(Part 2) “NEXUS,” the “SMCU,” and the Meanings of Doppelgangers

Some of my notes corresponding with a recent episode of 17 Carat K-Pop!

Sep 30, 2023

∙ Paid

These notes are for paying subscribers only, but you can enjoy the corresponding podcast episodes and articles for free!

About the episode: Naomi Klein has an excellent new book out called Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World. It’s about the existential angst that comes with being constantly mistaken for an “Other Naomi,” who says and does things to which Klein is vehemently opposed. Klein’s writing explores much more than the emotional effects of getting a reputation for what someone else says and does, though. She questions how solid her own identity is if people can easily mistake her for someone with only surface-level commonalities, and she takes readers with her down a research rabbit hole into the ways a “Double” has appeared throughout book and movie plots. Hope explores these references through a new lens: the “SMCU”! aespa’s digital alter egos, U-KNOW’s dimension-hopping “NEXUS” short film, TAEMIN’s and KAI’s multiple selves… the SM Entertainment Cinematic Universe is filled with examples of clones! Part book review, part pop-culture-history-meets-psychology-meets-philosophy course, and part "SMCU" theorizing, this unique episode explains why uncanny resemblances are unnerving, what one’s “shadow self” symbolizes, and how pop culture can be a tool for better understanding both one’s self and one’s anti-self!

Stream the episode on Spotify here!

Stream the episode on Apple Podcasts here!

Stream the episode on Anchor or another streaming service here!

Related writing for fans of the latest episode

On today’s information ecosystem

On capitalism and how it shapes us

Life as an autistic person

Related podcast episodes for fans of the latest episode

An aespa and KWANGYA guide

“EXO 101”

“Introducing Kai”

The “NCT Talk” series