Film / Television
20111216_seoulbeats_wegotmarried_yongseo

The WGM Paradox

43
Written by On December 19, 2011

For some idols, and even some fans like myself, being on We Got Married with an idol of the opposite sex would be a dream come true. Imagine, pretending to be in a public relationship, buying couple clothing, feeding each other, taking expense paid trips, even having kids that  weren’t your own–indeed, what a dream it would be.

We Got Married has been a highly successful show on MBC for three seasons now, and has featured plenty of idols and variety talents alike. I know I watch the show religiously, and sometimes it feels I like practically worship the artificial couples that star on the show simply because it’s fun to see idols out of their typical element and trying their hand at the simple life.

But why, I often wonder, is there a variety show, full of idols I might add, that propagates the very taboo the music and entertainment industries discourage? The ever forbidden relationship between idols is made light of on WGM, but in reality, isn’t being in a relationship while being in entertainment one of the hardest things there is to do?

What sparked my vested interest in the topic came about when SNSD’s resident maknae Seohyun admitted on a recent episode of KBS’s Happy Together that she never had true, romantic feelings for C.N. Blue’s Yonghwa (her former WGM partner). Okay, obviously I knew this couple wasn’t actually real; I mean, Seohyun never really was intimate with Yonghwa until like the very last episode (if you call hand holding and half-hugging intimate, seriously this couple did not get far).

Most of us who watch WGM figure that these couples are not real off-air and that they are most likely to never actually be real since they’ve been on WGM; yet we all I thrive on that inkling of hope that the couples really do secretly love each other. But watching Seohyun deliver the verdict so nonchalantly on Happy Together got me thinking–if she didn’t give a damn, then why did I? How was it that I fell in love with the Sweet Potato couple when the individuals involved didn’t even think the other as more than a friend?

WGM sets us up to believe in every indication that its onscreen couples are as real as they can be. What with couple missions and matching attire and ring exchanges, houses with one bed and sexy wedding photo shoots, the romance is practically force-fed to viewers! It would be odd if we didn’t ever wonder if the ‘married’ couples we watched on the show felt more something more than friendship for their partner. But what’s odd about WGM is that the moment romance doesn’t need to implicated by the show and skinship becomes natural between a couple,  WGM puts an end to the couple. And while that is still speculation, I couldn’t help but notice it was a trend that developed to be increasingly noticeable in the later 2 seasons.

For example, 2PM’s Nichkhun and f(x)’s Victoria were a very naturally intimate couple, starting off shy and slowly growing fond of each other as the season progressed. They also became especially close in some of their later episodes. The KhunToria couple matched so perfectly that I was almost certain they genuinely cared a lot for each other, but when the going got great, WGM ended them.

While I love watching We Got Married, I may never understand the thought process that went on in the development of the show. And I won’t say cruel, because it’s really not, but it is a bit mean to pair idols together, let them develop a close relationship, and then shuck them apart when they get ‘dangerously’ close. Nor will I understand why the show exists if relationships are the number one thing entertainment companies don’t want for their idols. Bear in mind, though, that I’m not trying to convince to not watch the show or to hate whoever made it; I mean I watch the show day in and day out sometimes, that’s how much I love it. But even for a rabid WGM fan like myself, it’s important to remember that artificiality is the name of the game.

(Soompi)

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/ほしの-あゆみ/100002113624094 ほしの あゆみ

    That was a mistranslation on Soompi’s part, I would thought you would do your research a bit better

    • Annon

      Then what was the real trans?

      • usagi_chan1516

        she was asked this: “I liked yonghwa” and she responded with an “X” 

    • Guest

      even so, did you honestly think seohyun has romantic feelings for yonghwa? 

      • Anonymous

        Regardless if they had real feelings for each other or not, it is up to the writer to get the correct information. Incorrect translations can cause a lot of misleading judgments.

    • Anonymous

      How could you say that and not offer the real translation? Urg, so annoying.

