A friend sent me the below link to a Canadian gossip site where the namesake writer drools over Byeon Wooseok and goes on and on and on about him and his starring role in LR without mentioning Kim Hyeyoon. Not even once. This person has even the temerity to suggest that “he (BWS) is doing the most in Lovely Runner”. Wtf? So Kim HY is now being erased from the western reporting about this? I know. I know. Enough said but it will never be enough.
Well if a drama is described as being “SO ROMANTIC” in caps no less it is obvious one would have to discuss the romantic interest. For a person who claims to be a k-drama watcher this is a really weird article. I love his styling but tbh BWS was only a “part” of the success of LR. An important and very good part yes, but the other three leads were equally excellent.
I’m not surprised, Lainey Lui is sort of known to be a bandwagon rider, even in her writing/blogging, and because of that, she will tend to say a lot of stuff that sort of subliminally even denies her own heritage at times in the sort of “IYKYK” sort of way– a.k.a. You won’t pick up on it unless you really think about what she’s saying, especially as a person of Asian descent– as long as it helps to make her sound and appear relevant and as if she’s “in the know”.
Since everyone is basically drooling over BWS lately and he’s become the newest “It Boy”– and Kpop and K-Ent. has been on such a high and making bigger waves in North America in these last few years– I’m not surprised that her writing reflects as much. Seriously, he’s sort of everywhere and it’s becoming overwhelming in the not-so-great kind of way:
Even coverage about him these last few days during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 collections has been quite a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for him, but it’s all of these bandwagon riders that make it all not-so-great for me as someone watching things unfold on the side. The taste in my mouth is made sour all the more because of the treatment that Kim Hye Yoon has been getting ugh
Thanks for taking the time to reply. My friend had a very very similar view to you and I agree with your systemic observations.
Similarly, I wish BWS well but this kind of absurd craze is symptomatic of a system that continuously elevates some men at the expense of more or at the very least equally deserving women. Of course, the fact that he was a model and has the visuals as they say in an obsessed society has benefitted him greatly. The lookism is obviously not unique to SK but it seems to have been elevated to a horrifying pedestal of worship there where plastic surgery enhanced looks are regarded as the sine quo non of success.
DancingEmma
June 18, 2024 at 4:24 AM
A friend sent me the below link to a Canadian gossip site where the namesake writer drools over Byeon Wooseok and goes on and on and on about him and his starring role in LR without mentioning Kim Hyeyoon. Not even once. This person has even the temerity to suggest that “he (BWS) is doing the most in Lovely Runner”. Wtf? So Kim HY is now being erased from the western reporting about this? I know. I know. Enough said but it will never be enough.
https://www.laineygossip.com/matt-bomers-beauty-at-milan-fashion-week-both-generous-cruel/78399
🌸 Seeker 🌸
June 18, 2024 at 8:12 AM
Well if a drama is described as being “SO ROMANTIC” in caps no less it is obvious one would have to discuss the romantic interest. For a person who claims to be a k-drama watcher this is a really weird article. I love his styling but tbh BWS was only a “part” of the success of LR. An important and very good part yes, but the other three leads were equally excellent.
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
June 18, 2024 at 9:52 AM
I’m not surprised, Lainey Lui is sort of known to be a bandwagon rider, even in her writing/blogging, and because of that, she will tend to say a lot of stuff that sort of subliminally even denies her own heritage at times in the sort of “IYKYK” sort of way– a.k.a. You won’t pick up on it unless you really think about what she’s saying, especially as a person of Asian descent– as long as it helps to make her sound and appear relevant and as if she’s “in the know”.
Since everyone is basically drooling over BWS lately and he’s become the newest “It Boy”– and Kpop and K-Ent. has been on such a high and making bigger waves in North America in these last few years– I’m not surprised that her writing reflects as much. Seriously, he’s sort of everywhere and it’s becoming overwhelming in the not-so-great kind of way:
Even coverage about him these last few days during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 collections has been quite a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for him, but it’s all of these bandwagon riders that make it all not-so-great for me as someone watching things unfold on the side. The taste in my mouth is made sour all the more because of the treatment that Kim Hye Yoon has been getting ugh
DancingEmma
June 18, 2024 at 4:04 PM
Thanks for taking the time to reply. My friend had a very very similar view to you and I agree with your systemic observations.
Similarly, I wish BWS well but this kind of absurd craze is symptomatic of a system that continuously elevates some men at the expense of more or at the very least equally deserving women. Of course, the fact that he was a model and has the visuals as they say in an obsessed society has benefitted him greatly. The lookism is obviously not unique to SK but it seems to have been elevated to a horrifying pedestal of worship there where plastic surgery enhanced looks are regarded as the sine quo non of success.
bunnylita
June 18, 2024 at 1:49 PM
Lainey is just…weird. And not in a fun way.