MBC's upcoming drama 'To the Moon' has sparked controversy with its teaser video, accused of racial insensitivity just a month before its premiere. The teaser features lead actors Lee Sun-bin, Ra Mi-ran, Jo Ah-ram, and Kim Young-dae dressed in Aladdin-themed costumes, dancing in a manner reminiscent of an ice cream commercial. The video has been criticized both domestically and internationally for allegedly mocking Middle Eastern culture.
In the contentious scene, the actors don Arabian-style attire and perform a dance to the tune of a past ice cream commercial jingle. Kim Young-dae's exaggerated comedic performance, especially during the lyrics "It looks strange," has been deemed outdated and inappropriate.
'To the Moon' is a hyper-realistic survival story about three women who turn to cryptocurrency investment as a means of survival in a capitalist society. The teaser's portrayal has been criticized for diverging from the drama's intended message.
The teaser quickly spread across social media, drawing ire from many viewers in the Arab world who felt their traditional culture was being mocked. Comparisons were made to how it would feel if an American show depicted characters wearing kimonos and traditional Korean hats while performing a dance, highlighting the lack of cultural sensitivity.
Some argue that the controversy cannot be dismissed as a simple oversight, pointing to the lack of cultural awareness and sensitivity from the production team, despite the numerous reviews the video underwent before its release.
MBC's Friday-Saturday dramas have been struggling with low ratings recently. 'Labor Attorney No Moo-jin,' led by Jung Kyung-ho, saw ratings drop to 2%, while Lee Bo-young's 'Mary Kills People' hovered around 1%. 'To the Moon' was anticipated to reverse this trend.
In response to the controversy, MBC stated to TenAsia on the morning of the 21st, "The drama's story is set against the backdrop of a confectionery company, and the teaser was a parody of famous ice cream commercials from the 1980s and 1990s. We failed to consider the perspectives of other cultures in this process. The video has been removed, and we will be more cautious in the future to avoid causing discomfort."
Some believe that the strong impression of cultural mockery may make it difficult for the drama to recover its image. It remains to be seen how the show will be directed moving forward and how it will regain viewers' trust.
Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr