Webtoon artist and broadcaster Kian84 has once again come under fire for misogynistic remarks.
On the 16th, Kian84 released a video titled "Sister-in-law's Day" featuring actress Lee Si-eon's wife, Seo Ji-seung, on his YouTube channel 'Life84'. The controversial part arose in the early part of the video while they were together during Seo Ji-seung's commute.
Kian84 asked Seo Ji-seung, "Do you make breakfast for Si-eon?" to which she replied, "Yes, I do. If my brother has no work, I make breakfast for him." Kian84 then asked, "Isn't Si-eon always saying, 'Breakfast! Set the table'?" Seo Ji-seung responded, "No, I would rather he tell me. It would be nice if he said what he wants to eat tomorrow." Kian84 expressed envy, saying, "You don't ask for breakfast, but your sister-in-law prepares it for you?"
Seo Ji-seung then asked Kian84, "Do you eat breakfast well?" Kian84 replied, "I order delivery. It's not that my girlfriend makes it for me. But it's fine. I get to eat what I want." He added, "Men are obsessed with breakfast. When people ask why they are so obsessed with breakfast, it's not about eating; it's about feeling 'I am being taken care of'."
Up to this point, Kian84's comments could be seen as those of someone with romantic notions about marriage, but his further remarks became problematic. Kian84 stated, "If I meet a woman who doesn't make breakfast, I feel like she might cheat with a muscular guy at the pool or a young trainer at the gym," explaining, "I've seen a lot of terrible articles online, which led me to think that way."
As Kian84's remarks became public, some voices criticized him, saying, "Why is breakfast a woman's duty?", "If she doesn't make breakfast, is it infidelity? A twisted view of women," "A woman who doesn't make breakfast for men is an adulteress," "Make your own meals," "Be more careful with your words," "It's not the 90s anymore," "Weird old-fashioned mentality," and "It's rude to say such things to your sister-in-law."
The reason for the criticism of misogyny seems to stem from Kian84's remarks, which linked entirely different categories of issues and displayed confirmation bias. Not preparing meals and infidelity are separate matters. There can be various lifestyles depending on the household. Preparing meals is not an obligation that a wife must fulfill, and not doing so should not be a reason for criticism. However, Kian84 hastily generalized that a 'woman who doesn't make breakfast' is likely to cheat with a muscular guy at the pool or a young trainer at the gym.
Kian84 has previously been embroiled in misogyny controversies. In 2017, he faced criticism for depicting the character No An-sook, a senior of the protagonist Woo Gi-myung, in a misogynistic light in episode 141 of his ongoing Naver webtoon 'Return of the Student'.
In that scene, the 30-year-old No An-sook, wearing clothes made by Woo Gi-myung, regains her youthful appearance, saying, "I'm 30 years old, born in '88. No matter how much I put on makeup or wear nice clothes, I can't hide my age," "I couldn't beat age," and "A 20-year-old dressed in fast fashion is much prettier," showing a self-deprecating attitude. She also had a line where she was eaten by a giant version of Woo Gi-myung in her dream, saying, "Sister, you're old and not tasty."
In 2020, in episode 304 of the then-ongoing Naver webtoon 'Return of the Student', the female protagonist Bong Ji-eun said, "Just working hard doesn't cut it. It's not about academic background, specs, or effort," while smashing a large clam on her stomach during a company dinner. In the following scene, a 40-something single team leader, after seeing this, hired Bong Ji-eun as an intern, saying, "What happened to you? I'm 40 and still haven't gotten married," to which the male protagonist asked, "Did you sleep with her?!" At the end of the episode, Bong Ji-eun and the single employee were depicted as dating, leading to criticism that it implied she succeeded in getting a job after having sexual relations with her male superior.
As the controversy continued, Kian84 apologized, saying, "I sincerely apologize for causing concern again due to inappropriate depictions in my work. I should have thought more and worked harder on the manuscript, and I truly apologize to the readers for causing discomfort," and he revised the scene. Naver Webtoon also apologized, saying, "We are very sorry for the concern caused by the work," and added, "We will be more careful with various issues addressed in future works with the author."
Subsequently, a petition appeared on the Blue House National Petition Board asking for the suspension of 'Return of the Student', which escalated to demands for Kian84 to leave 'I Live Alone'. Kian84 effectively took a period of self-reflection by not participating in the recording of 'I Live Alone' for four weeks.
Kian84 made his entertainment debut through the MBC variety show 'I Live Alone' and received the grand prize at the '2023 MBC Entertainment Awards' as the first non-entertainer with his 'Born to Travel the World' series. He is currently hosting the ENA variety show 'Kian Is Here' and preparing for the Netflix variety show 'Kian's Great Adventure'.
As a popular entertainer, public interest in him is also high. Since Kian84 presents his honesty as a weapon, the image he portrays on broadcasts is often taken as a direct evaluation of his character rather than a comedic device. With his careless remarks reigniting allegations of misogyny, he has found himself at the center of controversy once again.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
