SHINee’s Key Exposes The Brutal Realities Of Filming Variety Shows In The Past

SHINee‘s Key was the most recent guest on Lee Young Ji‘s popular YouTube series, My Alcohol Diary. Although most of Lee Young Ji’s guests are willing to open up about their true feelings on various topics, Key, in particular, was ready to tell-all.

He exposed everything from his thoughts about SM Entertainment…

Key: We are just helping each other.

Your browser does not support video.Key | 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만/YouTube 

To his actual text conversations with SM Entertainment’s founder, Lee Soo Man.

Key: Also, if there are moments where he thinks of me then…

Your browser does not support video.| 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만/YouTube 

Because Lee Young Ji’s show is so different from many reality shows, especially ones filmed in the past, Key also expressed how difficult older variety shows were to film and how they didn’t come close to representing reality.

The idol jokes at first, explaining that idols “weren’t allowed to poop” because it would ruin their perfect idol image.

Key: During our times, we weren’t allowed to poop.

Lee Young Ji: That’s true. Back then, you guys weren’t allowed.

Your browser does not support video.| 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만/YouTube 

Lee Young Ji points out that idols always had to have perfect skin to keep up this image.

Lee Young Ji: You guys weren’t even allowed to have wide pores.

Your browser does not support video.Key and Lee Young Ji | 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만/YouTube 

To maintain that image, Key shares that when filming a “waking up” scene, the idols actually had to get up much earlier to put on makeup.

Key: We used to pretend that we just woke up after doing full makeup. It was very tiring.

Lee Young Ji: I know what you mean. I wasn’t able to understand that situation. So during the reality show back then, they direct you on spot to pretend as if you just woke up?

Key: Back then? Yeah. Yeah in 2008…

Your browser does not support video.| 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만/YouTube 

And he expresses his admiration for how the industry has evolved to allow idols to show more of their “true [selves].”

Key: You are currently working in an environment where you can show your true self while I wasn’t [able to].

Your browser does not support video.| 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만/YouTube 

But, as Lee Young Ji points out, some idols still have to maintain an absolutely perfect image, even now.

Lee Young Ji: That’s not 100% right because there are certain people nowadays who don’t poop.

Key: Oh that’s right.

Lee Young Ji: It’s just that I am one of those people who poop.

Your browser does not support video.| 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만/YouTube 

Hopefully the K-Pop industry will continue to evolve, so idols don’t have to pretend they’re unrealistically perfect.

You can read more here.

SHINee’s Key Exposes His Texts With SM Entertainment’s Lee Soo Man