Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Communication Theses Department of Communication 5-10-2014 Global Audience Participation in the Production and Consumption of Gangnam Style Soo keung Jung Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_theses Recommended Citation Jung, Soo keung, "Global Audience Participation in the Production and Consumption of Gangnam Style." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2014. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_theses/106 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Communication at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Communication Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. GLOBAL AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IN THE PRUDUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF GANGNAM STYLE by SOOKEUNG JUNG Under the Direction of Professor Hongmei Li ABSTRACT This thesis examines the cultural consumption of the Korean music video Gangnam Style in the broader context of the increasing popularity of Korean popular content, often called the Korean Wave, and of complex conditions of transnational consumption. Specifically, it in- vestigates why the music video Gangnam Style gained popularity not only in East Asia but also over the world, how it is circulated, and what conditions contribute to its success. It focuses on the role of the networked audiences and the interactions between the networked audiences and mainstream media through a chronological analysis on the distribution and reproduction process of Gangnam Style on YouTube. Through the case study of Gangman Style, this thesis attempts to rethink the established globalization theories and to suggest new perspective of cultural circula- tion in the globalized and digitalized media environment.