Entertainment or Bullying?

Ohhh well I'm glad to be of help & happy that you found the root of the problem hahah. Though its a shame you weren't able to enjoy island trio fully ^^;; But we're all different I suppose.

I do agree that comedians can be a little extreme at times, even for me. But nowadays I find Korean comedians too tame & soft, which is where we differ the most. Though of course, there will be self depreciative comments on weight and all that once in awhile, which I so wish they'd stop doing lol. But everything can't be perfect

 Marcrisan81:

but can get incredibly “unempathic” and cruel at times

This however, is a pretty wild statement to make as most of them rely on references, slapsticks, skits and overreaction. That's what comedians are supposed to do — not just Korean ones, but any non-lazy comedian. (British comedians are ruthless.) These are very frequent reoccurring themes in Korean TV spanning back quite a bit, so you may have a hard time finding shows you enjoy.

If I were to suggest other shows; 'I Am Ground' & 'Nana Tour' recently finished airing, they're great and no comedian in sight so they might be to your taste more...  I'm currently watching Europe outside your tent (France season) as well, another very cozy travel show.

 issa:

if you got 2 notifications it's because I had to resend the message when it wouldnt let me edit

That’s awesome! In this way I was able to get notified of your edition and able to read it! :)

And it’s awesome as well that we are doing a full circle from where all started with the title of this discussion hahaha

 issa:

This however, is a pretty wild statement

I’d like to lend you my lenses for a bit so you may see through, the “unempathic” and cruel comments that Kang Ho Dong makes about Kim Jong Min and others. But above all, I’d like you to sense how they treat him like an abusive father: loving and fearing him at the same time, with all eyes on him, waiting for his reactions in suspense, trying to laugh at his dark jokes, pretending not to be bothered by his bossiness because you don’t want to be targeted and you have to endure it to earn his favor. Am I overanalyzing it, right? Sure! And thanks God! :)

 issa:

most of them rely on references, slapsticks, skits and overreaction. That's what comedians are supposed to do — not just Korean ones, but any non-lazy comedian.

Comedians are supposed to make us laugh. And there are tons of ways to do so, don’t forget it. Surrealism, pranks, clownish falls, farts, deprecating and self-deprecating comments, clever jokes about the silly common humanness that we all share, contagious laughter… and many more. And amongst those options, to find the weaker points of a person (or make them up) and humiliate them in front of a nation, is the least funny for me. That’s not what comedians are supposed do. That’s what some comedians choose to do.

What worries me is that it gets to the point that people get anesthetized and even find it funny. They watch it without self-awareness because its entertainment, something to watch brainlessly. Some of them normalize the issue, go to their school and call this one a “stupid, fool, big idiot…”, and that one a “fatty pig, that is going to crush the chair he is sitting on”, and everything will be ok, “it’s just a joke!”

 issa:

(British comedians are ruthless.)

Some time ago I watched Rick Gervais’s Netflix special “Humanity” and me and some of my colleges were traumatized by it. Honestly…

 issa:

These are very frequent reoccurring themes in Korean TV spanning back quite a bit

I have watched many kdramas so far and I think I haven’t found one yet where there is not some sort of violence: slapping, kicking, pushing, grabbing, insulting… nor to mention bullying in schools and mobbing at work, even in the softest dramas. Of course series are pieces of fiction, but I wonder if they reflect some aspect of the actual culture. I haven’t been in SK yet to figure this out, but watching news of Korean politicians in the congress throwing fists to one another may not be just a weird random fact.

So you are right, there is this overarching theme of bullying, mobbing and deprecating comments all over Korean TV, but the fact that is always been this way doesn’t make it right to me. You can call me sensitive and it’ll be ok. What we eat, consume, watch… shape us. Is the culture/society that models that kind of interactions in TV programs (so they are just a reflection of the current reality) or those programs lead the way in teaching to behave amongst pals in society. Anyway, I’m out… I choose not to feed that loop.

 issa:

so you may have a hard time finding shows you enjoy.

Hahaha...No worries! I’m not a mass-media kind of woman. I have a hard time finding people alike, foods that are healthy and yummy, clothes that are out of the imposed fashion, places that aren’t spoiled, yet… But at the end, I find them :)

I’ll be ok, bella. And thanks a lot for keep bringing on recommendations! Much love! <3