[Exclusive] What Do You Think About 'Geomeongomusin' Being a Sexist Comic?

Seoul YWCA Criticizes 'Black Rubber Shoes' for Ignoring Female Agency and Emphasizing Male Dependency
'Gender Equality in Mass Media Monitoring Report' Sparks Late Controversy... Some Citizens Oppose
Organization States "Not Criticizing Specific Scenes but Considering Overall Context... Issue of Gender Stereotypes"

A scene pointed out by the Seoul YWCA organization as containing sexist content in the animation "Black Rubber Shoes." Photo by 2018 Gender Equality Monitoring Report on Mass Media

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] The 'Seoul YWCA' has come under late controversy over the contents of the '2018 Mass Media Gender Equality Monitoring (Children's Program)' report, which was produced upon request by the Gender Equality Promotion Agency.

Gender equality monitoring is a project that identifies and raises issues about sexist scenes in various animated films, aiming to foster proper gender awareness among children who watch these broadcasts.

However, criticism has arisen that some parts of the report pointed out sexist scenes unconditionally without considering the historical background of the animations. Additionally, there are opinions that the criticisms themselves are incomprehensible.

The Seoul YWCA emphasized that the criticism was about the overall context, not specific scenes. Regarding the criticism that the era of the animation was not considered, they pointed out that if problematic scenes are continuously exposed, they could have a negative social impact. Founded in 1922, Seoul YWCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of women's and youth human rights.

Recently, on online communities and social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, reactions have continued expressing disbelief at Seoul YWCA's identification of sexist scenes, with comments like "Why is Gyeongcheol's father in Geomjeong Gomu-shin sexist?", "Isn't it the 1960s? They didn't consider the era," and "It's a scene where the couple comforts each other for their hardships; I can't understand this."

A scene pointed out by the Seoul YWCA organization as containing sexist content in the animation "Black Rubber Shoes." Photo by 2018 Gender Equality Monitoring Report on Mass Media

Regarding a scene from 'Geomjeong Gomu-shin,' Seoul YWCA pointed out, "Gyeongcheol's father is the breadwinner of a large family living together for three generations. His parents tell their hardworking son, 'Leading a household is a difficult task,' emphasizing the role of the male head of the family. Also, the wife waiting for her husband to come home late at night represents a patriarchal family structure, distinguishing the roles of men and women."

The part where the parents tell their son, who works for the three-generation family, "Leading a household is a difficult task," is criticized as emphasizing the 'male head of household' role, and the wife waiting for her husband to come home is pointed out as a sexist portrayal.

A man in his 30s, Mr. Lee, who confirmed the report's contents, raised his voice, asking, "Is the wife waiting for her husband to come home late at night patriarchal?" He further criticized, "If you point out sexism by such standards, where is the couple that does not fit this?"

Another office worker in his 30s, Mr. Kim, said, "It is good to conduct such projects out of concern for stereotypes that children might develop from indiscriminately watching animated films, but the problem seems to be fairness and objectivity." He added, "I cannot sympathize with the criticism of Geomjeong Gomu-shin this time."

A college student in his 20s, Mr. Park, pointed out, "Isn't the historical background of Geomjeong Gomu-shin the 1970s? Criticizing it as sexist without additional explanation seems unconvincing." He then questioned, "By the same standard, wouldn't all animations set in historical dramas be considered not gender-equal?"

A scene pointed out by the Seoul YWCA organization as containing sexist content in the animation "Black Rubber Shoes." Photo by 2018 Gender Equality Monitoring Report on Mass Media

The Seoul YWCA emphasized that their judgment considered the overall context. A representative of the organization explained, "What we continuously emphasize is 'gender stereotypes.' In that context, we saw the scene as problematic." They added, "We believe that when such scenes are repeatedly reproduced across various scenes and genres, they influence people's perceptions."

Regarding criticism that they did not consider the historical background, they explained, "Geomjeong Gomu-shin is set in a patriarchal era. It reflects a time when citizens did not have a strong sense of problem regarding these issues." They continued, "Geomjeong Gomu-shin reflects that era, but what we continuously point out is gender stereotypes and fixed gender roles. Our criticism is in that context."

They further explained, "We have given much thought to monitoring historical works. When monitoring, there are historical works like Geomjeong Gomu-shin. Therefore, some expressions reveal the gender situation of that time. However, recently, there are contents that, while expressing the situation of that era, incorporate devices showing proper gender awareness or sufficiently point out problematic scenes when they appear."

They added, "Those who understand the overall context of our monitoring will be able to understand. Therefore, if you look only at one scene from Geomjeong Gomu-shin, you might say, 'Why criticize this?'"

A representative from the Gender Equality Promotion Agency explained, "The agency was not directly involved in the report, and the contents reflect the opinions of the executing organization, which may differ from the agency's official stance."