Entertainment
03/15/2023 14:40
Despite the risk of scandal, why do reality shows keep hiring non-celebrities?
By Lee Gyu-lee
Reality shows starring non-celebrities have been gaining ground in the entertainment world, adding new faces through various genres such as dating, casting shows, and survival game shows.
However, as shows centered around non-celebrities become more common, more scandals and allegations against performers have surfaced after being exposed to a wider public through various forms of media.
Netflix’s recent hit reality show Physical: 100, in which about 100 men and women compete in physical challenges for cash prizes, has faced numerous scandals involving three of its contestants.
A school bullying allegation against one of the female contestants, alleging that she verbally and physically abused the user, has surfaced online for the first time since the show debuted on the streaming platform in January. The contestant denied any physical assault but admitted to verbally assaulting younger students.
Shortly after, the show made headlines again when it was revealed that two of their other contestants faced criminal charges, one for assaulting his girlfriend and the other for threatening his girlfriend.
Following the series of scandals involving the cast, Netflix has canceled its press conference scheduled for the season finale late last month.
“Before discussing the worldwide success of the show… with the media via the press conference, we thought it best to delve into the details of the incident. So we decided to cancel the event,” the show’s creators said in a press release.
| A scene from the Netflix reality show Physical: 100 / Courtesy Netflix |
The dating show I Am Solo has also been cast in a negative light after allegations that one of its most recent contestants transmitted an STD to his ex-girlfriend. An online user who claimed to be the ex-girlfriend wrote that she tested positive for an illness two months after dating the contestant. The participant rejected the allegation and announced that legal action would be taken.
Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun noted that such a rise in celebrity-free shows is due to the increasing number of media platforms.
“There are now more channels and platforms for content. And there are too many to fill with celebrities. So shows with non-celebrities have naturally increased. And because reality shows are booming, people also prefer ordinary people over celebrities,” he said.
The critic added that any scandals and allegations would anger the public, as viewers often demand stricter standards even for non-celebrities and place more responsibility on the privileges they may enjoy when in the media.
“Being on TV means attracting public attention, which would also lead to financial benefits. You are also able to have a great influence on others. Therefore, there are stricter standards for those (who appear on TV) compared to normal people,” he said.
“In cases where there are victims, criminals who appear on television and gain popularity themselves could be like another attack from the victims’ perspective. So in those cases, viewers tend to be tougher.”
| Scenes from Dating Show “I Am Solo” / Korea Times File |
MBN’s popular music competition show Fire Trot angered her fans with her reaction to an issue surrounding one of her celebrity competitors. Hwang Young-woong, who took first place in the semifinals, has been accused of a history of bullying his classmates at school and assaulting several people, including his boyfriend and ex-girlfriend. One of the cases earned Hwang a criminal record.
The show’s production team stated that they conducted their own background checks and took precautions when selecting their contestants before inviting them to the show. But examining all the details of a person’s past has limitations in conducting such reviews.
“During the audition, we obtained consent from everyone who wanted to participate and reviewed all possible factors for disqualification. We went through an internal process to get written agreements (from the participants) and recruited them,” the team said in its statement. “We are sorry that an unfortunate incident has occurred despite a preliminary review and agreement due to realistic restrictions.”
| Hwang Young-woong, one of the contestants on MBN’s popular music competition show Fire Trot, was charged with assault during the show. Korea Times file |
Although it was confirmed that Hwang was fined for assault in 2016, the network nevertheless proceeded with the first part of the finals over the next week, prompting further criticism from viewers. After this, Hwang decided to resign days later and he was cut from the final episode.
Critic Ha agreed that there will always be limitations for show production teams to fully acknowledge and verify cast members’ individual backgrounds.
“It’s difficult for the network and production team to fully review someone else’s past. Therefore, the responsible party needs to be open and share what needs to be shared and take responsibility when needed,” he said.
He stressed that it was important for the production team to be firm about scandals in order to set a precedent.
“When a problem arises, the production team must respond with strict measures so that other potential non-celebrity cast members will be more cautious in the future when they decide to appear in the media,” he said.
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