"Praised as 'Seen in Reality'... Some Criticize for 'Ridiculing Naive Behavior'
Cultural Critic: 'Intern Reporter as the Underdog Setting... May Cause Discomfort'"
The comedy program SNL's 'Intern Reporter' has been praised for accurately portraying the experiences of young professionals starting their careers, but some criticize it for mocking the naive behavior of people in their early twenties. /Photo by YouTube channel 'Coupang Play' capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Recently, the clumsiness of an intern reporter featured in a comedy program has gained popularity among the public. The laughable mistakes made by a young intern just starting their career are the key points of the comedy. The intern reporter fails to answer sudden questions from the anchor or even gives up on delivering the news themselves. However, many people in their 20s who are stepping into society for the first time express discomfort rather than amusement or humor. They point out that it is hard to laugh easily since the clumsiness everyone inevitably goes through has been turned into a joke.
On the 11th, SNL KOREA (SNL) resumed airing on Coupang Play, Coupang’s online video streaming service (OTT). The most talked-about segment on SNL is undoubtedly the 'Intern Reporter.' New actress Joo Hyun-young plays the character of a 20-something intern reporter just starting out in society. The character is portrayed with wide, round eyes, trembling voice and hands, and a nervous demeanor, trying to speak louder to hide their tension during the broadcast.
Joo faithfully reproduced the behavior of 20-somethings using various 'skills' to hide their inexperience. For example, she throws back questions to increase audience engagement or gives uniform responses in any situation, which is seen as an accurate mimicry of the stereotypical speaking style of early 20s. Especially, when faced with an unexpected question, she awkwardly shakes her body side to side and fidgets with her hands while saying, "Question? Criticism? Thank you," a scene that resonated with many viewers.
Netizens also cheered for Joo’s realistic acting. Netizen A said, "I saw someone like that at school. When the actor says '○○○ is here,' the way they pronounce the sound between 'da' and 'deo' is exactly the same," adding, "It seems like they did a proper reality check."
Netizen B also praised, "The actor’s attention to detail is amazing," and said, "It reminded me of my past ? not just being nervous but trying to act confident and deliver well, then collapsing when something unexpected happens."
The comedy program SNL's 'Intern Reporter' has been praised for accurately portraying the experiences of young professionals starting their careers, but some critics argue that it caricatures the naive behavior of people in their early twenties. / Photo by YouTube channel 'Coupang Play' capture
However, some people in their 20s do not laugh at the comedian’s jokes that received such praise. Job seeker C in their 20s said, "'Intern Reporter' seems to well represent the speaking characteristics of college students, especially female college students," but added, "I feel uncomfortable that someone’s clumsy behavior had to be singled out and made into a joke."
C continued, "I also wanted to do well in presentations, so I used to search online for 'how to give a good presentation' the day before, prepare a script, and practice many times before presenting. But I remember fumbling answers due to unexpected questions," and said, "Even though I worked hard, I didn’t have much experience, so I couldn’t respond properly to sudden situations. I wonder if it was necessary to capture the intern’s inevitable clumsiness and turn it into a laughingstock. It felt like I was watching myself, so I couldn’t finish the video and turned it off."
Another job seeker D also expressed dissatisfaction with 'Intern Reporter.' D said, "I’m currently going to various interviews to get a job. Since I haven’t had many interviews, I still feel awkward speaking in interviews," and added, "I’m trying hard, but watching 'Intern Reporter' made me feel like my efforts were being ridiculed, so even though it’s a comedy program, I couldn’t watch it comfortably."
Thus, while 'Intern Reporter' is praised for realistically portraying the awkward speaking style of early 20s, it also faces criticism for using the clumsy image of young professionals as comedic material.
Experts suggest that the 'Intern Reporter' segment should have been handled delicately to avoid appearing to ridicule young professionals.
Cultural critic Jung Deok-hyun said, "'Humor codes' can vary depending on the viewer’s perspective," and explained, "Satire and ridicule depend on who is presented as the target of the joke. In 'Intern Reporter,' the anchor is set as the superior and the intern reporter as the subordinate, which some see as ridiculing young professionals. Criticism arises because it portrays the vulnerable in a ridiculous way."
Jung added, "'Intern Reporter' belongs to Weekend Update, which is a satire segment," and said, "Because the actor playing the intern reporter performs so well, even though there is criticism of the government’s handling of K-quarantine, only her acting is getting attention. Since there are evaluations that it mocks the vulnerable, it seems necessary to adjust the focus."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
