Netizens should have a healthy memorial culture without rumors and gossip
On April 19th, Astro Moonbin passed away at the age of 25. The entertainment industry, the public and fans cried and mourned because there was no way to hide their sadness. On June 6th, Moonbin’s 49th day since death, colleagues and fans once again missed him and paid tribute to him.
A week later, on June 13th, the deceased’s mother complained of pain by mentioning rumors about Moonbin produced through minority communities. She said, “I saw that indiscriminate rumors were being made in some small communities. These rumors are extremely difficult for me as a mother to see. I am worried that not only will they cause harm to many people due to false rumors, but also that the hearts of fans who sincerely miss our son will be hurt. I earnestly request that no more unchecked facts and rumors be created, hoping that my son will not be misrepresented by such gossip.“
On June 16th, the agency Fantagio also hinted at responding strongly to malicious comments related to the deceased, “Recently, we noticed a series of malicious posts that have reached an excessively serious level. Judging that we could no longer overlook them, we are already taking legal actions.”
Recently, rumors have been circulating on the Internet about Moonbin’s death. Those who call themselves Moonbin’s fans are demanding an explanation from Fantagio, claiming that there is something unclear about the deceased’s cause of death. They seem to have a great sense of duty in finding out the truth about Moonbin’s death.
It is a crooked fan spirit. The reason for evaluating it as crooked is that it is for the sake of the deceased, but it is actually causing pain to his family. The bereaved family will be the ones who will suffer the most from Moonbin’s death. If there are any questions about the cause of death, the subject of raising this problem should be the bereaved family. If you are a true fan, you should think from the perspective of the bereaved family, but it is regrettable that the bereaved family is suffering from self-proclaimed fans’ movements.
You can freely pay tribute to the deceased, but the method must be healthy. Hurting someone is out of the category of remembrance. Disclosing and inappropriately mentioning the deceased’s death impedes the deceased’s “right to be forgotten”.
In this context, we cannot help but tell the story of the late Sulli. Netflix is currently discussing the release of Sulli’s posthumous work “Persona: Sulli” (“Persona 2”). Netflix said, “‘Persona 2’ is a work produced by Mystic Story, and overall discussions, including the release schedule, are underway.” “Persona 2” is a project that combines 5 short films made by 5 directors and inspired by Sulli. The production was suspended when Sulli passed away on October 14th, 2019.
We do not know yet what kind of image of Sulli this work will contain. However, Netflix and the production company Mystic Story should decide whether to release it after considering whether the public will pay tribute to the deceased or make it a gossip. If they decide to release it, they will have to carefully edit the parts that may be controversial. It should be kept in mind that Netflix and Mystic Story are responsible for all repercussions that occur after “Persona 2” is released.
In addition, some media outlets should carefully approach the issue of publishing articles on celebrities’ death anniversaries. Breaking away from the original purpose of honoring and commemorating the deceased’s achievements during their lifetime, the media is keen on traffic business with provocative titles. Beyond the level of making viewers frown, it could become violence against the bereaved families.
It is the bereaved families who will be most saddened. Minimum consideration for the remaining people is necessary. It is a matter of reflection not only for reporters, but also for production companies and fans. We hope that a healthy memorial culture will be built in the entertainment industry.
Source: Naver
