A lot of fans have been expressing displeasure about the indecent nature of TV shows when it comes to female Kpop idols.
Female idols always have to be extra careful with their every action and words, even more so than their male counterparts. At the same time, they also have to constantly face harassing comments, without much means to snap back.
Recently, the event of (G)I-DLE Shuhua being asked a sensitive issue by Lee Soo Geun and Lee Sang Min on “Knowing Bros” have been gaining attention. In particular, while discussing the new title “Nxde” of (G)I-DLE, the topic switched to Marilyn Monroe and how the icon would sleep in nude.
The MCs then asked (G)I-DLE if they sleep naked as well, with Lee Sang Min even saying about Shuhua, “Look at that expression, she totally sleeps in nude”.
While the MC considers this a “harmless” joke, most audiences believe that his comment borders on harassing (G)I-DLE.
Nevertheless, this is far from the first time a Kpop girl group became the victim of harassing comments. Back in September on a Japanese variety show, LE SSERAFIM Sakura and Kazuha also faced the same situation.
In particular, the MC of the program asked Sakura and Kazuha if they had spent their night with men. He then asked them how much would luxury hotels cost for a night,to which Sakura and Kazuha said they didn’t know clearly and tried to change the topic.
However, the male MC insisted, saying forceful and accusing remarks like, “Why not? You must have gone there with your boyfriend?” and “Why are you acting like you don’t know?” In the end, netizens were enraged at such questions, citing that the MC’s actions can be consideredsexual harassment.
Despite the constant protest from fans and netizens however, the indecent comments never ceased in the entertainment world.
The result of a male-centric entertainment world.. And the movement against it
While the entertainment industries of Korea and Japan are extremely flourishing, these two countries both favor men, leading to female celebrities being poorly treated.
In addition, in order to retain their sweet and polite image, female idols were unable to react towards indecent comments and harassment, and instead can only smile and endure. For newly-debuted celebrities, they had no choice but to hold back in fear of backlash.
To make their name known to the public, female idols need to appear on TV programs, no matter how poorly they get treated there. Meanwhile, male seniors, who gets away with one victim, will continue to prey on others with no consequence.
The situation in Japan is also severe, with numerous TV shows “using” its female guests for “laughter”. In April 2022, Japan’s Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization had to regulate “cheap and indecent jokes” on TV programs, so as to lower the negative influence on the nation’s youth.
Meanwhile, the #MeToo movement took the world by storm in 2018, it was here that various revelations related to showbiz came to light. The movements prompt numerous entertainment industry insider to speak truly about their experiences, which range from suffering from sexual harassments, blackmail, to down right abuse.
However, while the movement also reaches countries like Japan and Korea, the environment in such countries can be considered hostile toward female celebrities, who will be criticized even when they are victims. As a result, many chose to stay silent.
The world is constantly changing, and in the information age, audiences also become more aware of the dark side of showbiz. Hopefully, with these changes, the entertainment industry will be safer for women, and there will be laws or regulations enacted to prevent harassment.
Source: k14
