After Barbie, it’s the turn of The Marvels to be boycotted by Korean male viewers are they boycotting?
The latest MCU film is facing a wave of criticism, and people are wondering why. Even before the film’s release, it received numerous negative comments, particularly within male online communities sharing beliefs associated with alt-right ideologies.
This reaction stems from the previous Captain Marvel film, which heavily focused on the idea of a female superhero, Carol Danvers, taking charge of her own destiny. The Marvels continues this theme by showcasing the solidarity between its heroines as they protect the universe.
Brie Larson, the actress behind the title character, has spoken about the feminist aspects of her role since the film’s first installment. The film’s director, Nia DaCosta, also adds to her significance as the first black female director to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These factors have made the film a target for those with anti-feminist views in South Korea.
The film’s release date was postponed several times due to the pandemic, lowering expectations. The delay also raised concerns about the quality of the film, as other Marvel films and series, like Ant-Man and Secret Invasion, released earlier, had received mixed reviews.
Many, especially those in some online communities, were ready to criticize the film immediately after its release. There have been various negative comments like “The expressions of the characters on the poster resemble those of a Kimyeosa (a derogatory term for an inexperienced middle-aged female driver)”, “Actresses can’t deliver action scenes, so they’ll try CGI” , “Why is it so poorly made?” And “I doubt people will pay to see it. » There were also comments about the actresses’ appearance and the use of disrespectful language towards women in response to the film.
The film’s ratings on South Korean portal Naver also had variations based on gender, with a rating of 5.72 stars for men and 8.75 stars for women. Some comments noted: “No matter how bad the movie is, people tend to give it high marks just because the main character is a woman. I clearly see the bias. Yes”, “It seems like they give a perfect 10 even though it’s not fun, just because men don’t like it”, etc.
Besides viewers, most media outlets mainly focused on Park Seo Joon’s limited screen time in the film, rather than the film itself. Many titles included his name in film review articles. Here are some examples : “The challenge: Try not to laugh in 5 minutes at Park Seo Joon’s cajuse”, “Park Seo Joon faces a cat, still not exciting”, “Where is the ‘short and punchy’ appearance? Park Seo Joon’s 5-minute appearance failed to meet expectations » And “The Marvels: Park Seo Joon’s 3 awkward minutes amid a lack of originality and freshness”.
Regarding this negative hype surrounding the film, popular culture critic Hwang Jin Mi said : “I believe that people with distorted common sense propagate illogical ideas. Refusing to accept female characters because most of the main characters in the Marvel series were men is trapped in hateful thoughts. It’s not fair to please those who spread irrational thoughts online without even watching the movie. »
As The Marvels continues to screen in theaters, it remains to be seen whether the film can overcome its initial negativity and take its rightful place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Barbie” fails to achieve success in South Korea due to its ‘feminist’ theme
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