According to The Korea Herald, recently, Korean audiences have been extremely interested in the images of female players at game shows and reality shows.
For example, the scene of wrestler Jang Eun Sil pushing a giant boat with muscular men in the game show "Physical: 100" (Physical: 100).
Or the scene of Korean female police officers, firefighters and soldiers participating in the reality TV show "Siren: Survive the Island", female celebrities enthusiastically participating in the events. soccer match in "Kick a Goal"...
Along with that, many famous variety shows led by women include "Unpretty Rapstar", "Street Woman Fighter", "Sister's Slam Dunk". " attracts attention with the presence of strong, attractive female players.
In September, Wavve will release the survival reality TV show "Queen Bee Game" with the participation of 6 female leaders, who will choose male opponents to compete with. against other teams led by women.
According to Korean newspapers, images of powerful women are gradually becoming the norm in Korean variety shows, whereas before, this rarely appeared. The reason is because the perception of women's personalities is completely different from when they appeared on game shows in the past.
"In the past, if female celebrities appeared, they would participate in variety shows that were mainly for men under restrictions.
Usually, they are portrayed as people in romantic relationships or as characters who show weakness and need male support" - commented popular culture critic Jung Duk Hyun.
According to Jung Duk Hyun, from the 1990s to the early 2000s there were mostly unscripted shows in a variety of formats, requiring the members to make people laugh under extreme conditions, such as when Go on challenging missions in the wilderness or wear too much makeup.
"In this environment, female celebrities often risk damaging their public image and causing public controversy.
Therefore, producers of game shows and variety shows often avoid putting women in prominent roles, contributing to making their appearance rare" - the cultural expert added.
However, from 2010 onwards, the audience's needs have changed. They want to see the dynamic image, intelligence, personality, and uniqueness of female players at game shows and entertainment programs.
Along with that, the trend of producers shifting from reality variety shows to talk shows has increased the presence of women.
For example, in 2018, comedian Lee Young Ha became the first female celebrity to win a major award for her role in KBS's talk show "Hello Counselor".
Her streak was quickly followed by Park Na Rae and Kim Sook - who each won grand prizes at the 2019 MBC and 2020 KBS entertainment awards for their roles on the popular variety shows. .
Talking about this success, Jung Duk Hyun said that the new approaches will be praised by audiences of all genders.
"Allowing women to express their autonomy in healthy ways benefits everyone, not just women. It benefits men similarly."
