'Ugly' stars bounce back too easily

By Park Si-soo
Staff reporter

Several top entertainers have recently made headlines not with their hit movies or songs but by taking the role of villain in the real world. But such celebrities are rarely held accountable for their wrongdoings and seem to bounce back easily after a short time out of the spotlight.

Popular actor kwon Sang-woo's brazen handling of his hit-and-run last month is a typical case in point. He rammed into two cars, ran away, kept mum for two days and denied allegations of drunk driving, drawing public outcry.

It was the latest in a series of law breakings and misconduct committed by top stars.

Fueling public outrage was the "preferential treatment" given to the 34-year-old actor by the authorities, which ignored its own rule that stipulates suspects in such cases must be detained during investigation. Kwon was simply slapped with a 7-million-won fine.

Spitting on one's own face

Critics say the "structured tolerance" toward wrongdoings by showbiz heavyweights like Kwon is making other top-shelf entertainers feel less guilty for their mishaps.

"It no longer comes as a surprise to see celebrities lying and distorting facts to avoid public criticism", said Kang Tae-gyu, a pop culture critic. "The truth is bound to be unveiled. But they keep trying to cover it up despite the fact that this will amount to spitting on their own faces in the end".

Kwon's case is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems of the industry, which the government has lauded as an emerging growth engine and gateway to promote Korea overseas.

In recent memory alone, many actors, actresses, singers and comedians have been ostracized after being embroiled in such criminal cases as drunken driving, drug use, plagiarism, fabrication of diplomas and draft dodging scandals. But many of them return to the limelight after only a brief hiatus.

However, this overly generous handling of these entertainers by the judiciary and the entertainment industry is the seed of recurrence of similar bad behavior by other entertainers.

Popular actor Choi Cheol-ho, who earned his name by starring in a series of mega-hit dramas, also disappointed his fans after his assault on an aspiring actress on the street was caught by a surveillance camera last month. His initial lie to cover up the case infuriated the public, forcing the 40-year-old to leave the public limelight.

Plagiarism is also rampant, but singers and composers are not held accountable in most cases. Pop diva Lee Hyori admitted last month that several tracks from her fourth album were copied from other songs.

But many critics say she will come back as if nothing happened.

"It may not be easy for Lee's agency to suspend the superstar's profitable performance for so long", said a critic, who refused to be named. "Actor Choi also left the stage while at the height of his heyday. It won't be long before his comeback is arranged".

The critic took comedian Kim Jun-ho as an example. Last August, Kim was forced to step down from a popular Sunday comedy show, "Gag Concert", for his illegal gambling. But he returned in May.

Critics say the generosity of major broadcasters is to blame for their brazen return.

"Broadcasters are seeking more public attention and advertising revenue. To get them, they used to rely on such superstars even though they did something wrong. This is a deep-rooted, structural problem, which is unlikely to be addressed in the foreseeable future", said Cho Min-joon, a pop culture critic.

Cho said that if broadcasters are unable to reprimand them properly, then law enforcement must step in. But this has not the case either, as proven by actor Kwon's case.

Kwon' case stands in stark contrast to similar incidents in the United States, where the showbiz industry wields greater clout. "At least, they play by the rules", Cho said.

As widely publicized, Hollywood entertainer Lindsay Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in jail this month for violating the terms of her probation, which she earned with a drunk driving incident. She is supposed to go straight to a rehabilitation center upon release from prison, her lawyer said, according to news reports.

Though there is controversy over whether she received preferential treatment in jail, critics here say putting superstars behind bars in itself is quite meaningful, sending a clear message to the media-conscious younger generation: There are no exceptions.



'Ugly' 연예인들 너무 쉽게 복귀

최근 몇몇 인기 연예인들이 부적절한 처신으로 눈총을 받고 있다. 이러한 연예인들은 자신의 행동에 대한 책임 없이 너무나 쉽게 TV에 복귀하는 것 같다.
지난달 권상우의 뺑소니사건은 전형적인 예이다. 권상우는 차 두 대를 들이받고 도주, 음주운전 사실을 부인해 원성을 산 바 있다.
하지만 대중의 분노에 기름을 붓는 것은 당국이 34살의 권상우에게 베푸는 "우대"였다. 권상우는 700만원의 벌금형만 받았을 뿐이다.

제 얼굴에 침 뱉기

권상우와 같은 인기 연예인의 잘못된 행동에 대한 "구조화된 관용"은 다른 연예계 인사들에게 잘못된 행동을 해도 죄책감을 덜 느낄 수 있게 하고 있다.
대중문화 평론가 강태규씨는 "연예인들이 거짓말로 사실을 왜곡시켜 대중의 비난을 피하고자 하는 것은 더 이상 놀랄 일이 아니다"며 "사실은 밝혀지게 되어 있다, 그런데 연예인들은 본인 얼굴에 침 뱉는 식으로 자꾸 무마하려고 한다".고 밝혔다.

연예계 전체를 들여다 보면 권상우는 오직 빙산의 일각일 뿐. 많은 연기자, 가수, 개그맨들은 음주운전, 마약사용, 표절, 학력위조 등의 범법 행위를 저지르고도 얼마 지나지 않아 스크린에 복귀해 왔다. 이러한 연예인들에 대한 심한 관용은 다른 연예인들이 비슷한 일을 저지를 수 있는 빌미를 제공해 왔다.

한 평론가는 "만약 연예인들이 교도소에 간다면 이는 굉장히 의미 있는 일이다"며 "이는 언론에 민감한 젊은 층에 확실한 메시지를 전달할 것이다"고 말했다".

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