The Risk of Casting Commoners in Dating Shows: Controversies Like STIs, Bullying, Lawsuits Keep Surfacing
Issues with the cast of “I Am Solo” have again come to light
This time, it happened with season 16, which boasts the highest level of controversy in the history of “I Am Solo.”
One media outlet reported that a participant from season 16 had been sued by business partner A, who accused the participant of not paying for stock purchases. A reportedly filed a lawsuit for the payment of stock purchase fees at the Seoul Central District Court.
In response to this, the “I Am Solo” production team explained, “The participant claims that A has made one-sided allegations that differ from the facts. It is difficult for the production team to provide a concrete response.”
After the lawsuit report, the participant personally expressed feeling unfairly treated due to differing claims. Since both sides have conflicting claims, and the facts have not been confirmed, it is a challenging situation for the production team.
Hyper-realistic dating show “I Am Solo” is currently thriving. Season 16’s special episode on dating for singles is gaining high viewership ratings. However, popularity comes with controversy.
However, the cast issues continue to plague the show. Not only the cast of season 16 but also season 14 faced controversies related to personal lives, and a season 13’s male participant was embroiled in accusations of sexually transmitted infections and school violence. A season 13’s female participant had appeared on several other broadcasts in the past, casting doubt on her authenticity. Although the individuals involved personally clarified that these were baseless allegations, shedding the image of controversial participants has proven to be difficult for the show.
Controversies surrounding TV show participants who are non-celebrities are not new, and they come with considerable risks. With great risk comes the potential for high controversy. However, when the past histories of participants come to the surface, it not only affects the participants themselves but also harms the program as a whole.
Therefore, considerable time is dedicated to the casting process. Each program follows specific criteria for selecting and verifying participants, but recently, this process has become more lenient.
Previously, “I Am Solo” PD Nam Kyu Hong commented on the criteria for selecting participants, “They should be attractive, have good characters, and have a clear status and occupation. They should also have some appeal to the opposite sex, so we exclude those who are insincere and pretentious right from the casting.” He further explained that they thoroughly examine candidates from various angles.
It is essential to determine whether a person is genuinely committed, whether their stories are true, and whether they have distinctive personalities. While many factors are considered, it is inevitable that some individuals stand out more because of their uniqueness.
Having unique personalities among the cast is entertaining for the program, but loose verification should not be tolerated. While it may be challenging to thoroughly verify a participant’s personal life, a “hyper-realistic” program demands stricter and more precise verification.
Source: daum
