Comedian Imitates Speech of Filipino Immigrant Women
Filipino Netizens Say "Not Funny at All"
"Should Have Responsibility as a Major Creator"
Popular mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang, who has 9.29 million subscribers, has been embroiled in a racial discrimination controversy. The issue arose from a video featuring a comedian imitating a Filipino marriage migrant woman, drawing criticism not only domestically but also from the Philippines.
A comedian impersonating a Filipino woman appeared on the mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang's broadcast. [Photo by Tzuyang YouTube capture]
On the 28th of last month, Tzuyang uploaded a video titled "Vietnamese Restaurant Where You Have to Line Up" on her channel. In the video, Tzuyang said, "I invited a Filipino woman who married and came to Korea from the Philippines," and ate with a guest named 'Nitung.'
Nitung introduced herself in broken Korean, saying, "Hello. I am Nitung, with a beautiful smile," and added, "I was originally a farmer's wife, but now I am a comedian." In the broadcast, Nitung said, "I came because I wanted to get married. I seduced someone after coming to Korea," and "I am good at massages, driving, and am versatile. My husband fell for me after seeing that." She also said, "I liked K-dramas, so I developed a romanticized image of Korean men. The reality was quite different."
After the mukbang ended, 'Nitung' revealed that she was Korean comedian Kim Ji-young. She explained, "My nationality is Korean," and "I have never been abroad. I don't even have a passport. 'Nampyeoni' (husband) is my most popular catchphrase." The 'Nitung' character appeared on the KBS2 show 'Gag Concert' when it resumed last November.
Once this fact became known, netizens criticized the Nitung character as being 'racially discriminatory.'
Filipino netizens who watched the video responded with comments such as, "As a Filipino, I don't find this funny at all," "The Filipino accent is not a subject for mockery," "I was proud to be Filipino, but it hurt to see the accent being mocked," and "I didn't know Koreans depicted Filipinos like this."
Domestic netizens also commented, "It is 2024 now. Content that objectifies and mocks someone should not be accepted as humor," "Koreans complain about experiencing racial discrimination abroad but do not consider this kind of behavior as racial discrimination," and "As a major creator, you should take more responsibility in creating content."
The video currently has 1.12 million views.
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