Series of controversies surrounding entertainment programs for the general public
“The psychology of ‘optimism bias’ will come into play.”
“My wife and I didn’t have a single day at ease as I, an ordinary person, was suddenly in the spotlight.”
‘Black and White Chef’ contestant Yu Bibim, who recently closed his restaurant, expressed his distress through a handwritten apology. He said this while admitting his fault for having engaged in illegal business in the past and operating through expedient methods until recently.
‘I’m Solo’ 23rd class Jeongsuk / Photo = ENA·SBS Plus ‘I’m Solo’ video capture In recent years, entertainment programs featuring ordinary people have been gaining attention. It has the advantage of stimulating viewers’ curiosity and increasing immersion by adding realism to the play.
The fact that verification of performers is not easy is pointed out as a limitation. These days, there is no entertainment program for the general public that has not sparked controversy since it aired. Even though criminal background checks and in-depth interviews are conducted during the recruitment process, why is it not easy to ‘filter’ them?
A series of controversies… A broadcaster with no good weather
‘Black and White Chef’, which boasted tremendous popularity, could not avoid controversy over its cast. Mr. Yu Bibim, who appeared in ‘King Bibim’, confessed to illegally operating a restaurant on the 1st. He revealed that he had been arrested and sentenced to probation for operating a restaurant in an unlicensed location since 2003.
/Photo = Naver profile capture Mr. Yoo appealed, saying, “I have been asking each public institution and the Regulatory Reform Committee to lift regulations,” but apologized, saying he would close the restaurant and focus on personal research.
Previously, Mr. Yoo liked bibimbap and changed his name to ‘Yoo Bibim’ and was a famous person online. In ‘Black and White Chef’, he appeared wearing a dragon robe and sang the ‘Bibim Song’ with judge Baek Jong-won, receiving great attention. Because he left such a strong impression, he was scheduled to appear on ‘You Quiz on the Block’ on the 6th, but it was eventually edited out.
In the case of dating entertainment programs, they have attracted positive response from viewers because they are easier to arouse sympathy than unrealistic celebrity virtual dating programs, but in the area of controversy over the contestants, they have not been able to get rid of the label of ‘hwasubun’.
Recently, suspicions arose against Jeong-suk, a cast member of ‘I Am Solo 23’, of having committed theft under the pretense of meeting on conditional terms in the past. The story is that after posting a conditional meeting arrangement online, he met a male victim and took advantage of the victim’s brief absence to steal money and run away.
In response, Jeong-suk denied the charges, saying, “I have never committed a crime under the criminal law and harmed others, and the photos of me participating in the beauty contest that started the controversy were stolen.” Through JTBC’s ‘Case Team Leader’, he countered by saying, “Who said I was a special theft?” and added, “At the time, I am preparing with a lawyer to provide proof of the decision not to forward the case and the decision not to indict, and I will soon submit rebuttal materials, so I am wondering which channel to use will be most effective. “I am in the process,” he said.
However, the production team of ‘I’m Solo’ edited all of his appearances. He continued, “When verifying contestants, we request in-depth interviews and submission of materials to filter out various criminal records and socially unacceptable past actions in advance,” and added, “Even after going through this process, an unpleasant incident occurred, and we take responsibility for it.” “I’m doing it,” he apologized.
Lee Beom-cheon of ‘End Love’ was also embroiled in controversy over fraudulent marriage. In the process of editing Beomcheon Lee’s screenplay, the production team also affected the screenplay and narrative of other cast members. As a result, some say that interest in broadcast programs has decreased.
“Judgment is clouded by optimism bias”
Experts pointed out ‘optimistic bias’ as the reason why ordinary people’s appearances repeatedly lead to gossip. The explanation is that rather than a deliberate attempt to hide a mistake, the judgment was clouded by being blinded by the expected effects.
Professor Myung-ho Lim of the Department of Psychology said, “They expect fame and wealth that can be gained through appearing on broadcasts, so they are unable to think about their past mistakes. If they decide to appear with an ‘optimistic bias’ in which they believe they will not experience negative situations, they may become embroiled in controversy after the broadcast. “You may not expect it to happen,” he said.
He added, “There may be cases where people judge that the benefits they can gain from broadcasting are greater even if they are criticized, but I think there will be many cases where they forget the mistakes of the past and only generalize the positive aspects.”
Pop culture critic Jeong Deok-hyun said, “In the past, controversies were limited to current issues such as gambling and drunk driving, but recently, issues from decades ago, such as school violence and criminal records, are also coming to the surface.” He added, “As viewers’ accessibility to information increases, “It’s changed,” he said.
At the same time, he said, “It is now impossible for the production team to filter 100% because there are many problems that are not recorded on paper,” adding, “Accordingly, broadcasters are relying on post-mortem methods such as full editing or inserting notices asking for the public’s understanding.” It was said.
Kim Young-ri, Hankyung.com reporter smartkim@hankyung.com
