《Kim Ji-won's Kakaotalk》
Today's story, candid and critical. TenAsia's reporter Kim Ji-won offers a discerning critique of entertainment industry issues.
Disney+ variety show 'Fate War 49' is under fire for a mission involving guessing the cause of death of fallen heroes. Host Jeon Hyun-moo's comments and the production team's concept are facing criticism. Despite its fresh premise of '49 fate tellers in a survival game,' the show is accused of exploiting sensitive topics without empathy or ethical standards.
In a recent episode, a mission involved guessing the cause of death of deceased individuals, including a police officer who died after being stabbed nine times while apprehending a criminal. The issue was the manner in which it was handled. Jeon Hyun-moo used the phrase "a uniformed person got stabbed," to which Shin Dong responded, "I really liked that word." This trivialized the noble sacrifice and suffering of a public servant who died protecting citizens.
The tone was similar in other cases. When discussing a mountaineer who died from a fall and a firefighter who perished while extinguishing a fire, the hosts reacted with comments like "crazy" and "amazing." Some viewers criticized these reactions as excessive and insensitive to the deceased and their families. The criticism is that death was used not as a subject of mourning but as a source of entertainment and reaction competition.
The responsibility does not lie solely with the hosts. The production team's decision to plan and air such missions is also under scrutiny. They claimed to have obtained prior consent and to have been cautious in production. However, viewers argue that consent does not justify using tragedies as entertainment devices. Cases with significant public meaning, like those of fallen heroes, require more careful handling.
Jeon Hyun-moo's hosting approach also drew disappointment. As a veteran host, he should have moderated the atmosphere and filtered expressions. This is especially true when dealing with themes of death and sacrifice. Instead, he repeated expressions and failed to control the heated reactions, appearing to amplify rather than mitigate the sensational tone.
Can viewers truly enjoy and feel comfortable watching a show that refers to others' tragedies as "amazing" and calls the scars of fallen heroes "stabs"? A broadcast that should honor the deceased, especially fallen heroes, instead trivializes them, causing not just discomfort but anger. It raises questions about whether 'Fate War 49' genuinely aimed to scientifically verify fate-telling or sought sensationalism by showcasing death. The reactions from Jeon Hyun-moo and other hosts lacked humanity and respect, leaving only discomfort.