[OSEN=Park So-young Reporter] MBC’s ‘TodayN’ is caught in a controversy over the behavior of its production team.
On January 1st and 2nd, the viewer bulletin board for ‘TodayN’ was filled with comments such as “The male PD from the remote mountain village was rude and disrespectful,” “Please replace the male PD from the remote mountain village episode. MBC, I’m disappointed,” “Why was the PD so rude and disrespectful to the elderly man in the countryside house on ‘TodayN’?” and “The PD should apologize to the grandfather and the viewers immediately,” along with “We want the PD replaced.”
One netizen criticized, saying, “Maybe he thought it was a joke and reacted that way, but there was no empathy at all; instead, his words and actions humiliated the other person, making me feel really bad on the first day of the new year. I don’t think I want to watch any more videos shot by that PD.”
Another wrote, “It’s more surprising that until the broadcast aired, no one realized it could be a problem. Apologize to the grandfather and MBC, take proper action. People of various ages watch this, and it’s not good for children or the elderly. Are they going to watch this? I’m really angry.”
The incident unfolded like this: On the broadcast aired on the 1st, the PD visited a remote village with a camera and met an elderly man living in three houses he built himself. The protagonist mentioned living in a house made of loess bricks, to which the PD responded, “I’m not at the age to enjoy loess houses yet.” After seeing the protagonist play the drums, the PD suggested he should work in the fields instead.
When the protagonist offered some homegrown oyster mushrooms, the PD replied, “They have all of these in Seoul markets,” and to an offer of homemade charcoal-grilled chicken, the PD said, “I only like fried things.” Particularly, when served the carefully grilled chicken, the PD commented that it seemed burnt, shocking the viewers.
Viewers who watched the broadcast were infuriated, with the consensus being that the PD’s behavior was inappropriate. This led to an overflow of critical comments on the viewer bulletin board. Criticism is directed not only at the PD but also at MBC for airing the content as it was.
Meanwhile, the ‘TodayN’ website describes the program as “a leading program that provides high-quality information, always catching the fun and news of the world by going wherever the action is, and being a comfortable and useful friend full of diverse stories and information from our neighbors.”