Roboseyo

I made this video messing around while preparing to teach zoom classes in Spring 2020. It seems like I might have been watching a lot of 80s sitcom intros, but I'm a little disappointed it hasn't made me a global celebrity yet.

"How cheesy can you make yourself, Rob?"
"Yes."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF0cmBAO5C0

Important Self-Introduction Oh hi! I didn't see you there!

I just wrote a thing about the Halloween party Crowd Crush disaster in Itaewon. It's a terribly sad event, and I hope everyone who sees this is OK, and that the people they care about have checked in and let them know they're safe. My thoughts and grief go to all those who don't get that relief of a message from the one they're waiting to hear from.
https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2022/10/halloween-party-crowd-crush-in-itaewon.html

Halloween Party Crowd crush in Itaewon: I'm OK, but hoooollleeeeee.... First of all: I'm okay. My family is okay. One nice thing about being a dad is that my Halloween party plans tend to be in the afternoon, no...

Hi everyone! These days, I'm enjoying just turning on my camera and talking as I wander, so come take a walk with me through the new Gwanghwamun Plaza and the little side-street by Gyeongbok palace wall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-WZtaxYzjY

Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung Wall Walk A follow-up from the walk around Samcheongdong video, in this video I walk around Gwanghwamun Plaza, toward the Gyeongbokgung Palace Gate, and then go left ...

My friend's kids got Covid! So I made this song to cheer them up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udave1sSbg8

Take Care of Yourself When You Get Covid The Parks got Covid! Mommy Park was sad, so I made a funny song to cheer up Mommy, Daddy, and the three Park kids!Hope they get better soon!

Ever notice how many versions of Superman there are out there in pop culture?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpQtSzzl590

What if Superman, But... Need a story with superpowers? Why not tell a Superman story.... just change a thing or two!

Hi, Roboseyo readers! As always, I have LOTS of opinions...
I made some videos to talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe... the first one talks about how Marvel got to the top, as IP based cinematic franchises go. The second one warns of problems MCU will soon have it they don't keep an eye on a couple of upcoming storytelling challenges.
https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2021/11/mcu-looking-back-looking-forward.html

MCU: Looking Back, Looking Forward The Eternals is hitting theater screens this week... to celebrate, I made a video series of my thoughts on where the MCU is right now, how ...

I wrote a blog post! It's about AI characters, virtual influencers like "Rozy" the new shinhan life spokesalgorithm, and where the technology might be leading us.

Roboseyo fans: are you ready for an Indiana Jones sequel where they didn't need to re-cast Harrison Ford?

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2021/10/things-are-rozy-in-koreas-uncanny-valley.html

Things are Rozy in Korea's Uncanny Valley Every so often, one of those "weird news" stories leaks out of Asia about a celebrity who's entirely virtual. Lately, there's been a dancing...

Well, I've been thinking a lot about Covid 19 and how the USA just can't seem to get its act together, so here's my suggestion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUIfy_v9ECs

Vaccine for Republicans You're a Republican. You've gotta own the libs...but it's uncool that owning the libs means doing some stuff that puts you at risk of dying of Covid 19! Here...

If America were what they claim to be, and stood for the things they claimed to stand for, the world would be a much better place. America's going through a kind of rough patch right now, and I made a song about it.

It is a parody of "Hey There, Delilah" by Plain White T's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpyfwmO23sI

Hey There America Hey There America this is a parody of the song "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's ( See the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_m-BjrxmgI ) It's ...

Cafe Seoul, the podcast where I've been putting a lot of my thoughts, has a new episode out. I'll link that soon...but I've also been putting up "best of" clips from earlier seasons of Cafe Seoul on Youtube. Here's a comedy sketch from the first season, back when it was a sketch comedy show!

In this clip, from the education-themed episode, Cafe Seoul suggests giving your kid a more modern start to their education, using more modern music, instead of dull old Mozart and Beethoven.

https://youtu.be/whePaWLVJv0

Modern Classical For Modern Babies - Cafe Seoul Podcast Cafe Seoul's Greatest Hits: Season 1This is from episode 5 of season one of the Cafe Seoul Podcast, titled "Back to School." In this sketch, "Modern Classica...

This year, I spent lockdown learning how to compose songs on Garageband. I like this one.
https://youtu.be/r1fw1wPlL6g

Branches and Branches - by Roboseyo During covid lockdown, I composing music. I made this song and it makes me happy. Enjoy.

Hi, readers!

I made a blog post...
https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2020/10/on-trump-biden-debate-1-and-donald.html

about a video I just made.

About politics, so... be ready for that, I guess.

But there is also music.

On Trump-Biden Debate 1, and Donald Trump's Covid 19 Diagnosis... If you've been listening to the podcast I've been doing, you know my positions on US politics. If you're inclined to dismiss this as "orang...

