Fans in rage after Kapamilya show calls Super Junior ‘baduy’

Super Junior first debuted in South Korean in 2005 under the agency SM Entertainment. After different kinds of issues and controversies the group has been through, they are still actively promoting and making their every ELF happy with their whole hearts. (File Photo: @superjunior/Instagram)

How would you react if someone insults your idol and tells them they’re now old-fashioned and outdated? For ELFs, or Everlasting Friends, as what the fans of the famous 13-year-old Kpop group is collectively known, this is a very big insult to the group, or more so to the fandom itself.

That is why when the local Kapamilya TV show ‘Home Sweetie Home’ mentioned the legendary Kpop group in an ‘insulting’ manner, fans were outraged.

In its December 22 episode, the cast of the show was in South Korea for a vacation. As they were touring around Seoul, Empoy Marquez’s character – which was apparently older than the three girls – told Miles Ocampo’s, Michelle Vito’s, and Trina Legaspi’s characters that if their Seoul bucket list includes seeing and meeting Super Junior, he’d want to join them. But the girls reacted to him with a laugh and displeased comments, and comparing the said group to another and younger K-pop group called BTS.

Miles’s character told him, “Super Junior? Uy Sir Nards, BTS na uso ngayon. Napaka-tito mo talaga.” (“Super Junior? Sir Nards, BTS is now the trend. You’re really such an uncle!”) followed by mixed laughter and even calling the group baduy (old fashioned) and ‘ew’ remarks from Michelle’s and Trina’s characters.

The scene quickly escalated on the social media with fans calling out the Home Sweetie Home production team and ABS-CBN network, angered with the insulting dialogue from the said show.

Many ELFs expressed their disappointment and rage through social media, demanding an apology from the network and the show.

With very much dismay, @spritelyseok tweeted: “It was really disappointing to hear them say the foul words. Very unnecessary. They involved two very different groups that are very hardworking and passionate to music. The bandwagon jumped out.”

While another Twitter user and an ELF, @adira_q24 just wanted an apology, tweeting: “We worldwide ELF just want [an] open apology for our boys. ELF are protecting them at all costs. #RespectSuperJunior #ApologizeToSuperJunior”

ELFs also poked their Inang, whom they treat as a fairy god-mother for her contributions in the K-pop community in the country, to react on the issue. Happee Sy of Pulp Live World, the promoter of some of Super Junior’s major concerts in the Philippines, the one who brought the group to the Philippines for the very first time back in 2010; and also an ELF, finally expressed her feelings toward the said dialogue.

On a Twitter thread, she said: “I can’t believe I just watched something so ignorant & sensitive. It saddens me. I didn’t see the need for the “eew” and “so baduy” comments. Do you know how your words had hurt and insulted so many? Was it intended to be funny? @HomeSweetieHome @ABSCBNChannel2 @ABSCBN_Showbiz.”

Happee also expressed that she understands the show’s purpose in adding the line, but adding the ‘eew’ and ‘so baduy’ remarks were not needed.

“Please remember @HomeSweetieHome, Kpop Fandom & Fanaticism is not just a funny hobby that you guys can just play with. We are a COMMUNITY. We have grown together for years, we are family and have respected each other’s choices of who we stan. Please respect and be more sensitive of our world,” she wrote.

“The problem with some people is that they do not know how much history we have in our Kpop community. They only see the outside, the current and how big it is now. They do not understand  that we’d react the same had it been another group. #ApologizeToSuperJunior #RespectSuperJunior,” she continued.

Another Kpop organization reacted to the issue. Bryan ‘Snow’ Osorio, the chief executive officer of AstPro Media Group/HallyuLife said in a statement: “…here at HallyuLife, we believe that respect is important not only when it comes to K-Pop, but also to all aspects of life. And speaking not only as a member of the media but also as a fan of Super Junior, it is really awful to see that a TV show from my own land speaks without thinking about its possible consequences. Super Junior has nothing to do with them yet they call them out like they have a handful of grudge against them. We believe that to put this into an end, the concerned party should apologize not only to the group but also to the fans.”

But sooner, on December 23, the involved actors and the Home Sweetie Home management accepted their mistakes and apologized through social media.

Miles, who delivered most of the lines that disappointed many, took to her Instagram story and said, “Everyone. This is too much. I really don’t want to react about this. Pero hindi pwedeng hindi. Ang sakit sakit niyo po magsalita. (But I cannot just ignore this. Your words are really hurtful.)”

The young actress admitted that she has no idea on the K-pop verse may it be K-dramas or the music when she flew to South Korea.

“Wala po akong alam at kilala. Kaya kung ano man po ang nasa script, wala po akong alam dun. And for those who are saying na ‘wag mong idahilan na nasa script yun!’ or dapat alam ko yung sinasabi ko, pasensya na po, (I don’t know anything or anyone. So whatever’s on the script, I don’t know anything about it. And for those who are saying ‘don’t reason out that it’s on script!’ or I should know what I’m saying, I’m sorry),” she said.

She also added that as an artist, they are given the opportunity to scrutinize their lines and even ask about it, but this time, since she had no idea, she thought it would be best to simply trust the writers.

“Whatever it is, it was my character. NOT ME. So for the first and last time, I AM SORRY. Please please please PLEASE stop bashing me. Ang sakit sakit niyo po magsalita. (Your words are really hurting.) Please stop it,” Miles continued.

While hurt with all the bashing, nonetheless, she still thanks the people who are still watching their show.

Meanwhile, Michelle and Trina took to their Twitter accounts to write their apologies.

Michelle said, “Bago ko po simulan ang araw na po ito. Humihingi po ako ng sorry sa lahat po na nasaktan namin lalo na po sa Super Junior at kanilang fans (and even non-fans) Sorry po talaga. I’m praying this coming Christmas na matanggap po namin ang forgiveness niyo po. Sorry po ulit.” (Before I start my day. I want to apologize to all we have hurt especially to Super Junior and their fans (and even non-fans) I’m really sorry, I’m praying this coming Christmas that we receive your forgiveness. Again, I’m sorry.)

While Trina tweeted, “Good morning po! I would like to apologize po to the members and fans of Super Junior. Super sorry po sa mga na-offend at nasaktan. (to those who were offended and hurt.) Thank you po for understanding.”

Later on, the Home Sweetie Home management also released a statement through their Facebook page, saying “Home Sweetie Home apologizes for a dialogue on our December 22 episode which has offended some of our Kapamilya Super Junior fans. We have high respect for SuJu and acknowledge that they are one of the first groups to pave the way for KPop Revolution in the PH. We intended to establish their seniority, but we admit that we should have used better terms to say it. We truly regret the mistake, and it’s a learning experience for us. We will be better po next time. Maraming salamat po sa pag-unawa (Thank you so much for understanding), and Merry Christmas, Kapamilya!”

Super Junior is the first Kpop group to hold a full solo concert here in the Philippines in April 2010 as the last leg to their Super Show 2, and later followed their concert series Super Show 3 (February 2011), Super Show 5 (October 2013), and the latest which was announced a month before its show date and still managed to fill the whole Mall of Asia arena, Super Show 7 (June 2018.)

Super Junior first debuted in South Korea in 2005 under the agency SM Entertainment. After different kinds of issues and controversies, the group has been through, they are still actively promoting and making their every ELF happy. And finally, after the long wait, fans will finally see the Super Junior as a whole again after the last member to serve the military, Kyuhyun, discharges on 2019.