    • Anonymous

      To both you and debbiegirl below: don’t complain about translations if you’re not going to provide the solution (the real translations or provide a more accurate English article). Complaints like that suggest that you can provide the correct information, but not doing so makes you look like you’re complaining just to be whiny. Now, if you would be so kind as to help the author and correct them via giving more accurate information (let’s face it, beyond allkpop, soompi, and asianjunkie, where else will they be inclined to look? They’re not providing news, they’re giving commentary on news/music/mvs/dramas/socio-economics, etc., so fluency in Korean isn’t an absolute requirement), then it would be a different story. The authors have no aversion to post publication edits, but just saying “Correct xyz, it’s wrong!” does nothing to help.

  • lai

    I never understand why people were so obsessed with the Yongseo couple- I had a better time staring at my wall for an hour than watching those two. The Adam Couple though… my goodness, those two should just get married and have wonderful babies.

    • http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com conanblue

      I love the Adam Couple too. They’re always so much fun! Even though I was a major Adam Couple shipper, I know that by the end they cared each other more like brother and sister. I’m pretty sure at one point they liked each other in a romantic way, but one thing led to another. Mostly their daily drama gig which put them side-by-side as twins which totally ruined the romantic mood that was built over the episodes by the way. I will miss them so and I don’t think there will ever be a couple as awesome as them.

  • Boo

    Try not to think of it as the show tearing them apart when it cuts a couple. If any of the couples really cared for each other, they’ll try to find a way to see each other after the show ends and maybe it’ll be better for them because a crew of people will no longer be following them around. lol. 

    As for Seohyun, maybe it’s good for some couples to end. If she only saw Yonghwa as a friend then it must have been burdensome to have to act as a couple. :) 

    Can I have some YG people in WGM??? One with Seungri is bound to be hilarious. Or Bom. 

  • pahboohchak

    exact sentiments here. can’t help but love them tho.

  • http://twitter.com/JM7228JW J-MayTan©

    now i am worried about Leeteuk & Sora…they r growing feelings with each other! i will break my heart to see them part later down the track! i know it’s just variety but somehow i feel that the show is a bit mean… they are humans after all… feelings can grow! i shall enjoy the moments now..

    • hippyhana01

      i TOTALLY AGREE with u. i for one absolutely LOVE them together. its like they really have feelings for each other. the way leetuek looks at sora , u just know its not fake. i hope it lasts even after the show ends. TEUKSORA DIMPLE COUPLE<3333333

    • G.

      Don’t. Leeteuk is just hamming it up because he’s off to the army next year. :X

  • IZ M

    I dont knw if it’s just me or anything but i always felt that yonghwa felt like it was a burden  because seohyun is a part of snsd. and i think that seohyun wasnt yonghwa’s style either. Even though they grew closer during WGM, it was obvious their relationship after that was formal. Sigh being a yongseo fan, i’m sad that it’s just not reality.

  • Anonymous

    I never thought any of the couples were real (except for the greatest couple ever – Adam Couple- who I feel, at least, had genuine feelings). Call me a skeptic but I believe that most of those idols were seeing other people while filming the show (like Seohyun is so frigid, seriously). Idols lie about much, much more than their relationship status, ya know. They lie about practically everything. And let’s be honest, most of them probably saw this more as a job than anything else. 

    Sorry to be so sour, but when it comes to the entertainment industry I always believe the harsher reality then the soft idealized reality because the former is more often than not the real case.

  • Anonymous

    Seohyun only has her heart for Ban Kimoon. Kke.

    I enjoy Yongseo on screen. I like playful and gentle Yonghwa, also intelligent and humble Seohyun (on screen), but it’s very obvious to me that none of them think their opposite as their “ideal-type”. Or at least, that’s what I get from Seohyun. Idk about Yonghwa though.

    • Anonymous

      I think look wise Seohyun was pretty close to his ideal type – but personality wise, she’s just so stiff and frigid. You can tell he’s more of an easy going guy. It must have been hard to be paired off with her.

