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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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 Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 4:52 am Post subject: Why is there almost no reality TV in Korea? |
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Just something I've been pondering...........
..................Most other countries I know of, definitely Europe and N. America, have nothing but reality TV on these days. Big Brother, Celebrity Big Brother, American Idol, Pop Idol, Hells Kitchen, Survivor, American Chopper....and so on........literally dozens of reality shows are on Western TV. It seems to have peaked and is on the decline in the West but Korea never really did it.
I asked my wife. She says the Korean celebrities wouldn't risk having their flaws exposed as the netizens can ruin a career. As for the normal public, Koreans just wouldn't be interested in watching them.
The only reality show that my wife can recall was a few years ago when the G.O.D. members had to take care of a baby for awhile. I remember that. It seemed very carefully staged, edited and presented. Not the shocking drama and fireworks that we expect from reality TV in the West.
So, is there a deep cultural reason for this? |
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butlerian
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 4:57 am Post subject: |
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| Let's just be grateful for it. |
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twg
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:01 am Post subject: Re: Why is there almost no reality TV in Korea? |
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| eamo wrote: |
| So, is there a deep cultural reason for this? |
Rare good taste? |
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vox
Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Location: Jeollabukdo
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:05 am Post subject: Re: Why is there almost no reality TV in Korea? |
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| eamo wrote: |
Just something I've been pondering...........
..................Most other countries I know of, definitely Europe and N. America, have nothing but reality TV on these days. Big Brother, Celebrity Big Brother, American Idol, Pop Idol, Hells Kitchen, Survivor, American Chopper....and so on........literally dozens of reality shows are on Western TV. It seems to have peaked and is on the decline in the West but Korea never really did it.
I asked my wife. She says the Korean celebrities wouldn't risk having their flaws exposed as the netizens can ruin a career. As for the normal public, Koreans just wouldn't be interested in watching them.
The only reality show that my wife can recall was a few years ago when the G.O.D. members had to take care of a baby for awhile. I remember that. It seemed very carefully staged, edited and presented. Not the shocking drama and fireworks that we expect from reality TV in the West.
So, is there a deep cultural reason for this? |
I've seen a Korean version of Cheaters on tv a few times in the morning. I avoid it now but I do believe they have that and another show where they follow Korean cops on the beat catching crooks. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:11 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I've seen a Korean version of Cheaters on tv a few times in the morning. I avoid it now but I do believe they have that and another show where they follow Korean cops on the beat catching crooks. |
That's right. I think I've seen those shows. So there is a bit of it on Korean TV.
Plus, I guess the X-Men, celebrities doing stunts and childish games, kind of show is on too. That's a bit like reality TV. |
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cbclark4
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: Masan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:11 am Post subject: Re: Why is there almost no reality TV in Korea? |
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| vox wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
Just something I've been pondering...........
..................Most other countries I know of, definitely Europe and N. America, have nothing but reality TV on these days. Big Brother, Celebrity Big Brother, American Idol, Pop Idol, Hells Kitchen, Survivor, American Chopper....and so on........literally dozens of reality shows are on Western TV. It seems to have peaked and is on the decline in the West but Korea never really did it.
I asked my wife. She says the Korean celebrities wouldn't risk having their flaws exposed as the netizens can ruin a career. As for the normal public, Koreans just wouldn't be interested in watching them.
The only reality show that my wife can recall was a few years ago when the G.O.D. members had to take care of a baby for awhile. I remember that. It seemed very carefully staged, edited and presented. Not the shocking drama and fireworks that we expect from reality TV in the West.
So, is there a deep cultural reason for this? |
I've seen a Korean version of Cheaters on tv a few times in the morning. I avoid it now but I do believe they have that and another show where they follow Korean cops on the beat catching crooks. |
SCANDAL |
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indytrucks
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: The Shelf
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:12 am Post subject: |
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I would say that those insipid shows like 'X-Men', 'Star Golden Bell' and the multitude of others in that same ilk are the Korean equivalent to reality TV. Equally as idiotic as the ones from the West.
* edit you beat me to it |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:19 am Post subject: Re: Why is there almost no reality TV in Korea? |
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| eamo wrote: |
Just something I've been pondering...........
I asked my wife. She says the Korean celebrities wouldn't risk having their flaws exposed as the netizens can ruin a career. As for the normal public, Koreans just wouldn't be interested in watching them. |
I don't believe that. Do you believe that?
