Gangnam Style in popular culture


"Gangnam Style" is a single released by South Korean rapper Psy on July 15, 2012. It achieved pop cultural shift in a way unseen previously in pop culture, beating the likes of LMFAO with Party Rock Anthem. It has achieved widespread international recognition and became the most viewed YouTube video, becoming the first one to gain a billion views on December 21, 2012. "Gangnam Style"'s unprecedented worldwide popularity was acknowledged by YouTube, who called it a "massive" hit at a global level "unlike anything we've ever seen before" while Billboard noted that "Gangnam Style" was nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon. As a result, it has influenced worldwide popular culture in many aspects.

Television

The earliest "Gangnam Style" flash mobs were held in Pasadena, California, and Sydney, Australia. On September 12, Times Square in Manhattan was filled with a flash mob dancing to the music of "Gangnam Style" during ABC's Good Morning America. Five days later, Psy appeared in a flash mob organized by the American entertainment TV show Extra in Los Angeles. The dress code was either "something comfortable" or "Psy-inspired clothing." A "Gangnam Style" flash mob in front of the Obelisco de Buenos Aires national monument in Argentina was shown on the national news programme Antes del Mediodía. In the Indian film Rangrezz, the song is an official parody of "Gangnam Style" featuring Jakky Bhagnani as Psy. All the scenes are from "Gangnam Style" video converted into Mumbai. In the Siberian region of Kemerovo, residents dressed themselves in costumes designed to look like the ape-like creature Bigfoot and danced "Gangnam Style" to celebrate and mark the birthday of Bigfoot. The state-funded television channel Russia Today labelled the celebrations "Yeti-style", a reference to another ape-like creature similar to Bigfoot. In Thailand, officials from the Dan Sai municipality in Loei Province shot a video of people wearing masks and performing "Gangnam Style" during the Phi Ta Khon "ghost" festival. According to the Thai newspaper The Nation, villagers and spiritual leaders from Loei province have felt "uneasy" and also "greatly offended" about this "Gangnam Style" performance which tarnishes the image of a 400-year-old tradition.

Sports

"Gangnam Style" has also made its way into various sporting events:

Robotics

In Geneva, Switzerland, about 300 people gathered at the International Monument to the Reformation for a parody of "Gangnam Style" organized by a local radio station. According to The Christian Post, "Gangnam Style" was parodied by Inri Cristo, a self-proclaimed reincarnation of Jesus Christ, to attract the public's attention. Another noteworthy parody is "Jerusalem Syndrome Gangnam Style", which is shot at the Old City of Jerusalem and includes important heritage sites such as Mahane Yehuda Market, Western Wall, Zion Square, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It also includes a special cameo appearance by the Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat. The Times of Israel described the parody as "a unique Jerusalem twist to the song". The Argentine TV series Graduados made another parody, danced by the Argentine-Korean actor Chang Kim Sung. Obama Gangnam Style! is a parody by Barack Obama impersonator Reggie Brown. The musical television series Glee covers the song in their season 4 episode "Thanksgiving" with Jenna Ushkowitz on lead vocals. The rapidly growing popularity and international recognition of "Gangnam Style" has spawned many user generated videos, some of them have received international media recognition, such as:
, England
performing the final scene of Gangnam Style
Kurbani Style published by Radio Foorti focusing on eid-ul-adha, one of the most observed occasion in the country.

