Lesbian-themed K-drama ‘Daughters of Club Bilitis’ causes stir
A lesbian-themed Korean drama special entitled "Daughters of Club Bilitis" caused quite a stir in Korea after it was shown on the KBS channel. Last August 7, "Daughters of Club Bilitis", the title reminiscent of the first American lesbian rights group, aired on the popular KBS channel. The drama tells the intimate and personal stories of three generations of lesbian couples--one in their 50s, one in their 30s, and one in their teens.
Amidst critics' praise for the drama's depiction of the lives and struggles of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community, many conservative viewers specially parents expressed strong oppositions to the drama's airing and heavily criticized the KBS channel for showing it. They expressed fears that airing such a drama would negatively influence the youth.
Although not everyone feels the same way as evidenced by those who praised the quality of the drama, the clamor to halt the re-broadcast of "Daughters of Club Bilitis" is strong enough to propel KBS to pull out its scheduled replay. A representative expressed that due to the controversy, more young people are becoming curious about the drama. He also said that due to the clash of opinions, KBS has decided to halt the replay of "Daughters of Club Bilitis" since the Korean society still needs to resolve their differences in opinion in relation to this matter. I just hope that the careers of the actresses involved including veterans Choi Ran ("Hong Gil Dong", "You're Beautiful") and Kim Hye Ok ("Bad Guy", "Scent of a Woman") as well as promising actresses Han Go Eun ("A Man Called God"), Oh Se Jung ("Yi San"), Ahn Ji Hyun ("While You Were Sleeping"), and Jin Se Yeon ("The Duo") will not suffer due to this controversy.
This incident suggests that the Korean viewing public may not be ready for LGBT-themed content in their dramas. This reaction reminds me of the recent controversy (Hyperlink: http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/blogs/okpop/k-pop-girl-group-dances-becoming-raunchier-20110413-194934-252.html ) and criticisms hurled at several K-Pop girl groups for their costumes and sexy choreography. Indeed, the Korean viewing public is known to be very conservative. Even their romance drama kissing scenes are squeaky clean compared to those from other nations.
The question here is how do artists and producers strike the balance between artistic freedom and public acceptance? Share your thoughts through our comment box!
