This past week has been light on the RM headlines. That is unless you are…drum roll please…Asia’s prince. That’s right Gwang Soo dominated the stories this week and for that I have decided to make this a special edition of Running Man headlines dedicated to my favorite Maknae. I heart you giraffe, betrayal and all.
Ratings: Episode 138
1. SBS Running Man 19.6
2. KBS 1 Night 2 Days 15.7
3. MBC Dad! Where Are We Going? 13.0
Before the Headlines- Lee Gwang Soo fun facts
He was born on July 14, 1985
His television debut was a bit part in MBC’s daily drama Here He Comes (2008)
He was chubby as a child, he lost the weight in middle school.
He started modeling after high school
He attended Dong-Ah Broadcasting College with a major in journalism
He played the scarecrow in a production of Wizard of Oz
He has already served his time in the military
Sources: http://www.korean-drama-guide.com/INTERVIEW-Actor-Lee-Gwang-soo.html
http://asianwiki.com/Lee_Kwang-Soo_%281985%29
Now on to the headlines!
Gwang Soo in bed
On March 21st Gwang Soo opened an account on the new global messenger LINE, promising that his presence will allow him to talk with his international fans. Gwang Soo was quoted as saying:
“I’m so happy to meet you all through LINE! From now on, I will continue to show new and diverse sides of myself to all the fans.”
In celebration of his new account he posted several behind the scenes pictures giraffing it up on a bed. Freaking adorkable as always.
Orange is my favorite Fanta
Coca Cola has confirmed that Lee Gwang Soo, Eunji (A Pink), and Niel (TEEN TOP) will represent their Fanta brand in a new set of advertisements:
“Lee Kwang Soo is the exotically friendly orange flavor, Eunji is the sweet yet bubbly pineapple flavor, and Niel represents the various charms, including the dancing and singing wit, of the grape flavor. We anticipate that the ‘Fanta’ brand will have a more refreshing and effective image to the consumers.”
Exotically friendly? Okay, sold. The new CF will appear in April.
A Hot Topic: Gwang Soo’s International Popularity
Two headlines sprung up in the past week surrounding the subject of Gwang Soo’s international popularity. One was a question of why the giraffe possesses such an international presence. The other revolved around Gwang Soo considering holding international fan meetings due to his huge popularity outside of Korea (note: he has never held a fan meeting in Korea).
For those who are unaware of Gwang Soo’s fan base: during almost every Running Man episode filmed outside of Korea throngs of fans have appeared to cheer on the giraffe. During the casts latest jaunt to Vietnam Gwang Soo’s fan club was so loud that Gary had to ask the PD to repeat himself. This recent explosion of popularity has led to Gwang Soo being termed “Asia’s Prince” and a hallyu star. Pretty good for the guy that everyone picks on.
So what makes the giraffe so popular overseas? What is about the betraying character that Gwang Soo portrays that gets fists a pumping? In my opinion Gwang Soo carries such a fan base because he is the consistent underdog- the guy we know has next to no chance of winning. Suk Jin could arguably also be given this reason for popularity as well, however his fan base is nowhere close to Gwang Soos. So perhaps it is the behavior that results from his underdog status- he truly is a framer and betrayer beyond what the other RM underdogs display. So maybe he is famous because he is kind of like a real person. Not the top of the top, faced with insurmountable odds and laughing all the way to his rare win in life. Wow, that feels too deep for a headline post. Cheers! Giraffe fighting!