    • Anonymous

      Yonghwa said that he likes Seohyun(On some variety shows), But Seohyun on the other hand hasnt got a clue if she likes Yonghwa or not.

  • Anonymous

    When I first learned of the concept for WGM, I was very baffled. I didn’t know if it was supposed to be real or not. Now I know that all Asian reality shows are fake. Well, all reality shows are fake for that matter. I still find the idea of watching two idols play house a bit too crazy. It’s too much of “let’s suck every bit life out of these kids who are popular now, but may be dried up in a year.” I’m overwhelmed by this insatiable appetite to consume everything idol-y. Also, are we trying to train a generation of voyeurs or what?

    And honestly, most of these episodes are boring as hell.

  • Anonymous

    WGM. For some reason i can only enjoy the show for a short period of time. Adam couple, though everyone loved, I couldn’t stand. The one with Eunjung I only watched for a while then I  felt that if they were a couple why are my peeping into their ‘coupledom’ (if you like). Same with Soehyun, they were cute but it had nothing to do with me just like when you see your friends with their partners. I could only enjoy it for the moment and then decide to give them their space although it totally would not work since it’s a show. And sometimes I would see the crack that screams it’s just a show and i’ll wonder why i’m watching this. If i wanted some fake romance, I would watch a drama with some really good actors/resses who can pull it off. Then there was khuntoria, which made me feel like barfing. I couldn’t even stand to finish the first episode. I still watch the show from time to time in small doses because i remember how I like the initial interaction before it got boring and made me feel like a third wheel. But now there’s Leteeuk and Kang Sora which just screams fake and rushed. It’s a good thing they seem to be both great in acting.

    But it makes me wonder, if they don’t like each other why do they put themselves through this. Spending time with some can make you somewhat dependent on them. It might even start to feel nice that you have that special someone. It’s like those actors that get really into their character that they become the character all together. The idea always seemed dangerous to me to play with yourself like that. But then again each interaction is probably a month apart…

    • hkg

      I’m like you.  I can only take this show in small doses.  After the first season, I haven’t been able to like any of the couples enough to like them.  I also never could figure out why the most popular couples were so loved as couples.  Hwangbo and Hyunjoong and the Adam couple had no romantic chemistry to my eyes.  The could be fun to watch as just friends hanging out but I could never see them as a serious couple.  This inability to see what others saw made me realize that this show is no longer for me.  I’ll just stick with my fond memories of Andy and Solbi and Alex and Shinae.  The only couples in my mind where watching them was like seeing a drama romance.  You know it’s fake but it was a nice story while it lasted.

  • http://www.twitter.com/veiledheart VeiledHeart

    I liked the Lettuce couple but that was about it. There’s wasn’t so much romantic as much as it was them laughing at each other all the time. The sweet potato couple bored the crap out of me. I don’t even think I made it to the end. I don’t mind Seohyun, but …she was so blah on this show. Why they thought it was a good idea to put her on a show like that, I’ll never know.

    The show as a whole isn’t even that entertaining. Sometimes it’s like watching paint dry. They’re never doing anything exciting or interesting. 

  • http://www.twitter.com/hipployta Hipployta

    The first season NEVER let you forget it was a variety show with the in studio watching the show thing.  The lines blurred with the second season and the new PD who obviously was cutting the good stuff by making previews that never showed up in episodes. I do miss the old couples and am looking forward to the Gayo reunion.

    Anyway I’m watching the WooJung couple and enjoying it. I’m side-eyeing WooJung and Brave because they do seem “real.” TeukSora is SUPER fake but it is so cute. Sora and Fighting Junior are adorable together. When Teuk goes to the military they need a variety show.

    All of these idols/actors are not going to openly date so it’s good to see them with new friends at least. The ones who are openly dating told the show no way but no one is going to tell me they wouldn’t have watched Hara and Junhyung episodes while waiting on Beast and Kara to appear too

  • Anonymous

    How do they come up with couple names? “Adam” couple, “Sweet Potato” couple…It just seems a bit random.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CI2NGOMLBNCWH5U4MKF57VJOHY Swaggerr

      Because there is always some characteristic a couple displays that give them that nickname. As for “Ant-&-Witch” couple, Crown J was always thought to look like an ant and Seo In-Young, a witch because of scary attitude and ~dark~ fashion.

