Motivation, Research and the New Article

It's been hard to stay focused on writing this article on K-Pop and the construction of femininity. For one thing, I have to do lots of background reading which always leads to MORE background reading, which leads to MORE background reading, which leads me to throw my hands up in the air and decide to cook food instead. Or exercise. Or go take photos of mom's quilts because she's finally going to open an Etsy shop (don't worry, I'll popularize the link as soon as she has something in her store).

In order to do a good job on this article, I need to cite the research that already addresses aspects of femininity, sexual exploitation, and K-pop yet at the same time I have to avoid recreating the work other scholars have already done-- that's why I'm doing a performance analysis and looking specifically at choices that were made by the staff at Music Core, Inkigayo and the film crew for I AM SMTOWN as they presented these performances/these artists for the viewer.

Do they emphasize specific body parts through camera angles and close-ups (other than the face, of course)?
How do camera operators, editors, and the person choosing to use feed from camera A v. B v. C v. D treat suggestive clothing and choreography?
How is this different in each of the three cases I'm examining?
How does the gender of the performers impact the treatment by the camera? (Or does it?)
How do the emcees lead to emphasis on different aspects of the performers and their performance through use of descriptive phrases and adjectives as they introduce the acts or react to a performance?
How are backdrops and lighting decisions (or use of smoke machines) contributing to a gendered reading of performances? (Or are they?)

Those are some of the questions I'm seeking to address here. I want to take this paper from conference to publication as soon as possible.

I leave you with these blurry screen captures:

Music Core was not afraid of a momentary crotch shot of Boyfriend's suggestive pelvis thrust/penis stroke movement:

On the other hand Inkigayo only got this close to the same movement.

And close-ups of choreographic elements included details such as this hands to chest and then chest pop motion

Maybe next time I'll have more to say about Girls' Generation (this is a capture from I AM SMTOWN)

p.s. you're right, for the article I may abandon femininity as a focus and just look at differential treatment of the body depending on gender of the performer. But I better keep something specific to femininity in my conference paper since it's in the title...