The Sweet Escape: Cuteness as an escape from difficult realities

Now that I have only a week until I fly out to South Korea it is high time that I took this Superlfat party from Japan to the wonderful country I will soon be visiting. In my research I plan to examine the cuteness aspect of the Superflat movement, as well as the idea of the blending of “high” and “low” art. Before I can understand how this abundant adorableness has impacted the art of South Korea I must examine the idea of cuteness itself. What is cute? And most importantly, why has the concept of cuteness become such a widespread phenomenon within Japan and Korea?

There are many different theories surrounding the popularity of cuteness. Takahashi Murakami believes that it was Japan’s way of rebounding after World War 2, other scholars find that it was a natural progression from the flattened space in traditional Ukiyo-e prints. I want to focus on the idea of cuteness as an escape from the reality of adulthood. Scholars like Mary Roach, Sharon Kinsella, and Karel van Wolferen have been some of the lead scholars looking into Japan’s regression into childhood, and I wish to argue that many of the same reasons can be applied to the Korean love for the adorable.

So lets take a look at Japan. Dutch Journalist Karel van Wolferen describes Japanese culture as one that “Doesn’t make people happy”. In his article Japan: A System That Doesn’t Make People Happy he discusses various aspects of Modern Japanese life that make adulthood a living hell. The constant stress of conformity, and the ever looming “Salaryman” are one of these aspects. He explains that in Japan each youth is expected to grow up to be the same, well behaved, and personality lacking salaryman. In order to transform themselves from their bustling youth to a well mannered member of society they endure grueling schooling that places an immense amount of pressure on Japanese adolescents. He discusses the intense competition to get into a good high school (which sets the pace for the rest of your life), and the extreme suicide rate among Japanese citizens. In a culture like this author Mary Roach believes that it is only natural for adults to desire to go back to a time when they weren’t under this pressure. She quotes anthropologist Merry White discussing the idea of childhood in Japan where young children are sheltered, nurtured and indulged. Looking back on this idea it is only natural that during high stress periods of your life one would long for the nurture and love that they felt when they were a child. Scholar Sharon Kinsella believes that they can find this nurture and love through cuteness. The very concept of cuteness is based on childhood. When conducting her survey in Japan Kinsella asked Japanese citizens to describe cuteness and what made something cute. All of them related it to childhood, innocence or naivety. The Japanese word for cute (Kawaii) comes from the word Kawayui which can mean either “shy” or “pathetic, vulnerable, and small”. She explains that Japanese adults long for a time before the stress and responsibility of adulthood and wish to connect to the small, and vulnerable child of their youth.

And on to South Korea we go! One of Wolferen’s biggest points is the Japanese stress to conform. He believes this stems out of Confucianism ideals of equality and the collectivist world view held by Japanese society. These arguments can very well be extended to South Korea where the concepts of Neo-Confucianism have been a leading philosophy since the Joseon era in the late 14th century. It was, in fact, through South Korea that Japan came to adapt these views in the late 16th and early 17th century. Because these countries both have the same underlying philosophy behind their restraining equality and forced conformity it would make sense that Wolferen’s argument about cuteness offering an escape from the conformist society would extend to South Korea as well.  Wolferen also puts emphasis into the difficulty of school life in Japan, and how this tough adolescence leads to adults who yearn for their childhood. I would argue that school in Korea is just as, if not more stressful for young Korean students. The average high school students spends approximately 10 hours in school in South Korea. Between their normal school day, private tutoring, and possible attendance of a Hagwon Korean youth often stay at school from 8:00 am to 9:30 pm. (Japanese school days average from about 8:00 am to 4:00 pm with extra curricular activities each day until 6 or 7pm). They also often have school during the Weekends for extra preparation for college exams. These exams are just as intense, and have the same high-stakes results as the high school entrance exams described by Wolferen in his study of Japanese schooling. Along with the grueling school hours Korean youth have considerably less time for extracurricular activities, friendships, jobs, and home cooked meals. Wolferen’s argument about the suicide rate of Japan is also beat out by Koreans. In 2011 Korea was the country with the second highest suicide rate, a whooping 8 spots above Japan who placed 10th on the same list put together by the World Health Organization.

So if Korea has the same underlying philosophy of conformity, the same, if not more intense, stress put on school children, and an even higher suicide rate than Japan does it not make sense that all of Wolferen’s arguments about the culture of cute as an escape from a high stress society would also extend to South Korea? If these arguments can be extended, which I believe they can, it would also apply that South Koreans yearn for the same childhood innocence before the striking reality of adulthood. The idea of cuteness is in fact present in Korea, and the terms 귀여워 (Gwi-yo-weo) and 애교 (Aegyo) are becoming more and more commonplace. 귀여워 has much the same meaning as Kawaii does, and is used to describe something as being small, childlike and cute. the term 애교 is used to describe the act of “acting cute” someone who is being Aegyo will use a whiny childlike voice, over-exaggerated expressions and dress in such a way to represent childhood. This phenomenon mirrors the Kawaisa behavior that Sharon Kinsella described as coming from the followers of the culture of cute in Japan. It is clear that the same things that are happening in Japan with the culture of cute are also occurring in South Korea. That being said, we can now begin to see the effects of this sweet escape on the art of contemporary Korean artists. Artist Kwon Ki Soo uses his cute figure Dongguri as an icon of endurance. He places Dongguri, ever smiling in childlike naivety, amidst traditional Korean lanscapes and symbols that point to the difficulty and endurance of the Korean citizen. Noo Ddong-Ba brings childlike fantasies to life in her fun and cute illustrations-gone-fine art, and ArtNom places his own image among a cute and colorful fairy tale world in order to escape the monotony of Korean life.