There are mixed reactions in the original concept and choreography for Ga In’s double title tracks “Paradise Lost” and “Apple. Netizens have branded the original choreography as “porn,” while journalist Hwang Hyo Jin tackled the censorship in Korean broadcasts through an editorial.
On March 16th, Hwang Hyo Jin wrote a piece on censorship in broadcasting agencies and how counter progressive the idea of censorship is.
The editorial discussed the concept used in Ga In’s comeback album hawwah as it revolves around the story of the world’s first woman, Eve, where a more aggressive and daring side of the singer were unveiled through the double title tracks. In the track “Apple,” which also features Jay Park in the rap verses, used the term “forbidden fruit” from the Bible to symbolise the lust between man and woman. In her other title track “Paradise Lost,” however, Ga In conceptualises Eve’s first sin through her choreography that distinctly resembles the movements of a snake.
Due to the censorship, Ga In was unable to portray the original concept and choreography for “Apple” and “Paradise Lost.”
KBS and MBC have already censored “Apple” from their broadcasts, citing it unsuitable due to its lyrics, while “Paradise Lost” had to be modified because of its choreography. To this Ga In responded that, “I almost had a mental break down when I found out I could not do the choreography on non-cable shows.”
This is not the first time that such censorship interfered with the original concept of the artists. For example, when Hani’s famous fan cam became viral through SNS, EXID immediately returned to music shows with a modified choreography. The choreography was modified not because of the censorship, but because of the risk of being censored.
Meanwhile, Norazo’s music video “Your Fortune,” which became a trend following its release, can only be viewed on Youtube after being banned on cable television for having too much tattoos and discussing the topic on hypnotism. Due to the censorship, fans and viewers alike were unable to access the original contents of the music video on television.
In light of the topic of censorship, MBC, SBS and KBS have announced their stance and revealed that stye do not plan to publicly announce their standards. SBS previously released a statement through Daily Sports saying, “We don’t always publicise the reasons behind censorship. We are simply deciding whether something is fit or not for airing on our station and we do not feel that we need to let outside sources know our reasoning. We do however let artists and agencies know.”
It is undeniable that the minimal amount of censorship is necessary, but it would help if specific guidelines for vague categories such as sexuality be publicised. The censorship is described to be creating a gap between the artists’ performances and its contents that was meant to be performed and the viewers to see.
It was cited that as the generation and the media are changing rapidly, the quality of content is also increasing, along with the the audiences who are more knowledgeable and cultured. Ga In and her concept for hawwah is the perfect example of how progressive entertainment is these days. However, the big broadcasting agencies in South Korea are able to censor and hide the conceptions which led to the journalist question if the music and broadcasting industry will still be able to go hand in hand.
An interview with Jang Soo Won previously revealed that,“Going on music shows doesn’t equal music sales,” while Norazo confessed that, “You can be a singer without using the power of broadcast.” To this, Ga In also aired her thoughts and revealed that, “I am contemplating whether I should upload a choreography video to Youtube.”
Singers are already acknowledging the limitations of broadcast and finding alternative methods. What happens to broadcasts now?
Meanwhile, netizens expressed their distaste on Ga In’s performance and left comments branding it as pornography.
1. [ + 2510, -410] What? You want to see porn on TV??
2. [+ 1851, – 242] It seemed a little farfetched…I think she was better in ‘Bloom’
3. [+ 1710, -255] You call that sexy…?
Source: ize