I made a thing about the Trump/Biden debate and Trump's Covid19 diagnosis

https://youtu.be/BAhkcWb7zCs

New Installment in the blog series about plague films. Do you cope with anxiety by watching films about people experiencing even MORE anxiety? My series about films is here for you! Part 4:

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2020/04/coronavirus-covideo-corner-plague-film.html

CoronaVirus CoVidEo Corner: Plague Film Bonanza: Part 4 Weirdo that I am, I'm commemorating the CoVid19 lockdown by watching plague movies, and because I love you, I'm writing them up for you, re...

A guy in the UK had the same pun idea I had: his video series "CoVideo Corner" is about staying positive during lockdown/quarantine/the uncertainty of a pandemic (while my blog series reviews plague films), so he invited me to share MY coping method in this interview!

He's a lovely fellow, and it was gracious of him to invite me to do an interview, and I enjoyed doing it quite a lot, so check him out!

Day 18 - Film buff from South Korea on Coronavirus Social Distancing Featuring www.roboseyo.blogspot.com

Hi Roboseyo readers! If you didn't read yesterday's blog, "How South Korea Flattened the Curve," perhaps today's blog, "What's After Lockdown? Imagining a New Normal" is more to your liking.

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2020/03/whats-after-lockdown-imagining-new.html

What's After Lockdown? Imagining a New Post-Covid19 Lockdown Normal Roboseyo! Are you blogging again? Here's the thing I wrote about how South Korea flattened the curve. USA just had 3.2 million peop...

I wrote a blarg!

How South Korea flattened the curve (so far)

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-korea-flattened-curve-so-far.html

Social Distancing got you stir crazy? My "CoVideo Corner" series reviews plague and epidemic films and gives recommendations, just in case your coping mechanisms are as weird as mine.
https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2020/02/corona-virus-special-plague-film.html

The CoVideo Plague Film series continues! Looking to pass your self-quarantine in the scariest way possible?

Roboseyo is reviewing ALL THE PLAGUE FILMS.

Here is part three. See the comments for links to parts one and two.

In this review: the best, and also the most important plague films I've seen so far. A must-read!

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2020/03/coronavirus-covideo-corner-plague-film.html

CoronaVirus CoVidEo Corner: Plague Film Bonanza: Part 3 To Recap: Weirdo that I am, I'm commemorating the CoVid19 lockdown by watching plague movies, and because I love you, dear reader, I'm wr...

Hi, loyal Roboseyo readers! CoVideo Corner is back with Roboseyo! I have Part 2, with another seven plague movie mini-reviews! Need ideas for what to watch while under lockdown? Look no further.

Featuring:
감기 (The Flu) (2013)
Black Death (2010)
Pontypool (2008)
Extinction: The GMO Chronicles (2011)
괴물 (The Host) (2006)
Viral (2016)
The Girl With All the Gifts (2016)

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2020/03/corona-virus-covideo-corner-plague-film.html

Corona Virus CoVideo Corner: Plague Film Bonanza: Part 2

In honor of the lockdown, I wrote a thing:

The best/scariest plague movies... part 1!

Leave a comment and tell me which plague film YOU think I should cover.

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2020/02/corona-virus-special-plague-film.html?fbclid=IwAR2PKQ06AodL0Bg5jrSZKqEGQU9XF0UOPHWzVrVo2K2Ir8L1xP7jKR5I2BI

Roboseyo updated their business hours.

I haven't blogged much lately, but here's a podcast episode that I think is one of the most important topics I've covered in the last few years.

Cafe Seoul Podcast: The Baby Box episode.

In Korea we regularly see media going around about the Baby Box, usually uncritically treating it as an unqualified good and the pastor who runs it as a saint.

Podcast partner Eugene and I have a BIG PROBLEM with that.

The Baby Box seems like a great idea at first glance, but upon further examination, it doesn't solve the problems it seems to, and creates problems that wouldn't exist without it.

https://cafeseoulpodcast.wordpress.com/2016/04/21/414/

Check comments for time-stamps for different questions we discussed in this interview with Ross Oke, the Children's Rights expert we interviewed about this topic.

PLEASE share this link or episode anywhere you see the baby box discussed online.

Cafe Seoul Season 4, Episode 14: The Baby Box Finally! The fabled, long awaited Baby Box episode! I’m sure you listeners out there have had enough of the discussions about which superhero films are good and which aren’t, or who& #82…

Hi, everyone!

I wrote a new blog post: What does Mr. Rogers have in common with a NC-17 movie?

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-nc-17-mr-rogers-connection.html

The NC-17 Mr Rogers Connection I made a weird connection a while ago. Bear with me. Mr Rogers is back in the zeitgeist these days, with an upcoming film where Tom ...

