The Korean netizens are at again criticizing the depicting of bridge in a recent episode of the television drama LOST:
A rather poor substitute for Korea’s historic Hangang Grand Bridge shown in the American television series "Lost" has provoked intense feelings among some Korean watchers.
In the 18th episode of the third season of "Lost" which aired a week ago, a bridge labeled as the Hangang Grand Bridge appears briefly in the background of one scene.
(…)
Some Koreans discussing the episode on Internet message boards called the production sloppy and criticized the show makers for their apparent ignorance of Korea.
"It was so absurd I couldn’t even laugh," wrote somebody called "ion***" on the Naver portal. "How could they film a scene like that? What does the U.S. think of Korea?"
Another poster wrote, "The producers of Lost have gone too far. They don’t have to know everything about Korea, but this is ridiculous."
This is really idiotic criticism because the show is filmed in Hawaii where the bridge depicted is located at. I’m sure the shows creators added the Korean lettering to the bridge thinking it would give the scene more of a Korean atmosphere since they were filming in Hawaii, but the childish Korean netizens are once again using this as to create a perception of Americans slapping Koreans in the face once again.Â
You would think they would have learned their lesson when they criticized LOST during season one because the two Korean characters were initially portrayed negatively in the series. However, as the story line progressed these two characters became some of the main heroes in the series and it became clear why the characters acted the way they did at the beginning of the series.Â
The LOST series has done more for Korea actors and film industry than any others movie or series in the US. Yet the netizens think it is anti-Korean because the producer won’t pay to fly the entire cast and crew to Seoul to film a brief scene of Kim Yun-jin walking across a bridge. I’m sure they wouldn’t have been complaining if in the background of the same scene there was a USFK soldier dumping toxic waste into the river. These netizens really need to get a life.Â
You can read more on this over at Lost Nomad and the Marmot’s Hole.
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6:22 pm on May 7th, 2007 1
All I can say is… earn respect, don’t demand it… If people only realized how idiot they look when they complain about stuff like this.
6:55 pm on May 7th, 2007 2
haha I kinda feel sympathy for them because when I watched “Heroes” on NBC, I felt really weird.
Especially, when one of the heroes, Hiro and his friend Ando go to Japan, the whole set looked really funny and surrealistic to me.
Besides, their Japanese sound way too funny. No offense. Considering Ando(James Kyson Lee) is a 1.5 Korean, he speaks very good Japanese. To me he speaks typical Korean-Japanese though.
These minor things bugs people sometimes, so I kinda feel sympathy for them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masi_Oka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Kyson_Lee
But I don’t necessarily express anger. It’s just how it is. Japanese have been portrayed as typical stereo types in Hollywood movies for decades. I guess Japanese are no longer sensible about this kind of things.
Or mayby because things are getting better in Hollywood lately. Say, “The Last Samurai” and “Letters from Iwo Jima”.
12:58 am on May 8th, 2007 3
You missed an excellent chance to use this bridge in your Korean Finder series
You could of said Korea Finder #241
Then just sat back while people claimed to of seen this bridge in Pusan or someplace
It would of been cool
12:59 am on May 8th, 2007 4
6:51 am on May 8th, 2007 5
toru,
I would have to say Hollywood has been much more kind to Japan than Korea. A lot of that had to do with Kurosawa’s influence from all his films that have been seen in the US. Korean films are slowly starting to penetrate the US market but not nearly as widespread as Japanese films. Plus you look at the number of big Hollywood films with a Japan theme, Lost in Translation, Last Samurai, Memoirs of a Geisha, Notes from Iwo Jima, etc.
I can’t think of one Hollywood film with a Korean theme outside of some of the really old Korean War films and MASH if you want to consider that a Korean themed series.
me,
That is a good idea, maybe I will bring this picture out of retirement sometime.
2:46 pm on May 8th, 2007 6
I remember Hollywood made a film about Korea once.
James Bond series “Die Another Day”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Another_Day
Koreans got angry and held protests in front of major theaters.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200212/200212310024.html
Koreans were not satisfied with the movie because……
“the film’s bad guys is a North Korean”.
“the movie depicts South Korea as a developing nation”.
“an American officer issues orders to the South Korean army as if Korea was not an independent country”.
etc etc
I believe even if Hollywood makes any good film about Korea, it could not satisfy Korean’s inflated pride.
4:51 pm on May 8th, 2007 7
6:24 pm on May 9th, 2007 8
4:15 pm on May 10th, 2007 9
[...] some Korean viewers aren’t very impressed with some of the Hawaii-for-Korea shooting [...]
4:26 pm on May 10th, 2007 10
[...] some Korean viewers aren’t very impressed with some of the Hawaii-for-Korea shooting [...]
11:42 am on May 15th, 2007 11