Dome and
the Pretty Boy Dilemma
March 30, 2000
by Kamiya
Kaoru
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Pretty Boys: An Explanation
You see them everywhere. The poster boys for
Thailand’s population of girls(and women) disillusioned with run down the mill Thai
men. The common notion of the Asian man: brute, strong, macho and stiff; these poster boys
do not somewhat fit the type. It helps(or does it) that almost all of them are what you
call "lukrueng" or mixed blood.
They are Thailand's’ pretty boys. Lakorns, print and
television ads, music videos and yes, singing, They are occupying girl’s
bedroom’s(via posters and other related merchandise) and probably their hearts. Tall,
fair-skinned, not a blemish in sight and with English or out of this world names to boot:
a little bit of Tao in my life, a little bit of James by my side, a little of Matthew is
all I need, a little of (fill in the blank)… goes the Mambo No. 5 song.
The Singing Pretty Boys
The much visible are the singing breed of these pretty
boys. With sold-out concerts and albums to their credit, they are out to rule the
fantasies of these adoring(delusional) girl fans. Critics scream canned pop. Are they out
to just provide visual entertainment via a well-disguised album packaging?
Looking at the content of most of their releases, one may
notice a striking similarity. There is an overwhelming presence of love ballads. Obviously
targeted to the dreamy girl fans, this satisfies their fantasies of the singer crooning to
them so sweetly although they have to share him with other fans who have copies of the
album. Also familiar is the presence of romantic girl leads meant for the female fan to
imagine themselves in the place of that very lucky girl.
Famous scenes are those of James facing the lead girl
solemnly asking for her forgiveness, a pause in the song as the viewer almost out of
breath awaits. Lots of holding hands, touching on the most romantic places , these scenes
are meant to indulge the romantic fantasies of these women; what romantic novels
can’t because of visual limitation.
The Pretty Boy: Dome Pakorn Lum?
But, are their some serious "pretty boys"
musically? Well, one of the better releases I saw these past year amidst all the mediocre
assembly line releases(recording companies blatant attempt to replace or duplicate this
very popular pop icon who will remain namless) was the third solo release of Dome, DOME ?.
It is difficult not to notice the intent of the CD cover.
Clad in very European threads(imagine those fashion models strutting in European designer
labels) , hands drooping sexily to the side, one may think twice if this is a release of a
music artist or by someone else. But for those who saw his recent releases will think this
pretty tame. I thought so myself.
Claimed "dangerous" , this rebel without a cause
image attracts hordes(literally) of women to this very young man(he just turned 20), Dome
Pakorn Lum. His music videos are a tad more revealing than the boy next door attempts of
his peers. A bare chest there, a bare back there and a suggestive scene with a woman(very
lucky indeed), luckily breezes past half-sleeping censors board.
His music then was hardcore techno dance sprinkled with
love ballads(for the ladies). This edgy pop music drives these fans(1 million or so) to
buy his debut album. The following solo and compilation releases sold as well. Is it me or
is the inclusion of Dome in every compilation, a marketing strategy to assure reputable
sales. Poor Dome fans are forced to buy the compilations because of the inclusion of this
hottie.
So is DOME just a Pretty Boy?
Dome ? assured me that there are some serious musicians in
this genre. DOME has been seriously involved with the record making process from the very
start. It was only recently that he was given leeway by the recording(very kind) company
to be credited with this involvement. In his recent release, he had written 5 of the songs
and co-produced almost all of the 10 tracks in one of 1999’s best albums.
1999 was the year artists became natural, singing songs
close to them and not to the popular image. Freshy Myria, and now, DOME ? to name a few
proven that artist’ involvement can change the musical direction to a more creative
level.
DOME ? was a mix of electronica and techno-rock. Forming
the framework of the music are some eclectic synth and creative DJ scratching that forms
the new evolution of DOME"s movement as an artist. For a more extensive review on
DOME?, go to this author’s review.
It is obvious in his recent performances for DOME?, the
orgasmic high he gets by singing songs he made. His performances are windows to the very
core of his being, the viewer might feel that they are intruding in a private exercise.
DOME has a habit of performing in a different dimension as shown by the frenetic hand
gestures, speaking to the guitar(with weird glances from the guitar player), and jumping
up and down the entire stage(much to the delight of the strategically situated fans who
get to see a glimpse of his underpants).
No wonder people find this album weird for it deviates from
common expectations of a release from the king of the pretty boy’s genre.
Deconstructing the DOME image
It is already obvious from the very start that I have
distanced myself from the common DOME fan(not to offend them) and that the sprinkling of
some feminist ideals influenced me to view DOME negatively in the beginning of his career.
What stopped me from dissing DOME completely?
There are two kinds of pretty boys, one who is just a
pretty boy and one who unluckily happens to be a pretty boy. DOME falls in the latter
category, one of the many victims of being born pretty.
We know that critics and "credible" awards won't
even think twice of giving a pretty boy or pretty girl at that fact recognition for
musical ability and credibility as an artist. Why? Because of the characteristics of these
pretty boys and girls:
1.) They are pretty.
2.) They are not ugly
3.) They are not 100% Thai
4.) They are not rock singers.
5.) They don't make serious music.
6.) They are manufactured
7.) They are not male.(This criteria only affects pretty females)
*A more elaborate discussion on how the Thai music industry
interprets popular artists from big recording companies w/c explains this 7 points will be
discussed by this author in a yet to be named article.
What Should We Do w/ These Pretty Boys?
Well, it seems as if good-looking lukrueng boys are here to
stay. We can't exactly remove them for that will destroy the advertising business, the
poster merchandise business and pretty-boy sponsored products. Lucky pretty boys land
recording contracts with good recording companies but the possibility of being taken
seriously is slim. The easiest solution(from the top of my head) is for these boys to just
stick to modeling; where they belong. I mean, you really don't need to use much of your
brains there anyway. Oops, an apology to pretty boys who indeed use their brains and have
talents other than looking good and making girls swoon.
I would suggest that the follow the path DOME has taken.
Indeed being true to yourself does have its rewards. We saw it in Freshy Myria and DOME?
Although if critics and award giving bodies will follow suit, we just have to pray their
narrow minded minds will part a little and let in some sense. But, being successful in
what you love and being involve with your music is a good enough reward no award can ever
replace. What's most important is they believe in themselves and impart their ideas
through their music. Whether or not music critics affirm and acknowledge the effort, well
they really don't need to care.
Kamiya Kaoru furiously tries to lobby for female artists in
Thailand to be recognized. Also wants Thai critics to acknowledge the efforts of big
recording company releases who are talented: DOME, Bazoo, Nat Myria Benedetti and Marsha
who are shunned because of their popularity, good looks and being part of big recording
companies.
Do you have any criticism
and comments to this article but you don't want to e-mail the author personally? Post your
comment here at the Discussion
forum!
Copyright © 2000. The Chosen One:
Dome Pakorn Lum is maintained by Kamiya Kaoru and Ice Angel. All original
written works are the copyrights of the authors and cannot be used, reused, nor reproduced
in any way, format, etc. without express permission from the owners. All questions,
comments, etc. on certain articles should be addressed to the respective authors.
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