I wrote a new blog post:
What do you do when you come across good old racism, or sexism, or other bigotries that used to be acceptable, when reading the books you loved to your kid?

https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2019/02/reading-racist-books-to-my-kid.html

Reading Racist Books To My Kid I ran in to a hiccup at bedtime. It wasn’t actually the first time I’ve run into this particular hiccup, but it got me thinking. Almost e...

I wrote a thing about the Gillette Ad!
https://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2019/01/gillette-best-man-can-get-ad-u-mad.html

Gillette: The Best A Man Can Get Ad: U Mad about This? Gillette ruffled some feathers last week with an ad about masculinity, pointing out things that happen, like bullying, casual violence, ...

I wrote a blog about North Korea's return to the negotiating table. I'd predicted that nothing much would come of the Koreas marching as a unified team at the olympics, but I'm quite happy to be proven wrong!

http://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2018/04/peace-breaking-out-on-korean-peninsula.html

Peace Breaking Out on the Korean Peninsula A lot of this stuff is cut-pasted, mix-and-matched, or snatched from the ether that is Twitter: it's great for getting bite-sized insights,...

I'm on fire!
I wrote ANOTHER thing about the Olympics.

They're gonna be a letdown, folks. Sorry.

https://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2018/02/pyeongchang-olympics-are-here.html

Pyeongchang Olympics Are Here! Brace For the Letdown! The Pyeongchang Olympics are here! Some of my friends are really excited about this, so of course I take it as my Roboseyoly duty to throw ...

I Wrote a thing!
Build your own Pyeongchang Olympics Coverage Bingo Card!

http://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2018/02/the-pyeongchang-olympics-coverage-bingo.html

The Pyeongchang Olympics Coverage Bingo Card! The Pyeongchang Olympics are coming! I am in the process of writing my longer, less fun take on why the Pyeongchang Olympics will be a le...

I wrote a new thing about Shin Joong-hyun, in tribute to Ask a Korean placing him #1 on his list of the top 50 most influential Korean K-pop artists.
http://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2018/01/more-about-shin-joong-hyun-1-korean.html

More about Shin Joong-hyun, the #1 Korean Musician of All Time Blogger Ask A Korean! has finally reached the much-awaited pinnacle of his "Top 50 Most Influential K-pop Artists" list. I've engaged wi...

Well, Ask a Korean has written a thing about K-pop, and I have responded to it, just like old times!

Enjoy, faithful readers~
http://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2017/05/k-pop-is-genre-and-some-other-stuff-too.html

K-Pop is a Genre, and some Other Stuff Too: Equivocations on Ask A Korean! At long last, something has prompted me once again to set finger to keyboard (doesn't have the ring of set pen to paper, does it?) and, nat...

Roboseyo is back from the dead. Help me create the "Sexist Coverage of Female Athletes" bingo card in time for the olympics.

And shame on The Korea Times for publishing sexist s**t like this.

http://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2016/08/sexism-covering-female-athletes-help-me.html

Roboseyo: Sexism Covering Female Athletes: Help Me Make the Bingo Card!

Here is a podcast I recorded with Eugene Hwang on Café Seoul podcast. It is about the "baby box" which sounds like a great idea until you poke it a couple of times. This is a serious episode and it might be triggering. Serious discussion starts at 23, and the interview proper starts at 36:30.

https://cafeseoulpodcast.wordpress.com/2016/04/21/414/

Cafe Seoul Season 4, Episode 14: The Baby Box Finally! The long fabled, long awaited Baby Box episode! I’m sure you listeners out there have had enough of the discussions about which superhero films are good and which aren’t, or wh…

Here is part one of my ranty response to Batman v Superman. Podcast coming soon!

http://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2016/04/part-1-batman-v-superman.html

Roboseyo: Part 1: Batman v Superman v Zack Snyder

Eulogy for The Marmot's Hole: I'm calling it. The K-blogosphere is officially dead. Long live the K-blogospheres!
thanks for the years, Robert Koehler!
http://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2016/02/eulogy-for-marmot-official-end-of-k.html

Roboseyo: Eulogy for The Marmot: The Official End Of The K-Blogosphere

The danger of writing a blog post about Korea-Japan grievances is that you either get two normal, or 140 angry comments, with NO middle ground. The longer and more challenging/carefully thought through (usually) your article is, the more likely the knee-jerks won't show up. I think the deadline for the rage-trolls has now passed with my comfort women post. I think. So... phew.

http://roboseyo.blogspot.kr/2016/01/the-comfort-woman-deal-month-later.html

Roboseyo: The Comfort Woman Deal A Month Later: Nothing New, Still Gross

Wow. Do NOT play the "foreign talent pandering" drinking game with this article.

Korean-Dutch Jeon onstage in Seoul In the Korean production of the much-loved musical

Freedom of Peaceful Assembly in Korea.

http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16998&LangID=E

Statement by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly... Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights