Even sex symbols can be self-conscious
Another celebrity with an upcoming ten-year anniversary is pop singer, widely renounced actress, and all-around sexpot Lee Hyori, who first debuted as a member of the questionably named girl group FinKL (Fine Killing Liberty? Really? That’s the best you could come up with) in May of 1998.
She talked about her career milestone in an interview with Kyung Hyang News. Regarding her status as a sex symbol:
“My body does have flaws — it’s not a hundred percent perfect. I wanted to withdraw from the ’sexy star’ image, but it became exaggerated. I can’t even go to the public saunas for fear that people would be disappointed at my body in real life. [Laughs]“
After trading on her sex kitten image for so long, Hyori looks on her impending thirties:
“From here on, I’d like to become the ‘nation’s friend’ through my acting. All this time, I hadn’t really felt rivalry for anyone, but I found that I was most envious when Jeon Do Yeon won the Best Actress award at Cannes last year. After that, I became determined to become an actor worthy of recognition.”
Well, at least she aims high. But Hyori winning acting honors at a film festival, much less Cannes?? Well, take a look at her universally panned performances in Three-leaf Clover and When In Love, Love Like Them and draw your own conclusions.
Plans for the future?
“I’ll continue making dance music. In the next five or six months, I’ll put out my third solo album. In the past, I’d used lots of instruments for a full sound and fast beats. In the third album, I go for an acoustic sound and the vocals are simple. For overseas markets, I don’t put a lot of weight on not speaking Japanese or English that well. In the past ten years I’ve been a singer for half the time and an MC for the other half, and acted a little. In the future, I want to split my time equally three ways. As in the past, I want to continue setting trends, and incorporate sports too. Recently I went to America and watched a basketball game, and it wasn’t just sports — it was a show. I also have a lot of desire to pursue acting. I want to tear down people’s biases that Hyori is only a leading star but choose movies and television dramas based on strong stories, and start as a supporting actor. I think a character brimming with energy would be just right.”
I’ve never thought she was exactly a brain trust, but Hyori’s statements make her seem just a big grandiose, don’t they? Kind of like imagining Paris Hilton aiming for an Oscar. (Hey, I’ll freely admit she can be hot. Pretty, upon occasion. But classy she is NOT.) I’d given her perhaps more credit than I should for having a sense of humor about her role in pop culture, but it seems Hyori takes herself entirely seriously, which is, ironically, kind of a joke.
Via Kyung Hyang News
SONG OF THE DAY
Lee Hyori – “Get Ya,” the song that earned her a lawsuit for ripping off Britney Spears. Egads! You know you’ve crossed a line when Britney Spears — the queen of the ham-handed pop-culture pastiche — sues for copyright infringement. [ zShare download ]
RELATED POSTS:
Tags: Lee Hyori
woah, haha she’s not asking for a lot (of the impossible) is she?
ha, I laugh. SHE IS NOT AN ACTOR, just stick with your “singing”
Hehe she’s funny. She’s pretty but I feel like her looks and image are all she has.
who cares? still love her though!!!
Puahah,, it’s like Paris Hilton aiming for an Oscar. While I’m not familiar with Hyori at all, I do think she deserves to be MORE than PH. At least the girl makes effort to sing/MC/act or whatever it is that she does. I’ve seen her in talk shows and stuff and she seems nice enough to warrant some sort of fan love. She’s one of the ’sexy’ stars I’m more neutral about.
HAHA, Oh man some of the pictures are just so embarassing. How can she not feel the cool breeze on her arse?
But I admit, Hyori does not really have any potential talent that I seek in the entertainment industry. Her vocals are rather luke, her dancing is mediocre, and don’t even get me started on her “acting.” Shows how shallow Korea is, emphasizing the outer appearance way more than true talent. Compare it to America, where you have not-so-attractive musicians such as Rod Stewart yet he’s praised endlessly for his unique vocals and limitless talent.
You have a long way to go, Korea.
Cee: LOL, lets not forget who spawned the (in)famous Paris Hilton.
Anyways, Hyori tried to withdraw from the sexy star image? If anything she’s been milking her sexy image for all its worth. And I have to laugh at how she words it– “it became exxagerated”– as if it spontaneously happened on its own and she had nothing to do with it AT ALL, she swears, the images prove nothing!!!!
But anyways nice touch on the so not classy XD.
Yeah…I’m pretty sure Hyori has been beaten down and pummeled for all of her popularity based on an image, but like someone mentioned earlier in the comments, I’m neutral towards her. I don’t go around screaming her talents but I also don’t go bashing her like there’s no tomorrow.
I genuinely dislike her over-sexualized image but I do respect her profession and ambition. I mean…who am I to judge whether she can achieve what she wants right?…I tend to think it’s better to dream big than not to dream at all. Anyhow, Hyori’s going to have to work her (exposed) butt off big time if she wants to be recognized but never say never.
