In Korea, the issue of homosexuality is going to broadcast through a cable channel, “tvN” on Apr. 14, 2008. This is the first time that the media deal with homosexuality openly and deeply in Korea, even through there were only some documentary programs which just showed situations or gave information around homosexual people in the past. After a press briefing about this controversial program named “Gay project, Coming-out,” Korean news coverage is continuously talking about for and against this program. According to some main news coverage, although most people seemed uncomfortable about addressing homosexuality on television, they are trying to understand the different sexual preference of the homosexual people. However, the most important thing is that most people are worried about this program’s success.
Because this is the first time to broadcast this unusual and controversial issue on television, there should be lots of obstacles or problems around this program such as strong counterarguments of the opposite position and the rating. The problem is to change people’s viewpoints. The more people are agreeable to homosexuality, the more people can watch this problem, and the higher rating and better successes this program can achieve. As I think, this program needs to try to focus on showing the ways for people to change their perspective rather than just conveying information related to homosexuality. This program should give people not just visual pleasure, but a chance to think carefully about homosexuality and to understand the homosexual people.
The purpose of this program, which show people gays’ real life and enable them to hold their head up in public, is very good. However, the important thing that this program needs to consider is not the broadcasting itself, but the constant attention and care to the coming-out people after broadcasting. We don’t know how many people can naturally accept the coming-out people in public. This program should continue its effort to make the coming-out people not to be isolated from the public. It is important to make gays themselves feel comfortable by coming out through this program, it is also important to make them free from other people’s misunderstanding and prejudices.
Filed under: television
