According to Hankookilbo, in the global music industry, Jennie (Blackpink) possesses extremely strong brand influence.
However, on Korean domestic television, she had difficulty in leaving a long-lasting mark, and even received criticism for only creating a temporary effect without having a clear impact on viewership ratings.
Jennie has been active in the entertainment industry since her debut in 2016 as a Blackpink member. During that time, she rose to the ranks of leading music stars, but her television activities received less attention, and were even less positively evaluated for their effectiveness, due to the public's less enthusiastic reception.
Appearing on television is not a temporary experience for Jennie. She has participated as a permanent member in programs such as "Village Survival, the Eight" (SBS), "Apartment 404" (tvN), "My Name is Gabriel" (Disney+) and most recently "The Secret Friends Club" (MBC).
However, the reaction from the audience was quite mixed. In addition to the initial wave of interest, her appearance did not help the program increase ratings or retain viewers for a long time.
The episode "Transit Love 4" (Tving) last month was a typical example of the lack of interaction from Jennie's side. Previously, famous guests of the program often created connections with the cast by sharing personal emotional experiences - which is considered a familiar role of guests.
On the contrary, Jennie does not mention past relationships, nor does she show a clear emotional immersion with the cast. She is still a noteworthy guest, but does not become part of the core emotional flow in the program.
According to critics, what Jennie lacks is a sustainable "entertainment image". Variety shows often depend heavily on the participants shaping their roles in the show, and this is a point that Jennie has not yet built a clear identity on screen.
For example, "The Secret Friends Club" once created many moments that caused a network fever after airing - such as the scene of DEX running away from Choo Sung Hoon or Lee Su Ji throwing Jennie's gift aside. However, even in these scenes, Jennie herself is still quite faint.
To this day, she has not clearly shown the elements that are often associated with the appeal of variety shows, such as natural humor, self-deprecating charm or flexible and witty improvisation ability.
Although Jennie continues to appear on entertainment shows, the results are not commensurate with expectations. "The Secret Friends Club" recorded a nationwide household rating of 2.1% - only about half of the final episode of "King of Mask Singer", the predecessor program of this time slot.
For Jennie, participating in variety shows is not a mandatory professional requirement. Her continuous appearances on television seem to be an effort to expand her influence outside of music.
However, prolonged indifferent feedback has sparked criticism that her performance has not met expectations.
According to the media, as a music artist, Jennie has a strong global position and fan community. But if she wants to continue to stick with reality entertainment shows, perhaps she will need a strategy that is more suitable for this genre.