China

Politicians

On October 3, 2012, "Gangnam Style" was mentioned during a U.S. State Department briefing when a reporter asked spokeswoman Victoria Nuland if she had heard about the song, to which Nuland replied: "No, but I bet you my daughter does. She loves Korean pop." She also told the international media that she planned to "dial it up" and watch the video.
A few weeks later Nuland described "Gangnam Style" as "fantastic" and added that both her daughter and her husband Robert Kagan "all love the Gangnam Style" and that she had mastered its dance moves by watching the video clip "for weeks and weeks."
On October 9, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, held a speech at the 2012 Conservative Party Conference, where he admitted that "Gangnam Style is very good". He talked about the vast variety of exports that originate from London, including television aerials which the Koreans use to watch "Gangnam Style". He also told the audience that he and the British Prime Minister David Cameron have danced "Gangnam Style".
On October 17, "Gangnam Style" was performed by George Christensen, a member of the Australian House of Representatives. During an interview with the French news agency AFP, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon revealed that he has watched "Gangnam Style" several times. He hailed the song as a "force for world peace" and added that "there are no languages required in the musical world. That is the power of music, that is the power of the heart. Through this promotion of arts we can better understand the culture and civilisations of other people. In this era of instability and intolerance we need to promote better understanding through the power of music."
Congressman John Lewis from the U.S. House of Representatives recently danced "Gangnam Style" to promote voting.
"Gangnam Style" has been used by presidential candidates during elections. Ju-min Park of Reuters mentioned that a few of South Korea's normally staid presidential candidates are imitating Psy's moves in an appeal to voters.
In Chile, the dance was also used by students during massive protests across the country and the Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei, who was detained by Chinese authorities in 2011 for his political activism, danced "Gangnam Style" with a pair of handcuffs as a symbol of his arrest and uploaded a video titled "Grass Mud Horse Style" onto YouTube and other Chinese websites. According to the Associated Press, government authorities had removed the video from most websites the next day.
The Colorado Democratic Party celebrated U.S. President Barack Obama's victory at the 2012 U.S. presidential election by dancing "Gangnam Style" during the Denver Democratic watch party.
During his speech in front of the Parliament of Malaysia, the politician Bung Mokhtar Radin drew comparisons between the youth of his country and "Gangnam Style". He remarked "They should be like PSY and Gangnam Style. He, his styles and his group is very popular. Millions of people are watching his video clip, not like our youths…destroying our image of our country and our people."
In Bali, Indonesia, The Committee for Environmental Advocacy staged a protest against the building of a suspended highway connecting Ngurah Rai International Airport with the city by dancing "Gangnam Style". In the Philippines, students commemorating the 40th anniversary of the declaration of Martial law in the country danced "Gangnam Style" at Chino Roces Bridge during a protest against the former President Ferdinand Marcos' use of the military during his 14-year dictatorial rule.
The following political leaders have mentioned "Gangnam Style" on social media platforms or through speeches:
PoliticianPositionQuote
Jim Yong KimPresident of the
World Bank		I love Gangnam Style, my three-year-old son dances around doing Gangnam Style all the time
Song Sang-HyunPresident of the
International Criminal Court		Let me apologize in advance if I slightly overstep the conventional time limit allocated to speakers.
I am afraid I could not stay within say, 10 minutes even if I were to speak in Gangnam Style"
Barack ObamaPresident of the
I just saw that video for the first time. I think I can do that move. But I'm not sure that the inauguration ball is the appropriate time to break that out. Maybe do it privately for Michelle.
Tara SonenshineUnder Secretary of State
for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs		Of course, we all know about Gangnam Style. Well, the man behind it – Psy – went to Boston University and the Berklee College of Music
Lee Hsien LoongPrime Minister of
Enjoyed this Singaporean parody of "Gangnam Style", produced for Children’s Day.
Najib RazakPrime Minister of
Been hearing about Gangnam Style all of last week, even in the news.
What's your view that makes it so popular?''

The following political leaders, Congressmen and Members of Parliament have performed the dance moves of "Gangnam Style" at various locations:
PoliticianPositionLocation of "Gangnam Style" performance
Ban Ki-MoonSecretary-General of the
United Nations Headquarters
David CameronPrime Minister of the
Chequers Court, Buckinghamshire
Boris JohnsonMayor of LondonChequers Court, Buckinghamshire
Rob McKennaState attorney general of WashingtonInternational District, Seattle
John LewisRepresentative for Georgia's 5th congressional districtYouTube video
Mike HondaRepresentative for California's 15th congressional districtYouTube video
George ChristensenRepresentative for the seat of Dawson Mackay, Queensland
Lim Swee SayMinister in Prime Minister's Office Promontory @ Marina Bay, Singapore

