Okay-sun from “I Am Solo” season 22, left, and Seonkyoung Longuist from “Culinary Class Wars” face cyberbullying after their exhibits aired. Captured from SBS/Netflix
Netflix, broadcasters flip blind eye to cyberbullying confronted by contestants
By KTimes
Within the realm of actuality TV, being solid as a “villain” has lengthy been a tactic to boost viewership. Nevertheless, the toll on the people behind these characters is turning into more and more insufferable, as contestants endure relentless cyberbullying.
This poisonous sample, which has endured for years, is as soon as once more within the highlight because of a number of latest circumstances of on-line harassment focusing on actuality present individuals in Korea.
One latest sufferer of this phenomenon is Seonkyoung Longest, 41, a contestant on Netflix’s cooking competitors present, “Culinary Class Wars.” In a put up on social media, she expressed her dismay on the cyberbullying she’s confronted for the reason that present aired: “I by no means thought I’d be cyberbullied by Koreans, however sadly, that is what’s occurring.”
Seonkyoung grew to become the goal of over 8,000 hateful feedback on a single YouTube video, the place customers attacked every thing from her nationality to her household. The basis of the hate was her disagreement with fellow contestants throughout a gaggle problem. Seonkyoung wasn’t the one one to undergo, as different contestants on the present have additionally been bombarded with insults, with commenters labeling them as “boastful” for trivial causes.
Korean-American chef Seonkyoung Longuist from Netflix’s ‘Culinary Class Wars.’ Captured from Netflix
Seonkyoung’s expertise will not be remoted. A contestant on one other fashionable actuality present, “I Am Solo,” has equally opened up in regards to the emotional toll of cyberbullying.
Okay-sun, a participant on the twenty second season of “I Am Solo,” lately posted a message on social media pleading for the hate to cease.
“Should you don’t need to see me, please contact the broadcaster. However cease sending me these DMs. I can’t sleep anymore,” she wrote.
Regardless of beforehand asking viewers to chorus from criticizing her as a mom and a single mother or father, Okay-sun continues to face relentless on-line assaults, which have now endured for greater than three weeks.
Her supposed offense? Being perceived as egocentric through the present. Her fellow contestant, Solar-ja, has additionally been a goal, going through not solely insults about her persona but in addition sexual harassment and derogatory feedback about her look. Solar-ja is now taking authorized motion towards her harassers.
A posting by Okay-sun from ‘I Am Solo’ season 22 on her social media final month, requesting an finish to hateful feedback. Captured from her social media
Villain entice of actuality TV
The sample feels all too acquainted. For over a decade, actuality TV contestants — particularly non-celebrities — have been thrust into the highlight, usually edited to seem as “villains” to drive up viewership.
Consequently, these contestants are left to endure the extreme public backlash that follows. Their lives after the present turn out to be dominated by harsh criticism, forcing many into hiding or, in extreme circumstances, partaking in authorized battles towards on-line trolls.
Whereas viewers gas the drama by posting vitriolic feedback, manufacturing groups are sometimes seen to be complicit by amplifying sure behaviors by means of selective enhancing — generally known as “satan’s enhancing” — to assemble narrative arcs that paint sure contestants because the “unhealthy guys.”
Like different actuality exhibits, Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars” discovered success by means of this formulation. The present grew to become the primary non-English-language Korean program to prime Netflix’s international TV chart for 3 consecutive weeks, fueled partly by the polarizing characters on display. Regardless of this success, Netflix has remained largely silent in regards to the harassment its contestants are going through.
When requested whether or not the corporate has insurance policies in place to guard non-celebrity individuals, a Netflix official supplied solely a obscure response: “We take mandatory measures to guard contestants as wanted.”
The corporate declined to touch upon what particular assist, if any, has been offered to Seonkyoung or different contestants focused by on-line harassment.
Director Kim Hak-min, proper, speaks at a manufacturing press convention for Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars,” Sept. 11. Yonhap
‘I Am Solo’ faces persistent criticism
The cyberbullying surrounding “I Am Solo” has endured for the previous three years, with every season introducing a brand new “villain” character that triggers a wave of on-line hatred. In some cases, contestants have spoken out about how manufacturing choices portrayed them in a extra unfavourable mild than they really have been.
“I by no means cursed, however they muted my voice with an ‘X’ sound, making it appear like I did,” one contestant complained.
One other contestant shared how being solid as a unusual lady on the present has destroyed her life.
“I can’t even go outdoors anymore. For 400,000 received ($310) per episode, they drove a single mom like me into this case to revenue,” she mentioned.
Some former individuals have gone as far as to accuse the present of treating its episodes like a “nationwide villain contest,” prioritizing drama over precisely depicting the feelings and relationships of the individuals.
But, regardless of these rising considerations, the manufacturing crew has remained largely unresponsive. When requested in regards to the difficulty of cyberbullying, producer Nam Kyu-hong expressed his disappointment however supplied little hope for change.
“All I can do is encourage them to endure it,” he mentioned.
Producer Nam Kyu-hong, director of “I Am Solo.” Courtesy of SBS Plus, ENA
Requires change
Cultural critics argue that the duty for shielding contestants lies squarely with the manufacturing groups.
Ha Jae-geun, a well-liked tradition commentator, emphasised that this isn’t a brand new difficulty.
“We’ve seen non-celebrity contestants on actuality exhibits face excessive ranges of on-line abuse, even to the purpose of suicide. Calls to guard contestants have been made repeatedly, however producers proceed to create villains for the sake of scores,” Ha mentioned.
He additionally criticized manufacturing groups for working with outdated mentalities.
“The producers are caught in a Twentieth-century mindset, however the actuality is that after the content material is on the market, it may be replayed and re-edited endlessly. Contestants face harassment for years, however they haven’t any management over how they’re portrayed,” Ha added.
One other cultural critic, Kim Hern-sik, referred to as for an entire overhaul of actuality TV manufacturing practices.
“Manufacturing groups ought to notify contestants of how they’ll be portrayed earlier than airing the present. Furthermore, they need to take duty for the fallout, together with any cyberbullying that happens. A brand new regulatory framework is required to carry them accountable,” Kim mentioned.
Regardless of the awful outlook, there are indicators that some manufacturing groups are beginning to take duty.
In July 2024, the crew behind JTBC’s courting present, “My Sibling’s Romance,” took an unprecedented step by issuing an official assertion after contestants have been bombarded with rumors and malicious feedback.
“We’ll take agency motion towards any habits that damages the reputations of our contestants,” it mentioned. The manufacturing crew added that it was working carefully with authorized consultants to gather proof towards these spreading false info.
Following the discharge of the assertion, JTBC reported that the quantity of on-line harassment towards the present’s individuals had considerably decreased. A JTBC official mentioned, “Since we made it clear that there can be authorized penalties, the extent of hate feedback has dramatically gone down.”
The case of “My Sibling’s Romance” affords a glimmer of hope for a shift in how actuality TV producers deal with the problem of cyberbullying.
However with exhibits like “Culinary Class Wars” and “I Am Solo” nonetheless grappling with the implications of their “villain” narratives, it’s clear that the trade as an entire has an extended approach to go.
This text from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Instances, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Instances.
