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Misogyny in the Era of ‘Daughter-Fools’ - Korea’s Masculinity in the 2000s seen through the Transformation of the ‘Father Figure’

Heo Yoon 1

1이화여자대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The biggest change seen in Korea’s popular culture in the 2010s is the increased exposure of fathers on TV. Variety shows increasingly introduced sub-programs featuring fathers and their children, and invited celebrity parents and their kids to appear on studio and reality shows. In particular, reality shows on celebrity parents raising their children were dubbed ‘child-raising variety show’ and gained immense popularity. Among public channels alone, MBC’s Dad, Where Are You Going? (2013-2015), KBS’ The Return of Superman(2013-present) were and are broadcasted under this category, these programs focus on featuring the relationship between the father and their children. ‘Daughter-fools’ infiltrated the public sphere starting from 2009. KBS’ evening wide show Live Tong chose ‘daughter-fool’ as the buzzword of 2010 on its broadcast on 29 December 2010 and announced the arrival of the new father figure. Casting off the hegemonic masculinity represented by strict fathers, ‘daughter-fool’ is the most positive image of masculinity to be recreated in Korean media since 2000. The expression is used by men to present themselves the ideal type of masculinity that does not shy away from housework and child care, and appear in Korean society as a post-modern figure that integrates modern masculinity and feminist sentimentality. However, Fathers experience for a limited time the difficulties mothers face on a daily basis while waiting impatiently for their wives to come back. Although the present society encourages fathers to take care of their children, the mother’s position is immutable. And the way ‘daddy shows’ reinforce the image of men as the protector and head of the family can also be found in the way the children are gendered. The over-protectiveness over daughters comes from gendering daughters as women. The daughter is identified as a ‘woman’ before as a human-being, and it is the same with daughters who have become adults. Before marriage, women are trapped under their father’s umbrella, and after marriage, they move under that of their husbands. At the bottom of this coexistence of ‘daughter-fools’ and misogyny in Korean society is male solidarity. Korean society is founded upon male solidarity based on the hegemonic masculinity.

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