'Just Married' outlives viewers' patience

By Kwon Ji-youn

When it was first broadcast, MBC’s “Just Married” was original, sensational and broke new ground in entertainment ― but that was seven years ago.

Today, the “reality” program faces constant calls to wrap up, but the producers are turning a deaf ear to viewer sentiments and are stubbornly attempting yet another generational shift that they hope will somehow turn back the tide.

But this may prove more difficult than expected, especially since discord surrounding one of its actresses made headlines in March.

On March 27, video footage of two actresses bickering went viral online. Lee Tae-im was caught on camera cursing at former Jewelry member Yewon while shooting another of MBC’s entertainment shows. But internet users made a point of Yewon’s behavior, stressing that the 25-year-old is also to blame. Yewon appeared across Super Junior-M member Henry on “Just Married” before leaving the show on Saturday.

But the ongoing public backlash is less about the actors and more that the marriage simulation format and the “business-centered relationships” these actors engage in are no longer appealing to audiences.

Demands for a curtain call peaked when rumors emerged that actress Kim So-eun was romantically involved with fellow actor Son Ho-jun. Kim had been appearing on “Just Married” alongside model-turned-actor Song Jae-lim when her dating scandal put the program’s “reality” concept to the test.

Earlier, Hong Jong-hyun, paired with Girl’s Day member Yura, was rumored to be dating After School member Nana, and actor Lee Joon and actress Oh Yeon-seo were forced to leave the show when talk that Oh was dating another actor, Lee Jang-woo, surfaced. Actress Shin Ae and singer Hwayobi went public with their relationships mere months after leaving the show.

This dealt a severe blow to the show’s popularity as, until then, the actors had seemed genuinely committed.

SHINHWA member Jun Jin and his partner on “Just Married,” Lee Si-young, continued dating off the set, and 2AM’s Jo Kwon said after he was dropped from “Just Married” that while shooting, he was at times confused as to whether his feelings for his partner, Brown Eyed Girls member Gain, were real. A third season refocused on “reality,” featuring singer Kim Won-jun and actress Park So-hyun, both unmarried and in their 40s.

Other couples sabotaged their appearances on “Just Married” with remarks that suggested their relationships on the show were about business, and nothing more.

Pianist Yoon Han, who was paired with actress Lee So-yeon, said on another show that he did not keep in touch with Lee off the set, adding that he was interested in another actress. Actor Namkoong Min said in an interview that he has not once contemplated the possibility of an actual romantic relationship with singer Hong Jin-young.

Despite significant and prolonged drops in viewer ratings, producers are looking to reengage viewers with new blood _ Joy of Red Velvet and BTOB member Yook Sung-jae are set to appear, as are actors Oh Min-suk and Kang Ye-won.

But as long as they maintain the format, now seven years old, this does not seem likely. Producers must keep in mind that “Just Married” walks a thin line between entertainment and drama. Viewers feed off the illusion that the actors’ reactions are genuine, seeking vicarious satisfaction.

Repeated controversies have only underlined the fact that the show is neither dramatic nor entertaining, a dilemma that will not be solved with a change in lineup. And if the show doesn’t resonate with the actors, they cannot expect it to resonate with the viewers.

“The problem is that they call it a reality show, but to viewers, there’s not much that’s real about it,” said one broadcaster staffer. “No matter how likeable the new actors are, the producers will find it difficult to fully recover. Viewers are fed up with it.

“No other broadcasters air shows of a similar format, and there’s a reason for this.”