One Fatal Flaw That Ruined Too Many K-Dramas Already

Summary:

• After the success of Squid Game, Korean television dramas became very popular among American viewers.
• Many view the beauty standards set for Korean actors as hurtful.
• Fatphobia often lurks in K-drama scripts and ruins the experience of watching the show.

No matter where the TV show is produced, there are always some issues that more empathetic viewers may notice. While some productions are careful enough to label triggering content, others don't even realize how they're promoting hurtful ideas.

From the glorification of abusive and toxic relationships to the promotion of diet-culture agendas, some stories we're all used to seeing in theaters and on television are downright dangerous to our own perceptions of the world around us. Although the industry has gotten better in the last few decades and has taken a turn toward awareness, it's still far from perfect.

This, of course, is the Western entertainment industry. If you were to look east, you would be greeted by a whole range of dramas to satisfy every single one of your desires.

From serious historical dramas to mysterious fantasies to fun and light-hearted romantic comedies, the rise of Squid Game has opened the door for many more Korean dramas to compete with established American and British productions.

But the same old themes are still there. And some of them are even stronger from a Korean perspective.

Do K-Dramas Promote Eating Disorders?

While many viewers find themselves captivated by the stories of the shows they start watching, it's hard not to pay attention to the constant fat-phobic lines and jokes that these shows push. Almost every female lead in almost every K-drama ends up being called fat at some point in the show, while all the actresses are thin.

Of course, this comes from the culture. Just like Western productions, Korean productions reflect what society deems appropriate.

While Korean culture has always been very strict about the appearance of women and the restrictions women have to go through to be considered good-looking, the growing popularity of the entertainment industry has made the issue even more pressing.

American viewers are no strangers to the promotion of such hurtful standards in the media, so they can put up with it in K-dramas for quite some time, but eventually, it becomes tiresome.

However, there are still some choices among K-dramas that deal seriously with the issue of hurtful beauty standards and weight loss. If you want to watch one of them, you can search for My ID Is Gangnam Beauty on Netflix.