YouTube drinking chat shows are making K-pop stars from BTS’ Suga to Blackpink’s Jisoo ‘more relatable’, but critics are voicing concerns

By Lee Gyu-lee Offering a glimpse into the private lives of celebrities is a sure-fire formula for attracting viewers, especially if alcohol is added to the equation. That’s exactly what rapper Lee Young-ji has done in her show, “Not Much Prepared”, which invites big-name celebrities to chat over a tipple. The show was quick to create a buzz on social media. Debuting on YouTube on June 2022, it has gained over almost 3 million subscribers so far. For each episode, a guest is invited to Lee’s house to talk about their life and career and share personal stories while knocking back shots and enjoying food with her. The show has featured a number of famous K-pop stars like Jisoo of girl group Blackpink, Jin of BTS, Key of Shinee, Nayeon and Chaeyoung of Twice, as well as Danish pop singer Christopher Lund Nissen. After the show proved a success, other similar YouTube content began to pop up, such as Suga of BTS’ “Suchwita” and “Jo Hyun-ah’s Thursday Night”. Suga, of K-pop juggernauts BTS, launched his show on the group’s official YouTube channel. Its title, “Suchwita”, is a Korean acronym for “Time to drink with Suga”. Since starting in December 2022, the show has featured various K-pop stars, including his fellow group members, for candid chats about their lives in a casual setting. K-pop stars are on drinking talk shows and they have a lot of influence on teenagers, so it raises concerns Kim Hern-sik, pop culture critic The first episode, featuring rapper RM, has drawn over 7 million views since its release. One 25-year-old YouTube viewer says these drinking talk shows offer a rare chance to see stars away from the spotlight. “A lot of the guests are top stars. And those talk shows are more relatable and closer to life than other shows, because it’s like (the celebrities) are just talking at a bar. So it feels like you’re getting a peek at your friend’s drinking hole, which is interesting.” Does viral video show V from BTS holding hands with Jennie from Blackpink? Around the same time as Suga, singer Jo Hyun-ah of Urban Zakapa and BamBam of K-pop group Got7 also started their own talk shows that invite guests for a drink. “Jo Hyun-ah’s Thursday Night”, which has featured celebrities like singers Bae Suzy and Im Si-wan drinking, engaging in casual conversation and singing songs, has seen its YouTube channel gain over 300,000 subscribers since it began on January 4. BamBam invited K-pop stars like Twice’s Jihyo and Jeon So-mi to his house for craft beer on his talk show “Bam House”. Pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik says that web-based reality shows, which tend to be subject to more flexible guidelines than their counterparts on traditional TV channels, use alcohol to stand out. “[YouTube content creators] need to differentiate themselves from broadcast television. With TV shows, there are stricter regulations on scenes featuring alcohol consumption,” he says. “So, to set themselves apart, [web-based shows] need to cover things that aren’t on regular TV programmes. Hence, there are more shows with alcohol.” ‘No hangovers’: young Koreans used to beer and soju are crazy for whisky He adds that a look into the stars’ personal lives in a very relaxed atmosphere makes such shows more appealing to fans. “Also, it gives a natural vibe, which will allow celebrities to show their emotion or sides that make them human. That triggers people’s interest,” he says. “With the coronavirus situation, there has been less face-to-face interaction among young people, and social gatherings have not fully recovered. So people are finding a vicarious way to fulfil those needs through such shows.” However, the rise of shows involving drinking has also raised concerns about negative influences on minors, as age restrictions for web-based content are much looser and easier to circumvent. “The broadcasters and networks tend to have appropriate controls [on content] regarding what would be harmful to minors. But with platforms like YouTube, minors can easily access content, which is also shared on social media, and it’s a problem,” Kim says. “In particular, a lot of K-pop stars are on drinking talk shows and they have a lot of influence on teenagers, so it raises concerns about encouraging teens to imitate [their behaviour].” Makgeolli makeover: how Korean rice beer is shedding its ‘old man’ image Kim also says that frequent exposure to alcohol in media will inevitably lead to more relaxed attitudes towards drinking. “Our country already has a great deal of social tolerance when it comes to drinking alcohol, but there’s a possibility that it will increase this even more. There may even be content showing cast members losing control, which would be inappropriate,” Kim says. “It also raises the question of whether alcohol is an inevitable means to connect and build relationships with others. You can have conversations in a sober state, so there’s the issue of why you need to rely on alcohol to do that. “So I feel there could be a negative effect on the culture of social interaction to become dependent on alcohol.” Read the full story at The Korea Times