    • Ilovessantokki

      Adam is how Petite in korean. And they were obviously very small. :)

      • Ilovessantokki

        Is petite*

  • Margorie

    I totally know it’s all fake, but I can’t help but get sucked into the ridiculousness of it all. I’d love to have an excuse to do crazy cheesy/romantic ‘events’, complete cute missions and play house with a hot celebrity like that! Since that’s just never going to happen to me, I’ll just live my fantasy through them XD

    Favourites have to be:
    Ant Couple (A!)
    Lettuce Couple (Their marriage was like one big game, it was best when they got competitive e.g. Rollercoaster face game, ice rink visit, Lettuce Olympics, Chuseok special)
    Romantic Couple (Their baby episode is still one of my favourites)
    Adam Couple (It was more like a cute Noona-Dongsaeng relationship, but hilarious anyway)
    Khuntoria Couple (now they were CUTE, and oh so visually impressive, haa)

  • Maris Sosa

    For me adam couple is the best :) 

  • Kayo

    As a viewer, there are different types of couple on this show.  There are couples that seems to have chemistry in the beginning, like AnSol & Khuntoria, and then it seemed to all fade and they just seem to be faking their attraction at the end.  Then there are ones that have no romantic chemistry, but I’d much rather watch, like Lettuce or Adam, just because they are plain fun to watch.  And there’s ones that have no chemistry and boring to watch, like Hwan Hee and Hwayobi.  They were just not couple like, and they don’t really have the variety show personality to make it fun to watch as well.

    I just have to say, I still don’t see what people see with YongSeo.  To me, Seo Hyun thinks Yong Hwa is childish and Yong Hwa thinks Seo Hyun is boring.  I think it actually took them till the end of their couple period to become friends.

  • Guest

    I wanna share different experience here=) I followed WGM since 1st season and my favorites are Ant and Alshin couples. For the 2nd one, I totally enjoy Adam couple. They just jump there, quarelling, and having fun. Very comfortable and bright. After that, I try Yongseo and touched by them. I do see they have opposite personalities, childish, and awkward (while they only have 2 years age gap) esp for almost half of their total episodes. I often asking myself why the PD/script writer didn’t do anything to “fire up” the situation. Is this just a concept or PD wanna respect each other personalities+ages? But strangely that what made me attracted to Yongseo in the beginning and somehow they just let this couple find out their ways..and as they moving on, I feel sincerity and sweetness in everything they do for each others behind that “awkwardness etc”. I still see that they tend to have clumsyness everytime they supposed to be romantic while of course I expect them to express it more romantically..but all in all, I believe that is just their personalities and they have their own way on expressing it. WGM is over, move on, and keep them as good memories. I don’t wanna end up over analyzing just because they said/done something related to their “ex-partner” that might not look as sweet as they used to be in WGM either it’s for the sake of carrier, media or honesty. I’m sure all the couples at least keep a good friendship with their ”ex-partner” after WGM.

  • Literati Tempo

    I like WGM for it’s romatic aspects now. i think back in Season 1 they were given much less direction about how to act so much more of tehir relationships were natural. I think that made the new PD (whose left his changes all over the show. To change up how he runs the show (especially now that they are using idols). KHJ was the only idol on the old PD’s season so he had different challenges.

    Sweet Potato couple never really meshed, I;m not surprised that they really don’t talk nowadays. Seohyun never looked like she was into him. YongHwa was at least trying to be friends but she was just so standoffish the whole time. She couldn’t even act like she liked him a lil bit. I think sometimes they develop a friendship because after working with someone for over a year regularly how can they not at least be a lil concerned with the other person, but they really aren’t that strong all the time and fade quite quickly. Plus they are idols if Seo and Yong really did have feelings for each other Soshis and boices would be anti’s in a second because it would ruin the fantasy. HwangBo got a real hard time for her stint on the show and that’s partially because it wasn’t as scripted and you could see them starting to really connect.

