As promised, fairly moderate take on banning dramas, which I personally see as one of the most stupid moves people in Korea can take.
This and my previous take on The Diva's behavior was combined into one article and will be (hopefully) on Hancine soon.
Yes, I do like to mess up and cause a stir. My mission in life.
Here:
And when everyone
thought it’s the end – it is not. Two days ago very similar articles popped up
here on Hancinema about deeming few dramas as “unethical”. Some may ask: “How
this has anything in common with double standards” in Korean entertainment?” Oh
well, let me explain. Looks like few people in high places in Korea decided
to turn back the hands of time and throw the country into Confucianism mixed
with fascist ideology. They arbitrary decided which drama is good for our
health and which drama we should burn on stakes. And it turns out – all dramas
that present the life as it is (for drama purposes of course) are condemned to
hell. “New Gisaeng Story” was deemed unethical because it showed a man
possessed by spirit. I work in this field, and trust me, ghost possession has
absolutely nothing in common with any ethics. My small brain can’t even link
those two things, but probably I’m not that enlightened as those “wise” people
out there. Few other dramas showed women seeking revenge, and this is
unforgivable sin, apparently. Plus, few dramas, including “A Thousand Kisses”
were banned as they “distorted reality and stimulated viewers with violence and
unethical content to get higher ratings" (article here), moreover, the
latter was accused of showing “unethical scenes and stories, such as trying to
accept an abandoned woman as a daughter-in-law, or another daughter being in a
relationship with a nephew. They are also repeatedly displaying a certain
supporter through lines and screen time, displaying them so much that it has an
advertisement effect.” (article here)
TV doesn’t stimulate
divorce rates. Divorce has nothing in common with TV. But there is a grain of
truth in it. Imagine a woman, like Woo Joo-young, trapped in a failed marriage
with a guy who cheats on her with his mother abusing her on every day basis.
When she catches him in flagranti – she decides she can’t continue like that.
This is something what normal woman does, no? What’s left when the guy you
married cheats on you left and right? Oh I know – bow down and excuse you are
so bad wife that he HAS to look for another woman. So women should swallow
their pride and suffer for the rest of their lives just because “this is what
woman should do?” Who made those rules? I’m pretty sure not women.
So, our imagined woman
is in exactly the same situation. Seeing that one lady on TV has enough of guts
to fill for divorce – she does the same.
But it looks like even
if they break free from unhappy marriage, they can’t be happy. Why? Divorced
women and widows should probably hang themselves and not to bring more shame to
the ideal Korean society where no gay people and divorcées are allowed. If
woman is not happy in the kitchen making lunchbox for her hardworking husband
or changing diapers of the kids, she won’t be happy anyplace else. This is
probably the logic of those people “up there”.
Main lady in “Queen of
Reversals” after hard struggle with life and clingy ex-husband, finally found
her happiness with a… (O! Tempora! O! Mores!) younger man, who pursued her
ceaselessly and displayed borderless love for her. And I think the fact that
women after divorce CAN find happiness is what irks people out there the most.
In Confucianism, women
had strictly limited place in society. In all dictatorships the knowledge is
forbidden, books are burned. Rules and ignorance is what keeps people in their
places. But when people start to gain their own individual conscience, they
start to think:”wait a minute, something’s wrong, why should I do this?” And
this is what politics fear the most. Because that means the lack of control.
And it’s really hard to rule the “thinking” crowd. Extremely easy to control
the herd.
Double standards? Those
dramas show unethical behavior, in terms of seeking the happiness and trying to
live. Fine. But what about the situation presented in many dramas – forced
marriage? This is nothing “unethical”? Why parents force their kids into
“same-level-marriages” regardless of kids’ feelings? This is borderline immoral
behavior, like we had in “How To Meet a Perfect Neighbor”, or we have now in “A
Thousand Days’ Promise”? Why no one can look back on own history and say: OK,
this is the tradition, but maybe not all traditional elements are good? Maybe
we should ditch it already? This is why “Protect The Boss” drama was so
meaningful in this element.
Why all women in dramas
are forced to “be beautiful”? Beauty is elevated to the absurdity level as if
it was the only one asset that woman is capable of having. What about brain? Is
head a place for flawless hair and baby skin?
What about the drinking
problems that virtually all characters in dramas have? This doesn’t affect the
innocent people? They see characters drinking in every episode and nothing,
right?
Calling a woman who in
the drama seeks a revenge a slut is nice, really nice and truthful, right? But
allowing 15 years-old girls on the stage to behave like pole-dancers is
perfectly normal Hallyu sexiness?
I don’t believe a fully
grown human being can be affected by what he/she sees on TV. This is why dramas
have rates – 15 years and above, 19 years and above etc. The fact that those
dramas are watched by 12 years-olds is not the TV’s fault, but parents who
allow that. Besides, if a kid is bright enough, she/he knows that “this is just
a show”, nothing more. I’ve been watching movies all my life. I have watched
“Terminator” since really young age, but I didn’t slam any mechanical device
close to me. This is a movie, and this is just a radio – that was my logic.
Nowadays, dramas are
watched by the whole world. And although it’s nice (personal opinion) that they
are not as vulgar as some western shows, let’s not over-sugar them either. In
dramas real life is presented, right? So if divorce happens in a real life,
it’s normal it will be mentioned in a drama, not vice versa. We, viewers from
The Menacing Bad Western Countries like a dose of realism, and not the pink
fairy unicorn (damn, another phallic symbol, soon my blog will be banned, I
swear) dramas, where everyone is nice, sugary and cute.
People that issue those
stupid bans and statements I advise to first take courses in: Philosophy,
Logic, History of Religion, and maybe Sociology and Linguistic (because they
have no idea what words they are using). And maybe leave for a day or two their
limousines and take a bus, listen to
real problems people have, listen to the situations of real people. How about
doing something for growing multiculturalism in Korea? How about preventing the
suicides that are the highest lately in Asia? How
about making women situation at the workplace better? There are so many real
issues that need to be fixed, but I guess it’s easier to take on a work of
fiction than on a real life. But maybe, just maybe, few morons should re-evalute their world view? Then, dramas stop to be such
vicious means to destroy “our innocent young people that still think kids are
found on the cabbage field”.
If anyone touches “A
Thousand Days’ Promise” and “A Thousand Kisses”, I swear I will bite. And I can
do it.
BTW. I'm preparing also my own list of dramas that are suited to be banned. With reasons. This is fun.
Please, post your own propositions below^^
