Revealing true self behind mask

Singer Soul G from girl band EXID stands on a stage during the “King of Mask Singer” program at the MBC Dream Center as the audience looks on. / Courtesy of MBC

MBC’s celebrity singing competition encourages Koreans to eliminate prejudice

By Ko Dong-hwan

The TV show “King of Mask Singer” is reminding viewers to not be blinded by prejudice.

The weekly show, which airs Sunday evenings on MBC, is a celebrity singing competition that is exciting and heartwarming. Some of the celebrities have become overwhelmed to the point of bursting into tears, and viewers can’t help but sympathize with them.

But while all the fun and emotion the show delivers may have stolen the hearts of viewers, the cornerstone of the program is something more significant and inspiring -- the message that prejudice must be eliminated and individuality celebrated in our daily lives.

Inspired by the show, a TV news report illuminated how prejudice drove the country into chaos.

On May 29, the “Evening News” revealed a sharp rise in online criticism and bullying cases that were reported to the Korea Communications Standards Commission in the past three years -- from only four cases in 2011 to 643 cases in 2014 -- an increase of more than 160 times.

The report lamented the trend, defining it as an “increase in the number of Koreans who are prejudiced against other people and who denounce such people using so-called ‘invisible violence.’”

The report also made a scathing reference to former Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Chairman Park Yong-sung, who made headlines in October 2014 after making a derogatory remark about women. At the time, he had ordered professors from Chung-Ang University, a subsidiary of Doosan Group, to “accept more male students than female students, who cannot live without cosmetics.” He went on to further undermine women saying, “Males are more beneficial to the school, as they will make more donations after graduating than females.” The report also said King of Mask Singer was a wake-up call toward the favoritism and double standards in Korean society, as evidenced by the report’s statistics and Park’s remarks.

The show, which in May sold its format to Chinese TV network Jiangsu Broadcasting Corp., is a straight counterpunch to the Korean habit of judging others based on their exterior attributes, including looks, gender, educational background and ethnicity.

In the report, cultural critic and Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts Professor Kim Heon-sik praised “King of Mask Singer,” saying, “Those whose merits have been overlooked and pushed aside are drawn to the show, in which celebrities are assessed not by their fame but solely by their skills. It is a sort of justice that TV viewers want to see.”

Soul G performs on the “King of Mask Singer” after winning a contest and taking off her mask. / Courtesy of MBC

What happens in King of Mask Singer

King of Mask Singer with the catchphrase: “Let’s take off insignias and fight!” is displayed prominently on its official website, invites celebrities to the MBC Dream Center in the city of Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, to compete. Each competition of the show is comprised of eight singers, 11 celebrity judges and 88 audience members who gather at the broadcasting center’s music hall.

It is critical that the celebrities’ identities are kept a secret so they wear masks at all times during the competition and talk in helium-induced voices to the show’s emcee, Kim Sung-joo, and the judges. They also use nicknames that the producers came up with based on the unique masks that they wear.

The audience members, who are selected by the producers, are also required to keep the show’s recording process and results confidential by signing a confidentiality agreement upon entering the hall. Audience members are accountable if they reveal any “spoilers” by leaking what they saw to websites, social media or even their acquaintances.

In each competition, the singers compete one-on-one in three elimination rounds. The winner of each matchup is voted by the audience of 44 men, 44 women and 11 judges based on the singer’s performance. The winner moves on to the next round, and the loser removes their mask and reveals their identity for the first time, surprising the viewers who couldn’t correctly guess the celebrity’s identity.

The singer who wins all three rounds becomes the competition’s “singing king” or “singing queen,” and, while remaining unidentified, moves on to the next competition and locks horns with the final winner from a new batch of masked singers.

Singer Luna from the girl band f(x), left, and singer Jinju after revealing their identities / Screen capture from YouTube

Dramatic moments

First aired as a pilot on Feb. 18 before receiving a regular slot on Apr. 5, “King of Mask Singer” has served up some dramatic moments as the stars revealed their identities.

Audience members and TV viewers are often surprised when they find out that the celebrities who failed in their bid to become a singing king or singing queen are seasoned or renowned singers.

Folk musician Kwon In-ha, 55, who boasts a 27-year career since debuting in 1988 and a tenured position as a practical music professor at Soongsil University and Changwon National University, was eliminated in the second round. Ballad singer Jang Hye-jin, 50, who debuted in 1991 and was invited to an MBC singing competition show for A-listers, “I Am a Singer,” failed to clinch the top title in the final round. Rocker Kim Jong-seo, 50, who debuted in 1987 as a vocalist for legendary rock band Sinawe, didn’t even make it to the second round.

The real drama occurs when the competitors’ identities are not what the majority of the viewers expect. To most viewers, the three singing queens that the show has produced so far — Soul G from girl band “EXID”, Luna from girl band “f(x)” and the solo star Jinju — were not expected winners; they believe girl band singers can dance but not sing, and they had not seen Jinju for the last 18 years since she sang the viral hit song “I’m Okay” in 1997 when she was a high school student.

The show proved that when viewers listen to the singers without knowing who they are, preconceptions of A-listers and non-A-listers vanish. Such an environment allows viewers to eliminate their double standards and make fair judgments based solely on vocal skills.

“I feel like I improved myself through the show,” Luna, 21, said after failing in her bid to become a singing queen for a third consecutive competition and taking off her mask on May 10. “I am so thrilled right now. The show helped me overcome my chronic stage fright.” The singer, after revealing herself on stage, moved viewers as she got emotional and sobbed. “I believe she could have become the show’s singing queen twice because people listened to her sing without being blinded by prejudice,” emcee Kim said in front of the audience, trying to console her.

There were other celebrities who nevertheless impressed viewers with their singing skills while wearing their masks, although they didn’t become a singing king or singing queen. Seo In-young, a singer from girl band “Jewelry”, who was known more for her distinct fashion sense, proved to be a competent vocalist. Gay TV personality Hong Seok-cheon surprised viewers with a deep, guttural voice, which didn’t match the flirtatious demeanor he has shown throughout his career. Chinese-Korean singer Baek chung-gang, who debuted in 2011 in MBC’s singing competition show “Star Audition: The Great Birth,” in which he won with his unique high-pitched feminine voice, fooled viewers into thinking he was a woman.

“When you sang with your mask on, I was surprised to hear a guttural, masculine voice,” Lee Yoon-seok, one of the celebrity judges, said after finding out Hong’s identity during the first round elimination. “That’s sort of why I participated in this show,” Hong replied. “I suffered from a lot of despair due to the prejudice I received from people after I revealed my homosexuality (in 2002). They were prejudiced against LGBTs back then. How wonderful it would be if people tried to understand the true nature of those who are subjects of prejudice, like me.”

The singer Sandeul from boy band “B1A4”, took off his mask after losing in the final round, said his mask “freed me from the prejudice that I cannot sing well because I belong to an idol band.”