    All the couples I think got more than friendly
    Khuntoria, Ant, AlShin (Alex side), AnBi, Gundam (they started dating), YongJun and Jeung Eum (obviously), Brave (maybe),

    Friends
    Adam, Lettuce, Khuntoria, WooJung, Brave

    Acting
    DonSaori (poor Saori)
    HwanHee Yobi
    Marco Danbi
    Acorn Jelly

  • Anonymous

    Recuerdo una FA desde un fan que iba siempre a la grabación de los Inkigayo. Ella dijo que tras cámara Yonghwa trataba a Seo como si se tratara de otro artista más. Mientras que JoKwon y Gain eran muy cercanos. JoKwon estaba entre el público durante los ensayos de Gain, y cuando ella ganó él se mantuvo con ella.

  • G.

    A piece of my heart died when they ended the Adam Couple. Although, to be fair, Jokwon and Ga-in were also busy filming for their drama at the same time. But still…! I think they’re the only couple that seemed real to me.

    Real couples don’t argue about plants unless they’re my grandmother’s age (KhunToria). And it was pretty obvious that YongSeo wasn’t a real couple. At most, they’re good friends and Seohyun would make a very good daughter-in-law in the future.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Zhen-Jiang/100003229803466 Zhen Jiang

    Of course sweet potato couple was real, at least at some point. They are in their early 20s, and they are both attractive.  Things they do on TV can not all be scripted. They are not that good actor/actress. Their WGM was really sweet.

    Cant speak of now though. They probably already grow tired of each other and are just friends. Seohyun answered no for less trouble.

  • tan_renfeng

    don’t forget seohyun is under SME and they are not supposed to be in a relationship. The girls once said before on a show that as long as they are from snsd under sme, they cannot go into a relationship. whether anot yongseo is real, i still support them ^^

  • rosieechan

    haaaaa, it seems about everyone in here is against yongseo but me xD 
    I personally liked them; I think they were really sweet. Seohyun smiles a lot when she’s around him, and she brings him down to her level. They went off really slow, but continued really nicely as well. When she made the first move to hold his hand, immediately I was like “aww!” but that’s probably just because I like cute, romantic things a lot. :) 
    the episodes weren’t boring for me, but again, that’s probably the SNSD-fan part of me saying that lol. 

    but even if it wasn’t really real, who cares? I just enjoy the couple because of the show itself. 

    off to watch khuntoria~

  • Anonymous

    The Yongseo couple was a waste T-T I’ve seen videos saying that Yonghwa likes Seohyun. but no videos about Seohyun liking Yonghwa. Aiiiigooo such a waste T-T 

    On the other hand the Woojung couple seems real to me :D

    • http://twitter.com/shengpaulsu Sheng Paul S

      But Woojung couple has less chemistry. Just because Seohyun doesn’t love Yonghwa back doesn’t mean what happened between them was all fake.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/LJVNPEIWZX3C4FGVC5S4RI5PQA Khadidja Gherib

    i really loved the sweetpotato couple but from what i’ve heard i don’t think i will anymore

    • http://twitter.com/shengpaulsu Sheng Paul S

      Agreed. I find it hard to believe no one in WGM developed romantic feelings for their partner in the shows but it’s just sad. I believe the reason WGM can and does exist is to feed off of this taboo and the hope of the fans and idols who wish to have a normal dating life.

  • http://www.facebook.com/virusupgrade Antonio Cabibihan

    I really like the couple but it seems that love is not their priority.
    I think that they genuinely like each other, but the pressure on the entertainment industry particularly Seo Hyun at SME makes love harder. I think that Yong Hwa is more openly on his feelings because his agency does not limit him to like anybody unlike Seo Hyun. I hope that SNSD transfer to other agency allow them to develop love again with Yong Hwa