(G)I-DLE’s Shuhua Faces Criticism After Her Appearance On “MMTG”

(G)I-DLE recently made a fiery comeback with the album I Feel, and as part of its promotional activities, all the members appeared on the popular YouTube show MMTG. The show’s host JaeJae is known for her ability to create fun-filled, high-energy moments with her guests, allowing fans to see new sides of their favorite celebrities. However, (G)I-DLE member Shuhua got embroiled in a mild controversy after her appearance on the show.

From the beginning of the episode, JaeJae showed that she is a true fan of the group, fangirling over their title tracks right from their debut. Talking about “Hann,” she asked Shuhua if she was excited about having a solo dance part in the song, to which the singer replied that she actually felt pressured by it. However, she used informal language (banmal) in her response, which prompted criticism from viewers.

Your browser does not support video.

JaeJae was surprised to hear her reply in an informal manner and jokingly asked, “What happened to being polite?” The other (G)I-DLE members were also taken aback, and Yuqi said, “You’re being so informal suddenly.”

Your browser does not support video.

Then, JaeJae showed some pictures from Shuhua’s school days, wondering why there were rumors about her not being popular back then despite being that pretty. Shuhua replied, still speaking informally, saying she was popular but “didn’t care for it.”

Your browser does not support video.

Next, the host showed a picture that Shuhua had uploaded after eating spicy ramen, asking why she posted it. The singer replied, “What do you want me to do?” Everyone, including JaeJae, laughed at her response.

Your browser does not support video.

As the segment moved forward, JaeJae asked her, “I heard you wanted to try acting in teen movies such as Twilight. Can you make facial expressions associated with the movies I come up with?” but she immediately turned it down, saying, “I don’t like these types of requests.” The host once again laughed at this response and moved on.

Your browser does not support video.

Your browser does not support video.

After the episode came out, viewers expressed their uneasiness with Shuhua’s behavior towards the host, who is ten years her senior. The issue soon spread to other online platforms, where comments were divided in their opinion. On one side, people felt that Shuhua was rude and praised JaeJae for handling the situation well.

• “Shuhua’s crossing the line. Big time.”
• “No wonder people love JaeJae so much. She’s great at hosting shows.”
• “JaeJae has such great manners. I’m impressed by how she handles moments that could potentially turn really awkward.”
• “Oh, Shuhua… She hasn’t changed a bit since her debut days. Of course, the public isn’t going to like the way she acts. She’s being problematic.”
• “I had a lot of fun watching, except when Shuhua was being rude. It made me cringe hard.”

While on the other side, some defended Shuhua, saying that her lack of Korean-speaking skills could have caused this situation. But there were also people refuting this logic, pointing out how the other foreign members of (G)-IDLE used honorifics in their response alright.

• “How come everyone’s defending her? It’s not like she’s a complete rookie. She’s been in the business for years. It is a problem that she’s not using honorifics. And it’s not like she’s the only foreign member in the group. Yuqi and Minnie use honorifics just fine. They’ve never caused problems. For her to be the only one repeatedly creating controversy…? She needs to check herself. It has nothing to do with the fact that she’s Chinese. Yuqi is Chinese, too. I’m sick and tired of her fans trying to cover this up for her. She needs to learn from her mistakes because if the fans keep coddling her like a baby, she’s never going to make improvements.”
• “It would not have been an issue at all had she used honorifics. Please. In Korea, we use honorifics for people we’ve met for the first time.”
• “Never had this problem with NingNing or Tzuyu, though. So it’s not about Shuhua being Chinese. It’s that she, as a person, is being problematic.”

There are also some who believe that Shuhua did this whole bit to fit the comic atmosphere of the show and feel that the criticism is unwarranted. Despite the heated debates, neither JaeJae nor Shuhua has addressed the issue publicly as of yet.