Is that Hyori? I thought it was Eugene.
javabeans you kill me.. this entry was the funniest one i’ve read.. obviously i’m not crazy about hyori.. man.. does she really have to pose that way?
^^ It’s hyori.
good piece, seems like u really dislike her. she’s not a good role model for kids/teenagers/etc.. but i like how she’s being serious. i don’t think she’s similar to paris hilton, i guess the image that they both portray r similar “the sexsymbols.” but hyori doesn’t has any sex tape or anything to that extreme. she’s a pop star so, that industry expects u to be sexy. jennifer lopez n many others have music videos similar to hyori. // well i don’t kno that much about hyori except thru 3-leaf-clover n anystar/motion/club promotions. i think she’s pretty n stuff but is really stylist too. esp. in anystar–i like the simple, relaxed and cool clothes that ppl’d normally wear. as for her acting, in 3 leaf, i thought she was alright, not bad but in –in love like them– wasn’t good. her dancing n singing are pretty good. /////but i support her, i think she can do it. i like her styles in “any…” short music/drama vid, she has good fashion sense, i like her style over other korean artistes’.”i believe in second chance”// this article has a tone similar to popseoul’s — peace out.
well, at least she has big plans for her future
she’ll always be hot no matter what she does! hyori i love you!!!
The only similarity between Paris and her is that she knows her name makes money. Other than that, Hyori doesn’t also doesn’t have any crotch shots or sex videos in the tabloids.
As for her aspirations…it would have been better if she just did it rather than say it. I do think she’d be better off as a talk show host and do commercials on the side.
woah.. bad pic of her… never seen her acting, so i`ll check that out if time permits… i say if the girl wants to try, let her try and lets sit on the sidelines and enjoy… who knows?? maybe lee mi yeon`s acting chops rubbed off on her… well lets hope…
paris?? lol… thats harsh…well they both walk around wearing next to zero, but hyori doesn`t look as slutty as the former.. well all i see is her eyes so you know, kinda biased there.. he he
In general I just want to misquote something I heard in “Scrubs”, yes…that comedy sitcom…heheh. Some gal informed her colleague that no matter what, inside EVERY woman, there’s still a self-conscious girl inside. I totally agree! I can be hypocritical, but I try not to judge certain female Korean celebs too harshly…well exception is that Uzbek “Pairs Hilton” (Jamilla or whatever or name is)…hehehehaha. Yeah, that would make a good poll: Who you prefer more? (1.) Lee Hyori (2.) Jamilla …hehehehehe
Bottom Line: The girl is an effing whorish, braindead prostitute. She likes showing off her butt, talking about her boobs whenever she can, and saying what a great body she thinks she has. Who does that?? Does she not know the meaning of being humble?
And she has no brains. How do I know? On her Off The Record Reality show, she was doing math calculations on some electronic notepad…she thought 3×0=3 and 3×3=6. No joke. This girl is PATHETIC. The real dumbasses (like seriously stupid) entertainers are hidden. The ones with the ’stupid’ image like Kim Jong Min and Solbi are actually the smart ones.
sabrina.
how do u no she’s whorish?
a prostitute? go look up what that word means
she doesnt act at all liek that. when someone on shows or something says hyori is sexy or stuff she tends to ignore it or laugh it off
do u KNOW hyori? you cant make statements like that. there was an interview with ehr her sister and this one other guy
and her sister talks about how her sex image is funny because she acts nothing liue that at home. im not a fan of hyori but not a hate either but you come across her a lot of in korean shows and such and i think she has a reallty refreshing personality. although when she jokes around the media takes it and pulls junk outta it.
off the record. she was playing on her friends game thing or w/e
cmon even when im with my friends sometimes
ill do that to get a laugh
and seems as though you watch and research hyori a lot [or ur just assuming] you woudl know hyori jokes around SO much. its really hard to find any interviews or show with hyori where she isnt joking artound.
I recently learned that Fin.KL actually stands for Fin Killing Liberty, where Fin is the French word for “end.” I also read that the Korean pronunciation of the group’s name (sounds to me like Ping-kul) was created first.
hmhmhmh, Agnes Monica (artist from Indonesia) at Asia Song Festifal in October was called Lee Hyori south east Asia. Hey… Agnes Monica is Much better from Lee hyori in every way from voice and also acting.
Aishh,
Give her a break.
So she’s not the best so what!?
I still love her.
Back up okay.
She’s a human too and a human can do whatever they set their mind too.
You seem to dislike her dramabeans. I mean there’s nothing wrong with that, but anyway =/ I have mixed opinions about her. I think she does look pretty good for a 30 year old but then again, we never know if she had botox or plastic surgery to look as good as she does now, but I think she’s only known as the “sex symbol” I’ve never seen her dramas, but I heard that they all failed that they even airing one of her dramas halfway. I’ve listened to her music, and some of them I dread listening to because she seems like she’s screeching or something… Idk, I think that she must be sad underneath all that make up and stuff.