[Current & Culture] What Is Your Seizure Button?

Lee Jae-ik, Novelist

There is an expression called a seizure button. It is used when you unknowingly get angry and excited whenever a certain issue or a particular person's story comes up. What is your seizure button? Various incidents and famous names will probably flash through your mind. In my case, my seizure button is pressed when I see someone trying to teach something, and recently, I got riled up by food critic Hwang Gyo-ik.

His claim that the size of chickens used for fried chicken in our country is generally smaller compared to other countries was something I accepted regardless of its truth. However, I couldn't help but get upset at his assertions that there are classes even in food, that fried chicken is a dish for commoners, and that Korean fried chicken tastes bad. How dare he try to teach the public about taste? Who does he think he is? Moreover, when he insists again that the claim that Korean fried chicken tastes bad is an objective fact, it was embarrassing. Did the person who writes articles not study Korean at all? Mr. Hwang Gyo-ik, taste and opinions cannot be objective. That is a contradiction in terms, like a round square or a benevolent Jeon Du-hwan.

How about the opposite of the seizure button, the enthusiasm button? Recently, Shohei Ohtani of Major League Baseball properly pressed my enthusiasm button. This year, Ohtani showed the best performance in over 100 years of baseball history, sweeping major awards including MVP. He was the ace starting pitcher who pitched the most innings, threw the fastest pitches, won the most games, struck out the most batters, and had the lowest earned run average on his team. That alone is impressive, but he also excelled as the best hitter in the Major Leagues. He ranked third in home runs league-wide, first in slugging percentage for doubles and beyond, first in triples which require speed, and eighth in stolen bases overall... He demonstrated those contradictory records mentioned earlier in reality. He drew a round square!

The reason I am enthusiastic about Ohtani is not because of his Greek sculpture-like appearance or superhuman abilities. I am enthusiastic about his willpower to endure years of hardship without giving up on the dream of being a ‘two-way’ player that everyone said was impossible. I am enthusiastic about his humble and frugal demeanor despite earning hundreds of billions annually from salary and endorsements. I am enthusiastic about his great spirit that combines fiery passion and icy self-control. Compared to the pathetic behavior of our players who violated quarantine rules during the season by inviting women to their lodging for drinking parties and even lied during epidemiological investigations, Ohtani seems even cooler.

It is interesting that while some people like me have their enthusiasm button pressed by Ohtani, others have their seizure button pressed at the same time. They ask why I support and praise a Japanese player. Such uncomfortable feelings are understandable. I myself have participated more passionately than anyone in the boycott of Japanese products that spread after the trade dispute with Japan. While watching Ohtani’s astonishing performance, I tried not to like him. But in the end, this is how it turned out. What do you, the readers, think? Is it okay to enthusiastically support Ohtani?

Food and sports are refined matters. The field where the most people’s seizure and enthusiasm buttons are pressed more than any other is politics. Now, less than 100 days remain until the presidential election, and as the election day approaches, the sound of buttons being pressed will be heard more frequently and loudly. If that sound is the voice of the voters, it is very welcome. But if it is the shout of blind support or criticism, it is worrisome. Before pressing the button, let us calmly think. Whether my seizures and enthusiasm have sufficient grounds. No matter how pathetic the political scene is, the next president will have a greater impact on our lives than fried chicken and baseball.

Lee Jae-ik, Novelist