“Unanswered Questions” Episode Under Massive Fire For Comparing FIFTY FIFTY To BTS, BLACKPINK, And NewJeans
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The latest episode of SBS‘s popular investigative program Unanswered Questions aired amid high anticipation, as it took a deep dive look at FIFTY FIFTY‘s recent dispute with their management, ATTRAKT.
FIFTY FIFTY | @officialcharts/Twitter Following a silence-breaking letter from the members and a tempting episode teaser with the members’ families, K-Pop fans tuned in for more insight.
Soon after airing, though, the episode received massive backlash from the viewers for “defending FIFTY FIFTY” and, in the process, “disrespecting other K-Pop artists for no reason.”
In an attempt to explain FIFTY FIFTY’s international success, Unanswered Questions compared the rookie girl group’s accomplishments to those of K-Pop’s biggest groups, like BTS, BLACKPINK, and NewJeans.
BLACKPINK | @blackpink/Twitter One interview included in the episode, with Molly Raycraft, pitched FIFTY FIFTY against NewJeans, commenting on how the latter “isn’t well-known in England.” The group name aired censored, but it was not difficult for the viewers to recognize.
| SBS I know NewJeans is really popular in South Korea, but they have had very little traction in the UK which might sound really astounding to the Korean audience. So it’s actually very difficult to reach into the UK market and the European market, which is a reflection of just how hard it’s been for FIFTY FIFTY to do and the achievement that they’ve been able to…
— Molly Raycraft
Another interview from the episode—with K-Pop columnist Jeff Benjamin—mentioned SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, HYBE, and JYP Entertainment as well.
The Korean subtitles quoted, “Management companies like SM, YG, HYBE, and JYP spent so long working toward establishing solid partnerships with American labels. But FIFTY FIFTY came out of nowhere, breaking the norm for how international girl groups are made.”
| SBS At another point in the episode, BLACKPINK and their collaborative track with Lady Gaga, called “Sour Candy,” were compared side-by-side to FIFTY FIFTY and the English version of their hit track “Cupid.”
“Sour Candy at #17” (left) and “Cupid (Twin Ver.) at #5” (right). | SBS Unanswered Questions also drew parallels between FIFTY FIFTY and BTS, mentioning how both groups “came from smaller management companies.” In doing so, however, Unanswered Questions claimed that BTS won nominations for the EMMYs, not the GRAMMYs.
BTS | @bts_bighit/Twitter When BTS, as the sole group to a small management company, made their debut on the Billboard chart, won multiple awards at the American Music Awards, won nominations for the EMMYs, and got dubbed the next ‘Beatles,’ fans celebrated their success and honored their accomplishments. BTS became the pride of all Koreans as Hallyu icons. So when FIFTY FIFTY dominated the Billboard chart with “Cupid” only six months after their debut, fans rooted for them, too; hopeful for them to follow BTS’s footsteps.
But now that their legal battle is in full swing, what will happen to FIFTY FIFTY? How will the case end? Here’s the thing: Countless idol groups have formed and faded in the shadows while BTS propelled forward to become an international sensation. And no one paid attention to these groups. Most of the former idols who have graced Unanswered Questions have never seen a paystub as promised on their contracts…
— “Unanswered Questions” Host Kim Sang Joong
The episode was met with criticism from viewers, as well as BTS, BLACKPINK, and NewJeans fans, for the “uncalled-for comparisons” made “for the sake of hyping up FIFTY FIFTY” and so, ultimately, excusing the girl group for turning on ATTRAKT.
| theqoo - “How many K-Pop idol groups did this episode have to disrespect to defend FIFTY FIFTY? This is madness.”
- “This was… quite the sh*t show of an episode. Who even are the people being interviewed? I can’t believe the comparisons made it on air. Ha… What is this, some sort of a sick prank?”
- “What even is this…?”
- “We don’t care what people think.”
- “FIFTY FIFTY isn’t going to survive this Unanswered Questions episode, LMAO. No one is going to side with them… Not after what was said and done in this episode.”
- “Not that I watched the episode… But it shouldn’t have focused on comparison who’s more popular in what parts of the world. It should’ve focused on the details behind the legal dispute. Isn’t that what Unanswered Questions does as a program? At least, the editing team should’ve known better than to include the parts mentioning other K-Pop groups.”
One viewer pointed out, “Unanswered Questions [defended] the girl group to suspicious lengths,” enough to leave the viewers “questioning the real intention behind the episode.”
The episode was supposed to be about FIFTY FIFTY’s legal dispute with their management. So none of the interviews and comparisons about other K-Pop artists were relevant. No one asked how popular FIFTY FIFTY was in the UK. No one needed the ‘Sour Candy’ vs. ‘Cupid’ ranking differences. What the viewers needed was a deep-dive breakdown of what went down between FIFTY FIFTY and ATTRAKT. But instead, we got 60 minutes of Unanswered Questions defending the girl group to suspicious lengths, that it left us questioning the real intention behind the episode.
— theqoo
Korean viewers continue to express disappointment at Unanswered Questions for “lacking the research and understanding of the K-Entertainment and K-Pop world” in the episode to have provided real insight.
| theqoo - “I don’t understand why this episode dragged on and on about other K-Pop idols when it was supposed to have been about FIFTY FIFTY and their dispute.”
- “Remember BTS, too, didn’t get a lot of attention at first, right after their debut. ARMYs know what kind of effort and dedication it took for the members to get where they are now. So… What is this episode even talking about? Why bring BTS into this at all? Oh, and the EMMYs? Are you serious? SBS doesn’t know the difference between the EMMYs and the GRAMMYs?”
- “I don’t think Unanswered Questions had the remotest understanding of all the details behind what happened to FIFTY FIFTY and ATTRAKT at all.”
- “The EMMYs, LMAO. This is f*cking comical.”
- “But didn’t BTS go through hell of a lot more than FIFTY FIFTY ever did?”
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