Korean Job Discussion Forums

periwinkle · Joined: 08 Feb 2003

Have you ever seen one of those shows where the program does kind of a "day in the life" show about a foreigner married to a Korean? What do you think of those shows? The reason I'm asking is because I'm having a traditional wedding, and MBC wants to tape the wedding. I feel very negatively about it. I don't know if MBC just wanted to tape any traditional wedding, and our wedding conveniently fits into their schedule, or if the wedding hall contacted MBC or vice versa and told them a foreign woman was marrying a Korean.

My fiance is pissed at me about my attitude toward the whole thing. Frankly, I don't want half of the Korean peninsula watching my wedding. I think its private. Second, I don't want my wedding viewed as a novelty. I think these tv shows that profile mixed couples are an invasion of their privacy, and I feel somewhat embarrassed watching the shows. I really wonder what people think while they're watching the shows. I can imagine people watching my wedding thinking, "Oh-she looks so weird in a hanbok. Korean women look so much better than she does." and "Oh, she looks so awkward bowing" and "Her father should really color his grays..", etc., etc., etc.

Am I just oversensitive? My fiance thinks I have a piss-poor attitude about the whole thing. Sigh...

Zyzyfer · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:10 pm Post subject:

I agree. I wouldn't would TV cameras and crap all over the place and more people seeing the wedding than were invited.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I would feel the same way you do. It strikes me as an invasion of privacy. I have no understanding of people who do private things in public, like three-headed nuns talking about their brawl at the tavern on those talk shows.

The Korean weddings I've been to have all been filmed and I've even been forced to sit through a screening of one of them, so it's possible the idea of a cameraman running around shoving cameras in people's faces is OK by Korean standards. It's not by mine.

VanIslander

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

periwinkle · Joined: 08 Feb 2003

Heh-why is he so keen on the idea? Maybe he wants to show off his trophy to anyone and everyone. Blech. I'm just depressed because this is happening 2 days before the wedding. Actually, I don't think he cares one way or the other about having the wedding shown on national tv. He's more annoyed at my attitude and the chip I have on my shoulder about the way foreigners are treated in Korea. I get stared at enough as it is. I don't want to give people another excuse to point at me and talk about me.

Hanson · Joined: 20 Oct 2004

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

What a crock of shit. Last week I was eating some doeji galbi with my girly when some tv crew came in to do a bit about the ajumma cooking pigskin. Sure as shit, all the cameras were conveniently focused with me in the background. When I was paying for the food they said someting to the effect of "Ottokhe? Waegookin ga yo? Ottokhe?"

My girlfriend said they were discussing the necessity of showing a foreigner enjoying the food. Needless to say, she was pretty pissed off about them having to use my image.

If they were going to film my wedding, I'd demand a lot of money.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

I hate those shows. Usually the westerner speaks better korean than i can and my wife complains about my lack of korean ability afterwards.

i would say no to mbc taping the wedding.

periwinkle · Joined: 08 Feb 2003

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

I didn't get any compensation, and I wasn't going to fight over it and cause a spectacle then. We had other business to tend to, and they didn't make me do an interview. I was a bit hazy from some Bamboo alcohol and a belly full of pork, so I just brushed them off.

Koreans seem to be big on reality shows, moreso than in the US. In the US they arrange a group of ordinary people, prep them, and pay them for their time. In Korea they do like Uncle Fred at Billy's birthday party in 1986 with the family's first camcorder: shove it in your face and expect you to say something cute.

Octavius Hite · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 5:35 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't let them because just last year korean TV was showing that lovely little program about us giving dope to school girls, sexually assulting them, being unqualified, etc. Korean tv is not to be trusted, they manipulate all the time and what garuntee do you have that they won't use your wedding for some crazy expose or comedy show.

SuperFly · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Location: In the doghouse

I wouldn't do it.

fidel · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ

Hell no!
I had the same issue as you with KBS (my wife used to work for KBS) wanting to do a documentary on my family, I gave them a flat out 'not a chance' and that was the end of the discussion.