"Interest in Cheerleaders Rises as Young Female Audience Grows"
The American daily newspaper The New York Times (NYT) recently highlighted the popularity of Korean baseball cheerleaders who have become a sensation on social networking services (SNS) like TikTok with their addictive dances.
On the 27th (local time), NYT introduced in an article titled "Who are these Korean cheerleaders taking over TikTok?" that "videos of baseball cheerleaders performing 'ultra-chill' dance moves are dominating SNS algorithms, attracting millions of viewers' interest."
This dance, performed by the cheerleaders of the professional baseball team KIA Tigers for the past two years, is called the 'Samjin Out Song.' It is a dance the cheerleaders perform when a KIA Tigers pitcher strikes out an opposing team batter. The simple move of raising the thumb and shaking the body to the music was created with the intention of teasing the opposing team and their fans who have been struck out.
NYT pointed out that this dance has recently become a hot topic, noting that "the recent record-high attendance in the KBO has increased popularity, especially among young female spectators, which has also raised interest in the cheerleaders." It added that Korea's baseball viewing culture, where fans can eat food in the stands or dance and enjoy music, along with affordable ticket prices during the season, are the reasons behind the increase in young baseball fans.
Dan Kurtz, an overseas KBO fan site operator, told NYT, "Compared to Major League Baseball games in the U.S., KBO games are like rock concerts," adding, "In Korean baseball games, the score doesn't matter. Fans sing and cheer."
The reason this video became even more popular is that KIA Tigers cheerleader Lee Joo-eun was sitting and touching up her makeup when the pitcher struck out a batter, and she stood up and casually performed this dance, which went viral online. On SNS platforms like TikTok, famous overseas influencers have also parodied this scene.
NYT compared this dance to the acrobatic performances of American football cheerleaders, explaining that "the Korean cheerleaders' 'low-key' moves are exactly what captivated fans worldwide and sparked online buzz."
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