BTW, it's unwise to ponder such things aloud.
| butlerian wrote: |
| Let's just be grateful for it. |
Indeed. And let us do it silently. No more reckless, fate-tempting threads about it.
| vox wrote: |
| I've seen a Korean version of Cheaters on tv a few times in the morning. I avoid it now but I do believe they have that and another show where they follow Korean cops on the beat catching crooks. |
The closest thing to a Reality-Cops show I've seen was rather dull. Korean wives reporting that their husbands had fallen in holes and can't get out, that sort of thing. And one where this stray dog had some kind of wire muzzle stuck on its face, and the ajumma who reported it, the cops and the dog-catchers were all running around the farm trying to rescue him. |
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vox
Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Location: Jeollabukdo
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:36 am Post subject: Re: Why is there almost no reality TV in Korea? |
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| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
Just something I've been pondering...........
I asked my wife. She says the Korean celebrities wouldn't risk having their flaws exposed as the netizens can ruin a career. As for the normal public, Koreans just wouldn't be interested in watching them. |
I don't believe that. Do you believe that?
BTW, it's unwise to ponder such things aloud.
| butlerian wrote: |
| Let's just be grateful for it. |
Indeed. And let us do it silently. No more reckless, fate-tempting threads about it.
| vox wrote: |
| I've seen a Korean version of Cheaters on tv a few times in the morning. I avoid it now but I do believe they have that and another show where they follow Korean cops on the beat catching crooks. |
The closest thing to a Reality-Cops show I've seen was rather dull. Korean wives reporting that their husbands had fallen in holes and can't get out, that sort of thing. And one where this stray dog had some kind of wire muzzle stuck on its face, and the ajumma who reported it, the cops and the dog-catchers were all running around the farm trying to rescue him. |
I watched part of one episode of that cops reality show and I remember they were following an undercover dude using those green nightvision glasses on the camera... he intercepted a supposed dark-alley night meeting for exchanging or selling some illegal substance. They swarmed and cuffed the culprit. I never did figure out what they booked him for trying to sell... maybe ho-ddok out of season? (those little corner stands that advertise ho-ddok but don't sell it 'cause it's not in the fall, they drive me nuts.) |
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twg
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:05 am Post subject: |
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| You know... I do miss COPS. It was so.... homey. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:19 am Post subject: |
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What kind of reality show would you like to see made in Korea?!
I would go for a show like Temptation Island. Get a bunch of 50-something ajeossi's to go to some kind of a garishly decorated private room, ply them with lots of whiskey, send in a few juicy girls much younger than they are and see if any of the men will cheat on their..............oh, wait............ |
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kotakji
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:26 am Post subject: |
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| twg wrote: |
| You know... I do miss COPS. It was so.... homey. |
This answer the OP's question. My wife saw COPS on her first trip to the US and her response was something to the effect of bewildering surprise that anyone would willingly allow their face to be shown on TV after having committed a crime. This is as some junkie is arrested for beating up his lady and (obviously) agrees to have his face shown in return for a few bucks from the producers. We westerners are sometimes summed up by a quote from Tombstone... "I have not yet begun to defile myself!" |
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Ozabout7or8
Joined: 04 May 2007
Location: NZ
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know what you are talking about. Whenever I used to turn the TV on there would be gaming on the games channel, or some game shows, or talk shown, or the shows where a famous star goes to a school and does a concert, or those programmes where they take the camera into someones house and follow them around while they do pretty mundane things...
Are those not all reality TV? Yes they are.
Just because the Western Wave of Celebrity Treasure Island, Pop Idol and Wife Swap have not yet reached Korea, why should that be anything to care about?
Korea has developed it's own brand of shows that appeal to local audiences. Did you know that the historical dramas are super popular with Koreans? How many historical dramas go down well in Western countries? You could fill a couple of channels with the Hstorical dramas in Korea that people regularly watch.
I say thank you lucky stars that trash reality TV has not yet colonised the ROK. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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Nothing is funnier than watching Korean 'celebrities' hit each other with cheap plastic inflatable hammers, and then having the excitement of seeing them act like it was the funniest thing that has ever happened.
Koreans make great TVs, but they broadcast tripe. |
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kingtout
Joined: 03 May 2007
Location: ROK...again...
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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Survivor? Nope. The oldest Ajossi would win because of the Confusian thing.
Real World? Nope. Watching kids study 24/7, and the only expressive thing about their personalities is which online game they play.
The Bachelor? Nope. Only if the mother had the actual choice.
Basically, Reality shows wouldn't be interesting because of the "oneness" of the society here. Everyone pretty much thinks the same thing about almost everything, which would make the tedium that is reality TV more than unbearable. |
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