September 07, 2013
 |
| yeah Jiyoung it was so hard for you to do aegyo |
KARA has become the most recent group to have landed in the spotlight, but for the wrong reasons. After promoting in Japan for a long while, they finally returned to Korea with Damaged Lady. Yet, it was the appearance of 3 of their members - Hara, Seungyeon and Jiyoung - on Radio Star that caught the attention of many netizens and have sparked much controversy and hatred towards the group as a whole. A quick summary of what happened to the 3 members on the show:
1. Hara - teased about dating rumours, breaks out in tears
2. Jiyoung - asked to do aegyo, cries
3. Seungyeon - questions about controversy regarding her bad acting, blames it on the fact that viewers are used to seeing her as an idol not as an actress
Members Jiyoung and Seungyeon as well as their company, DSP entertainment, have already stepped forth to provide apologies for their behaviour. Representatives from Radio Star have also spoke up in support of the girls. Yet, are netizens appeased?
Today, writers Tiffany, Andi and Jeana have come together to share their thoughts on this whole controversy involving KARA, including some references made to several other groups including f(x) and T-ara.
Tiffany: From what I see, KARA is clearly done for. Radio Star is a widespread show throughout Korea that people watch from all demographic levels. They make jokes and somewhat rude remarks about the groups who appear on the show simply to entertain the viewer but for KARA to go on a show that they know does that and try to take away the “funny” is already enough to say: get the fuck off of the show. What KARA did that day was purely unacceptable… they acted as if they were the biggest shits in the world since they’re successful in Japan when in fact, they've lost a lot of their relevancy in South Korea. KARA’s Jiyoung even cried since she didn't want to do aegyo on the show but in the past, when they were thirsty for fans and popularity, she would have done it quicker than a fat man who didn't eat for a weak and saw a loaf of bread. As netizens say, they lost their roots definitely and need to go back to their rookie mentality. Not everyone likes them whether or not they’re successful in Japan so of course, they need to chill the fuck out.
However, even though this was bad, something similar to this happened not even that long ago on the same exact show but wasn't deemed near as controversial. Boring as hell f(x)’s Krystal and Sulli came only to look disinterested and unconcerned. But why isn't f(x) receiving the same treatment as KARA?When f(x)’s show took place, I’ve seen numerous comments only shaming the two girls who appeared and saying the other members, Victoria and Luna could do better, while on this episode when only three appeared, everyone’s bringing the whole group down. Are Nicole and Gyuri the same exact people as Jiyoung, Seungyeon and Hara? I’ve only seen one comment saying Gyuri wasn’t like the rest while the rest are basically saying KARA as a whole are over. Get the fuck out.
What’s with the double standard here?
Is it just another exhibit of SM’s power crawling on even this small little show?
Or were netizens already waiting for KARA to get in a scandal, hate in their hearts and memories of them leaving Korea for their archenemies Japan, Junhara’s break-up, Lee Soo Hara’s friendship, Hara’s ever-increasing plasticness… and basically just Hara’s existence?
Either way, I can just feel the unfairness creeping to this small broadcast between the two groups and to be honest, it’s not that fair especially when Krystal is constantly reprimanded for her attitude. Not to mention, Hara was in the same position as Sulli, Sulli in the midst of controversy during the time of appearance on the show.
Andi: At this point, I don't even see why KARA is even bothering with promotions in Korea anymore. They've been focusing so much on Japan that they've basically put themselves in a bit of a rookie status when it comes to relevancy in the Kpop world; and then they have the audacity to act like their the best thing since sliced bread publicly on broadcast. DSP Entertainment should seriously bear down more on KARA if they're wanting to actually fix up their situation.
We all know that it starts with a public apology and then some time to "reflect". Afterwards, if KARA intends to make themselves more relevant in Korea they should really take whatever CF job they can get and maybe do some charity work. Then instead of just disappearing to promote in Japan, they should actually give a damn about Korea and do something, anything to keep themselves relevant.
However, the chances of something like that happening are really low. I theorize that they will say nothing about the whole ordeal, finish up their promotions for Damaged Lady and then return to Japan, which is really the worst possible route they could take. Doing so would just show that they don't give a damn and basically looks like they're saying "f*ck this sh*t. Let's go back to Japan" which will really make them damaged ladies in the eyes of Korea.
Jeana: I do agree that KARA's behavior on Radio Star was rather unprofessional. They should have minded less about themselves as individuals and considered more about the entertainment value of Radio Star. Jiyoung shouldn't have minded so much about herself when asked to do aegyo but should have considered more about how viewers might want to see her do aegyo on the show and just do it. Furthermore, as celebrities, they should know how often controversies are brought up on variety shows and thus should somewhat know how to respond to their own controversies. Yet, Hara let her emotions get the better of her, while Seungyeon responded in a way that reflected badly of her attitude. All these details really put KARA in a bad light.
I do think that KARA needs to reflect more about themselves. Entertainment has never been about the I My Me or Mine, it has always been about the show, the viewers. They, as idols, should always be humbled and grateful, for their music careers could never have been possible without these key players. And given the unique situation that they are in, having been promoting in Japan for so long and finally coming back to Korea with Damaged Lady, they should all the more be respectful to viewers, or perhaps the fans that have waited for them for a long time. But they didn't, and it is already reflecting in their poor song charting. Knowing how scary netizens are, who knows how long the backlash might last. They are already beginning to be labelled as "The New T-ara"! I just hope that this becomes a huge wake up call for them, and maybe when their true beautiful characters start to surface during this time of adversity, netizens might come to accept them again. But of course, the chances of this occurring is extremely low, looking at T-ara's very experience.
What are your thoughts on this whole controversy? Do you think that netizens are being too anal and critical or is KARA's behaviour really deserving on a backlash? Do share your comments in the section below!
