“Is Bullying Really Necessary?” Jeon Jong-seo’s ‘SNL Korea 6’ Episode Sparks Controversy
On August 31st, Jeon Jong-seo appeared as a host on Coupang Play’s comedy show “SNL Korea 6”, showcasing her comedic talent as she transformed into a quirky Japan “fanatic” girlfriend, performing sketches with her younger boyfriend Yuto-chan (played by Kim Won-hun).
However, this sparked criticism that the production had carelessly mixed and parodied concepts from various channels, including RYU’S PENNA, Misstada and the Korean-Japanese couple TomoTomo. Comments on X (formerly Twitter) expressed frustration, “Isn’t it just mocking pretty and talented women? I wish they’d stop with such lowbrow jokes, separate from the actors” and “It feels like they just copied it without thought.”
As the situation garnered attention, RYU’S PENNA took to her channel on September 17th to clarify her stance, stating, “I’ve been receiving constant messages from acquaintances and subscribers, so I felt the need to address it. I believed that aside from showing outfits, vlogging and Japanese references, the content was very different from my own. However, I don’t want people to associate my image with that character.“
She emphasized, “I’ve been a personal YouTuber for about seven years, enjoying showing the clothes I like. I aim to express fashion without sexual appeal and have a strong aversion to such language even in private settings. Therefore, I don’t use innuendos like that character from the show.”
RYU’S PENNA also mentioned starting content that showcases unique aspects of Japanese culture after moving there, and despite positive feedback, she has never contacted anyone personally outside of her content. “As someone who doesn’t engage in nightlife, it seems that the blending of concepts with other YouTubers has created this character, which is distressing for my subscribers and acquaintances.”
She criticized “SNL Korea 6”, asking, “Is it really necessary to bully an innocent YouTuber on a famous program?“
Prior to this, Misstada also posted a video on her channel titled “About a Program That Got Mentioned a Lot”, expressing her thoughts humorously from an observer’s perspective. She shared, “While spending another peaceful day, I received a call. It was a call about how people were talking about me due to one video (‘SNL Korea 6’). I hurriedly hung up and rubbed my hands together like a fly, hoping people didn’t curse about me.”
Misstada reflected on the incident, noting, “After watching the video, I was lost in thought for a few seconds. Actually, I didn’t feel horrible after watching that video. I just didn’t think anything about it, because I thought that video had absolutely nothing to do with my life. This is the dignity of a princess.“
She concluded, “Putting the controversy behind, I realized one thing. I realized that there are many small baby birds who love me and care about me. The thought of it brought tears to my eyes, but I didn’t cry. I took my mirror out and admired my face. And I finally came up with a solution. I decided to make lots of beautiful and fun content in the future. There are only 3 months of 2024 left at this point. I promised to show only the absolutely beautiful things to the small and beautiful baby birds waiting for me. I will always be waiting for you right here.”
In response, one netizen commented, “While any parody or homage should have good intentions, creating without sufficient observation is lazy and careless, which diminishes the original intent. People responding also didn’t observe enough and might think it’s identical based on rushed characteristics. Yet, first, it’s not the same, and second, for those who imitate for their own amusement, it raises questions like, ‘Is this part of me funny?’ or ‘Should I avoid this?’ How can it not be a problem when someone is intimidated for someone else’s fun?“
Source: Daum
