Song Hooryeong: tvN’s talk show The Dictionary of Useless Knowledge series is back with Encyclopedia of Useless Facts Around the Earth (Hereinafter The Dictionary of Useless Earth Knowledge). Following The Dictionary Of Useless Human Knowledge which aired until this January, The Dictionary of Useless Earth Knowledge sticks to the concept of going on a “chatty journey across planet Earth” with the film director Jang Hang-jun as MC, joined by actress Kim Min-ha, astronomer Sim Chae-kyung, physicist Kim Sang-wook, architect Yoo Hyun-joon, and film critic Lee Dong-jin;the cast discusses stories behind cities around the world. In New York, their first destination, they ask questions such as “What’s the secret behind the plaque on Brooklyn Bridge?” and “Why was there a wall in Wall Street?” and cover a variety of topics ranging from history, war, environment, to people. The experts’ “big-bang chat”—prolific to the point they couldn't finish within the scheduled shooting time on their first episode—goes on to highlight the program’s strengths on its second episode starring Christopher Nolan, the director of the film Oppenheimer. Experts from different fields view the world of Christopher Nolan’s films including Oppenheimer from various perspectives. Questions about the social responsibility of scientists (by Kim Sang-wook), the role of actors who infused personality into characters (by Kim Min-ha), and how we should understand complex and ambiguous humans (by Chae-kyung) aren’t something that we could see from other ordinary interviews. The first episode deals with the principles of atomic bombs and the Second World War in Oppenheimer; the second episode approaches Oppenheimer and Christopher Nolan through the film in a light and fun way, yet throwing food for thought regarding people and the world. The talk show calls itself “useless” as a way to lighten the topics that may otherwise feel difficult and complex. And as you follow the stories from experts each bringing a different perspective to the table, the audience can get a chance to think from the guest’s perspectives. It may be “useless” information, but it’s also an opportunity to indulge in deep ruminations. Perhaps that’s how the program has made it this far, releasing its seventh series after its kick-off in 2017.

Kang Ilkwon (RHYTHMER, Music Critic): There was a show called Two Yoo Project Sugar Man, an entertainment show that aired on JTBC from 2015 to 2020 “to search for the singer who once dominated an era in the Korean pop music scene, then disappeared.” Sugar Man here comes from the popular documentary Searching for Sugar Man, which was released in 2012. While Sugar Man was used to refer to someone who used to be popular in entertainment shows, mostly one-hit wonders, Rodriguez, the original Sugar Man, was an artist who was much more incredible and mysterious. Raised by the working-class, Mexican immigrant parents, he began his music career in the United States but experienced a complete failure. His two albums, COLD FACT and COMING FROM REALITY, released in 1970 and 1971 respectively, made shockingly low sales and went straight to the label company’s warehouse. In the U.S., he was a singer no one knew about. But on the other side of the world, in South Africa, he was a superstar even more popular than Elvis Presley. 

In the 1970s, South Africa was going through a period of gloom due to the extreme racial segregation under apartheid. That’s when Rodriguez’s album COLD FACT somehow made it into the country and sparked an explosive response from the youth, who were embroiled in anti-government protests at the time. In particular, the song “Sugar Man,” which became his nickname, was sung as a hymn at the site of the protest. Ironically, Rodriguez didn’t know anything about this, and no one in South Africa knew about him other than his music. This was because back then, you couldn’t find information by searching the Internet like today. Even amid rumors of Rodriguez’s suicide, his two enthusiastic fans went out to look for his traces and find the truth. Searching for Sugar Man is a documentary that fully captures the unbelievable reality, the process of finding the hidden truth and the result. When Rodriguez—who had been living an ordinary life, even doing manual labor—finally appears in front of the camera for the first time; when he becomes aware of his popularity in 1998 and hold his very first performance in South Africa; when he sees a rapturous response from a huge audience for the first time and becomes overcome with emotions together with his family– all of these moments are enough to make your heart swell. Rodriguez died on August 8th—at the age of 81. The cause of his death is unknown, but according to his daughter, he had two strokes in the years leading up to his passing. The unlucky artist, Sugar Man Rodriguez, who went from a completely unknown and nameless folk-rock singer to a legend in South African music, passed away, leaving behind some touching music, life and stories that are even more surreal than most films. May he rest in peace.

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez

July 10th, 1942 - August 8th, 2023

Rest In Peace

Kim Gyeoul (writer): The prevailing image of a novelist depicts someone cooped up alone  in the corner of their room, facing a piece of paper, a typewriter, or a laptop screen; someone who rips their hair out as they write, then suddenly grab a big bag and set out to do interviews. Once they complete their writing and publish it after countless revisions, they appear at several book talks. But this short story collection by Kim Yeonsu strays far from those images. He wrote novels to recite to people, and when asked to do a book talk, suggested holding a book recital instead, where he read his novel for half an hour, played some pre-curated music during the break, and basked in immediate reactions from his readers. Unlike how he had expected his readers to find the novel difficult, the readers concentrated harder than ever, one of them crying from the moment he read the very first sentence of his work. The life moments he depicts are short and intense: a person who suddenly “wakes up” and leaves the life that was given to him; a new novel that could only be borrowed in a dream; and a beloved dog that used to be, but is gone. To write “only with kindness and for no reason at all” seems to lend formidable gravity to life that would normally slip away between our fingers.