Celebrities

On August 16, 2012, Nelly Furtado performed the song at her concert in the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines. One of the main factors that has led to "Gangnam Style" receiving worldwide media attention is its popularity among notable celebrities. According to The Wall Street Journal, T-Pain was among the first to have "sent to the stratosphere" when he tweeted about it on July 29. It was then picked up by Neetzan Zimmerman from the social blog Gawker, who asked "Did this underground Hip Hop artist from South Korea just release the Best Music Video of the Year?" on July 30.
The English actor Peter Serafinowicz called it "one of the best music videos ever made". while the German model Heidi Klum, who performed "Gangnam Style" at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards, revealed that her children have been obsessed with the song and that she has been holding "Gangnam dance parties" with them.<
NameQuoteSourceRetweetsSignificance
Robbie WilliamsP.S. Try watching this and not smiling I dare you.... Personal blogN/AEarliest celebrity comment in late July. According to Emma Harrison from The Oxford Times, "Psy told the Oxford Union that it was Robbie Williams who uploaded it to his blog – which triggered a tweeting frenzy and the craze that took over the UK."
Justin BieberHeyyyy sexy laaadyTwitter account151,850Mentioned by Allkpop, Soompi and Mnet Media
T-PainWords cannot even describe how amazing this video is.Twitter account2446This tweet by T-Pain had "sent to the stratosphere"
Josh GrobanIt's a Gangnam Style world, we're just living in it. Amazing video.Twitter account1102Mentioned by The Korea Herald, Seoul's official website, a blog post published by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Billboard
Katy PerryHelp, I'm in a Gangnam Style K-holeTwitter account12,822Katy Perry's tweet further increased the song's popularity in the United States
Vanessa HudgensI am so amazingly obsessed. GANGNAM STYLE! YeahhhhaPersonal blogN/A-
Britney SpearsI am LOVING this video – so fun! Thinking that I should possibly learn the choreography. Anybody wanna teach me?Twitter account4,573Led to Psy's first appearance on
The Ellen Degeneres Show
Tom CruiseThink @psy_oppa would make a
good future co-star Gangnam Style?		Twitter account1,940Possible future collaboration
LMFAOCheck out #PartyRock.... Gangnam Style!Twitter account1,842Mentioned by Hankook Ilbo
Scooter BraunHow did I not sign this guy!?Twitter account1,175On September 4, 2012, it was confirmed that Psy was signed to Braun's Schoolboy Records.
According to Jasmine Gardner from the London Evening Standard, this tweet also played a role in spreading the song's popularity among Western celebrities.
James CordenI am so into Gangnam Style its insane!Twitter account1,717
Darren CrissCould not be more proud of the human race that PSY's Gangnam Style is one of the biggest things in the world right now.Twitter account2,337
Hilary DuffYou guys... Gangnam style? I just..... I can't....Twitter account2,924
Ashley BensonA lil late to the party but, better late than ever right?!
I’m obsessed with this guy. I die. PSY -Gangnam Style		Personal blogN/A

Others

The Korea Tourism Organization has launched a "One day Gangnam tour" that begins with some "gangnam styling" at a beauty salon, shopping at the Apgujeong & Cheongdam boutiques, coffee and brunch, followed by the casino and clubbing. In Thailand, two local gangs provoked each other by dancing "Gangnam Style", eventually leading to a gun fight with more than 50 rounds fired.
During a presentation of the beauty pageant Miss Earth 2012, some of the contestants including Miss Philippines, Miss Czech Republic, Miss Brazil and Miss Panama danced "Gangnam Style". The controversial Dutch artist Tinkebell danced "Gangnam Style" to promote a newly released nude calendar.
In its review of Oriental Brewery's Golden Lager, beer website Unquestionable Taste used the title "Oppan-Golden-Style" for the review's page.
Rick Warren, an American evangelical Christian pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Life, is also known to be a fan of the song.
In 2018, Gangnam Style was cited as being partly responsible for the increase in the numbers of people choosing to learn Korean.