background info: the area where they are celebrating Chinese New Year with Psy is an affluent, multicultural suburb of Malaysia with a majority Chinese population.
My late father was born there in the 1940s. If you own a laptop computer or other modern small portable gadget about 40% of the important bits inside it are probably made in and around Penang, as are “essential but boring” pieces of kit like routers, network switches, WLAN adaptors and telephone sets (analogue, DECT and VOIP).
@BioTech 523569 wrote:
With him on that one though.
I totally agree but its a more complex cultural situation. Penang’s local government has an odd coalition of the Chinese political parties and slightly more conservative Muslims than the mainstream political parties. I am not 100% sure how this happened but elections in Malaysia are nowadays no worse than those in any European country
When the old guard of all ethnicities keep telling their kids that being a musician or artist is completely worthless relative to being an accountant or working in the electronics factory, its not surprising there isn’t as much of a music scene in Malaysia compared to Korea. Loads of my relatives are talented musicians but its usually seen as a hobby or short term career rather than long term.
Psy isn’t that young either – nearly my age – Oppa (in the lyrics) means “bigger brother” because in Asian societies you are supposed to be everyones brother or sister, until you get to 50-60+ when you become “auntie or uncle”.
I think its not a bad thing he is performing in Malaysia as he really does represent a big change in Asian society as a whole and its influence that occured with my generation – but countries like Malaysia need to open up a bit further to “Western ideas”.
