Lee Ji-ah Faces Another 1% Rating Blow: Overcoming 13-Year Age Gap, but the Result Is “Devastating”
Following “Sea of Hope”, “The Ways of Tasting” also struggles to achieve decent ratings, lingering in the 1% range despite its star-studded cast. The program has been criticized as yet another example of celebrities indulging themselves under the guise of variety entertainment.
Kim Go-eun and Lee Ji-ah are known as close friends in the entertainment industry. Despite their significant age difference, they grew close after a chance encounter in the U.S., frequently showcasing their friendship through SNS posts of meals and travels. As they share the same agency, they even released vlogs of their joint travels to Las Vegas and Los Angeles through the agency’s official YouTube channel.
Three years ago, the two teamed up for a variety show titled “Sea of Hope”, where celebrities like Yoon Jong-shin, Onew, Lee Dong-wook, Kim Go-eun and Lee Ji-ah opened a small live bar in Pohang by the sea, serving food and music to visitors.
However, despite its impressive lineup, “Sea of Hope” struggled with ratings, dropping to as low as 0.9%. Critics attributed its failure to the show’s overly ambitious attempt to combine beautiful scenery, music, cooking and even ocean cleanup, resulting in a lack of clear direction and a chaotic viewing experience.
Now, three years later, Kim Go-eun and Lee Ji-ah reunited for “The Ways of Tasting”, marking their first fixed variety appearance since “Sea of Hope”. “The Ways of Tasting” shows the actresses’ special trip to visit famous restaurants and bars in Korea and Taiwan, pairing whiskey with food.
As of the second episode, the show has maintained a disappointing 1.1% viewership rating for two consecutive weeks. Airing at 10:40 PM on Sundays with a 19+ rating, the program’s performance is underwhelming given the actresses’ star power.
“The Ways of Tasting” falls into the category of “celebrity indulgence” shows. The premise centers on Lee Ji-ah and Kim Go-eun eating and drinking at high-end restaurants and bars, yet neither possesses in-depth knowledge of whiskey or culinary expertise. Their one-line evaluations of pairings are predictable and lack depth.
Personal conversations between the actresses are also absent. The show merely features them sampling 16- or 21-year-old whiskeys and offering basic commentary, such as, “This whiskey pairs well with this dish.” Even details about how they became friends—meeting by chance in the U.S.—are revealed by narrator Lee Sang-yeob rather than the actresses themselves.
By focusing solely on upscale dining and exclusive menus, the show fails to spark interest in either the food or the drinks. While Lee Ji-ah shed her enigmatic image by performing a rap at “MAMA”, her unique charm is nowhere to be found on “The Ways of Tasting”. With no entertainment value or informative content, the show delivers little to viewers, resulting in a painful setback for both actresses. It seems likely that this variety venture will end in failure once again for Lee Ji-ah and Kim Go-eun.
Source: Naver