We Got Married (WGM) is that one TV guilty pleasure that has managed to stay afloat for many years. The show is also magnet for trouble for the cast as audiences for some reason continue to have a hard time believing the show is not real. In its latest recasting, the show has brought on BtoB’s Sungjae and Red Velvet’s Joy as one couple, and Oh Min-seok and Kang Ye-won as the other.
This week, we asked our writers:
Who would be your WGM partner? What do you imagine would happen in the show? How long would you two last until controversy struck?
Gaya: I’m kind of living a real-life version of WGM right now, so I don’t think I would have time for the show. But, I will say that I used to think this show was a bit of a farce. It’s not until now, when I’m going through an arranged marriage that I realize how close to reality WGM can actually be.
Cjontai: Honestly, I don’t think I could ever be on WGM because there’s something strange about adults “playing house” for the sake of entertainment to me. I’m very jaded when it comes to any shows trying to create ships between idols and knowing the show is staged doesn’t help matters much. It baffles me how anyone watching it could honestly believe two apparent strangers, who are constantly surrounded by cameras, are going to magically develop feelings through forced romantic interactions.
As hot as I think Shinee’s Jonghyun is, I’d feel terrible if he felt obligated to hold my hand for ratings. I’m down for simply hanging out like friends, but the skinship shouldn’t be forced if one of us is uncomfortable. That’s why the show is failing. People can tell these couples feel awkward with each other.
Andy: Like Cjontai, I’m not a big fan of WGM or its premise. Besides the sheer ridiculous nature of pretending to be a couple for a few hours then leaving to go home or to an actual job, you then have crazy shippers that throw out abuse when the participants actually begin a relationship with someone other than their show partner.
To be honest, I also couldn’t do such a show because I’m already incredibly awkward and shy — not to mention the pesky social anxiety. Add in cameras, and I would be worse than Hong Jong-hyun (or, worse than what I believe he was like from what I’ve read regarding his appearance). If I have to pick, I have no one specifically in mind, but someone who is funny, quiet, and a bit on the perverted side would fit me well.
Lindsay: Unlike the others here, I actually have gone through periods where I was absolutely obsessed with WGM. I’ve watched the original and the global version, and I admit I’ve gotten irrationally emotionally involved with these fake couples. That being said, it really does depend on the couple. Some of them are much better actors — or have better natural chemistry — than others, and the awkward couples are just not fun to watch. Sunhwa and Kwanghee? Not a fan of that. Go Jun-hee and Jinwoon? Yes, absolutely a fan.
As for who I’d want to be on the show with, my favorites have been Song Jae-rim, Jinwoon, and Hongki. Out of those for me, personally, probably Jae-rim would be best. Alternatively, I think Seungri would be a very good match for me — his flippant humor and open sexuality is probably exactly what the doctor ordered for an American woman like myself.
Laverne: Song Jae-rim and Kim So-eun were my favorite couple of all time! I really loved Jae-rim’s cheesy sense of humor and the way he absolutely adored So-eun. Of course, I’m also 100% sure that it was acting. While they were probably cordial, it’s difficult to get close to a person with the way WGM is filmed, not to mention the numerous times they both said they were too busy to keep in touch outside of WGM.
That said, I’m a hopeless romantic and would probably become enamored with my partner. But due to the aforementioned ‘fakeness’ of WGM, my WGM husband might not feel the same. That’s why I could never be on the show with my bias (Vixx’s Leo) — I need his feelings for me to be real! Instead, I’d settle for a fun husband that I could become friends with like J-Hope or Rapmonster from BTS or Kai from Exo.
Hania: I’ve never watched WGM, although I can see why the concept appeals to many. Like Laverne, if I ended up on the show, I would try to see it as an opportunity to have a good time with a cordial partner, rather than feel pressured into skinship or a fake romance for the cameras.
This means that my BTS bias, J-Hope, would be an extremely fun person to spend the show with, without any strings attached. Jackson from Got7 would also be a riot to spend time with, as he can seemingly befriend anyone. He’d keep it lighthearted without any awkward romantic pressure, as would someone like Super Junior‘s Heechul. As much as I love Exo, I would avoid any of my favourite members from the group so as to dodge the wrath of rabid Exo-L’s.
Morgan: I’m one of those people that haven’t been brought up to value marriage as others do; My parents aren’t married and I never intend to get married either. Also, I tend to place more importance on friendship than romantic relationships.
The only way I would be talked into doing WGM is if I was doing it with my bias, JYJ’s Jaejoong. However, this would be a big mistake on WGM’s part as I would just end up talking to him instead of trying to force romantic moments. In effect, this would lead to the lowest ratings the show has ever had and I would end up known as a ‘show killer’; this would totally help JYJ’s ambitions to appear on television again too. So perhaps ‘We got into a long term relationship and realized it wasn’t for us’ is a more appropriate show for me.
Chelsea: I have never actually watched an episode of WGM either. Like Cjontai and Andy, the premise of the show doesn’t interest me. Perhaps if it was sold more as a blind date kind of thing, rather than imitation marriage, it would hold more appeal. Also, from what I’ve seen from multiple WGM scandals, the show seems to do more harm than good for most participants. For the most part, if I want scripted romance, I’ll watch a K-drama.
I know that if I were ever on the show, I wouldn’t go anywhere near my bias after witnessing the fall out of Baekyeon-gate 2014. Since the show is all about fake romance and not real romance, I’d also look for someone who would be fun to chill with — and who would possibly make fun of the script with me during filming breaks. My top choice would probably be Chen from Exo. Scary fan-girls aside, I think he’d be a great partner who could engage the audience and keep me on my toes. Since this is complete fantasy, I’ll also throw in Amber from f(x), since she’d probably be a blast to be fake married to.
Joyce: Infinite’s Sunggyu for me! I love love love his wit and personality, and I could probably live off his voice alone. We would spend all day out-witting and out-out-punning, and make fun of each other’s lacking dance skills.
Johnelle: I have been an off-and-on fan of WGM, it’s actually the show that got me hooked into K-pop as I became a huge fan of the Sangchu couple of Kim Hyun-joong and Hwangbo. When told about the show, I at first was put off thinking ‘why would anyone want to watch two celebrities playing fake married couples?’ But a few episodes with the right couple pairings can suck even the most level minded person in–it must be the voyeur in us all. I consider myself a fairly rational person and even though I KNEW everything was staged and the relationships were strictly “made for TV,” I somehow always fell sucker to my favorite couples: Hyun-joong and HwangBo, Yonghwa and Seohyun, and JoKwon and Gain.
If in some alternate reality I did have the opportunity to be on the show, I too would rather be paired up with someone who would be fun, adventurous, had a cool personality and had similar interests as my own. So basically more someone to be fun hanging out with rather than anything really smarmy romantic because it wouldn’t be real. As for who exactly that would be? I have no idea , although Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok or Lee Jin-wook just popped into my mind out of nowhere….okay, they might have been in there somewhere.
Readers, who would you want to be on WGM with? Or do you forgo watching the show like many of our writers?
