Getting blasted gets blasted: Celeb drinking shows slammed for effect on children

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Getting blasted gets blasted: Celeb drinking shows slammed for effect on children

Published: 09 Apr. 2025, 18:19

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Webtoon artist Kian84 drinks on an episode of MBC variety show ″Home Alone″ (2013) [SCREEN CAPTURE]

As more celebrities appear intoxicated in livestreams and online shows, concerns are mounting over the normalization and glamorization of alcohol consumption, particularly in content accessible to minors. Experts warn that current guidelines lack enforcement, enabling irresponsible portrayals of drinking.

“I apologize to everyone who felt uncomfortable due to my careless words and immature behavior during the social media livestream on Saturday,” the singer BoA wrote on fan community platform Weverse on Monday. “I will take this opportunity to reflect on myself once again and do my best to show a more mature side, remembering the weight that every word and action can carry.”

BoA previously appeared on a live broadcast on Saturday with entertainer Jun Hyun-moo while drinking. During the stream, when a viewer asked about dating rumors between Jun and comedian Park Na-rae, BoA responded, “I don’t think they’re dating,” and added, “He’s too good for her.” Some internet users criticized the comment as disrespectful toward Park.

“I personally apologized to Park Na-rae for making inappropriate comments about her in her absence, and I am grateful for her generous understanding,” said BoA.

Entertainer Jun Hyun-moo, left, and singer BoA on an Instagram live on April 5 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Alcohol floods YouTube channels

Online platforms, especially YouTube, have seen a surge in alcohol-themed content. Popular examples include comedian Shin Dong-yeob’s “Zzanbro” and rapper Lee Young-ji’s “Nothing Prepared.” Videos featuring top idols like Blackpink’s Jisoo, IVE’s Ahn Yu-jin, and BTS have garnered millions of views.

Such content often features scenes that glamorize drinking or promote unhealthy habits like drinking shots, mixing various types of alcohol and encouraging others to drink. In a recent episode of “Zzanbro,” aired March 10, guests commented that alcohol was “a tonic” and “good for blood circulation” before clinking glasses and downing drinks in one go.

According to data from the Korea Health Promotion Institute, scenes glamorizing drinking in the top 100 alcohol-themed videos on YouTube rose from 27.8 percent in 2021 to 78 percent in 2023.

Media consumption habits have evolved, diversifying the ways audiences encounter alcohol content. From 2021 to 2023, top-rated dramas and variety shows on Korean TV featured an average of 1.1 drinking scenes per episode. On streaming platforms, however, the average rose to 3.7 scenes per episode.

A survey found that about 10 percent of middle and high school students reported wanting to try alcohol after watching characters drink in dramas or variety shows.

Blackpink's Jisoo, left, and rapper Lee Young-ji on YouTube show ″Ggbul Nocharim.″ [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The drink might just be too powerful

YouTube policies allow the platform to remove content harmful to minors, such as excessive drinking or violence. TikTok also enforces age restrictions when adult creators display excessive alcohol use. Despite these rules, many popular drinking videos remain unrestricted.

In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Institute revised their media alcohol content guidelines in 2023 for the first time in six years. The new rules recommend minimizing access to such content for children and teenagers, and require warning messages about the dangers of alcohol use. However, the guidelines remain nonbinding.

Experts say the measures fall short.

“Famous celebrities drinking in a casual, relatable way has more influence than conventional alcohol advertising,” said Dr. Lee Hae-kook, an addiction specialist at The Catholic University of Korea Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital. “Platforms must strengthen self-regulation, and government-led prevention programs must be implemented alongside.”

“With smartphones allowing people to watch everything from public broadcasts to personal streams, the moral standards for content are declining,” said Yu Hyun-jae, a communications professor at Sogang University. “We need stronger media literacy education to protect youth from unchecked exposure to alcohol.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY SEO JI-WON [[email protected]]