The Week in Pop Culture: May 12 - 18
Diversifying Kids’ TV: Introducing TJ, the First Filipino-American Muppet Featured on Sesame Street
Inclusivity and diversity have been major goals of TV and film productions in recent years. In light of the AAPI heritage month, the beloved show Sesame Street introduced TJ, the first Filipino-American Muppet. The character was designed by Filipino-American artist Bobby Pontillas and is voiced by Yinan Shentu on the show. TJ is the second Asian-American character on the show after Ji-Young, a Korean-American Muppet introduced back in 2021. This is a big step towards representation in television and such developments in children’s media are indeed worth celebrating.
AI Takeover in K-Pop: The Recent Launch of Midnatt
The recent rise of AI in creative media such as art and music has been subject to much discussion. When HYBE, the Korean music giant behind BTS, announced the launch of the a new AI venture - an artist called Midnatt, it caused much debate amongst fans. AI idols and and even full-fledged AI groups have been popping up on the K-Pop scene in the last few years. However, this new artist brings a unique twist. Instead of a virtual idol, Midnatt is an alter-ego of longtime HYBE artist, Lee Hyun. A collaboration between BigHit Music and HYBE IM, Midnatt’s single ‘Masquerade’ was put together with the technology of Supertone, an AI voice synthesis company. Through AI voice synthesis technology and voice data, it was possible to release the song in Korean, English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese, simultaneously. With K-Pop reaching new heights of popularity every passing day, it is not a surprise that companies have now begun to feel the need to provide fans with songs in their native languages. However, many have raised concerns over the increasing use of AI in music and art and how it might be damaging for the very real people who work hard to make it in these industries.
The 25th Shaghai International Film Festival to have an Esteemed, Worldwide Judging Panel
The 25th Shanghai International Film Festival is scheduled to be held from June 9 - June 18 this year, according to a news conference held on May 16. The festival, which is being organised by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, the China Media Group, and the Shanghai government, has received over 8,800 films from 128 countries and regions. The Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet Awards is set to have five categories: the main competition along with Asian New Talent, documentary film, animation film and short film. The judging panel for the different categories have renowned industry figures such as Polish director and screenwriter Jerzy Skolimowski, Indian director and actress Nandita Das, Hong Kong film producer Jo Jo Hui and Japanese director Kei Ishikawa to name a few.
‘Yellowface’ by R.F. Kuang Explores Identity and Race in a Satirical Tale
‘Yellowface’ by R.F. Kuang is the author’s fifth novel after her popular fantasy works such as The Poppy War Trilogy and Babel. Since the book’s release on May 16, it has been subject to much praise by critics. Delving into contemporary satire, ‘Yellowface’ tells the story of June Hayward, a white woman in her late 20s with a struggling writing career and her complicated dynamic with successful Asian American author Athena Liu. The story explores questions of identity, race and power dynamics in the present-day publishing industry, moving away quite significantly from the settings of the Kuang’s previous works, which focused majorly on colonialism and its impacts.
Shigetaka Kurita, the Creator of Emojis, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Japanese interface designer, Shigetaka Kurita, received the Lifetime Achievement Webby Award on May 15 for creating the first set of 176 coloured emojis in 1999. His creations for NTT DoCoMo’s I-mode mobile platform were previously displayed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 2016. Kurita expressed his heartfelt gratitude and how the global usage of emojis have highlighted the power of design in communication. The Webby Awards website notes how emojis have helped to transcend different cultures and language barriers. Kurita’s acceptance speech was perhaps amusingly fitting as emojis flashed on the screen.
