Bothering to Look: Beyond the Maternal to Ethical Responsibility in Madonna

Abstract

Ŏmma and ŏmmŏni, meaning “mom” and “mother,” often evoke sentiments of devotion, sacrifice, and strength in Korea. This is such the case that when writing about a possible “cultural icon” for Korea, columnist Kim Seung-kon even suggests the “Korean mother”: a “unique and exceptional” “life-saving force” ceaselessly nurturing, embracing, and comforting. 1 Indeed, as he notes, the mother has “a special place in Korean culture.” Through the trials and tribulations of Korea’s modernity, women-as-mothers have supported the family (and, by extension, the nation) economically and emotionally, and nowhere is this more clearly manifested than in cultural productions—including film. From sentimental melodramas of the golden age 1960s to mystery-noir thrillers of recent times, mothers have been a staple in Korean cinema. Whether glorified, punished, or redeemed, women have been repeatedly represented as sacrificial and life-saving so as to solidify this idea(l) of motherhood. Recently, however, audiences—especially the industry’s most coveted female audiences in their 20s and 30s—have begun to openly express