"Unanswered Questions" Episode Under Massive Fire For Comparing FIFTY FIFTY To BTS, BLACKPINK, And NewJeans

  • K-Pop fans believe the episode “dragged other artists into the picture,” all to defend FIFTY FIFTY.


    The latest episode of SBS‘s popular investigative program Unanswered Questions aired amid high anticipation, as it took a deep dive look at FIFTY FIFTY‘s recent dispute with their management, ATTRAKT.


    FIFTY FIFTY | @officialcharts/Twitter

    Following a silence-breaking letter from the members and a tempting episode teaser with the members’ families, K-Pop fans tuned in for more insight.


    Soon after airing, though, the episode received massive backlash from the viewers for “defending FIFTY FIFTY” and, in the process, “disrespecting other K-Pop artists for no reason.”


    In an attempt to explain FIFTY FIFTY’s international success, Unanswered Questions compared the rookie girl group’s accomplishments to those of K-Pop’s biggest groups, like BTS, BLACKPINK, and NewJeans.


    BLACKPINK | @blackpink/Twitter

    One interview included in the episode, with Molly Raycraft, pitched FIFTY FIFTY against NewJeans, commenting on how the latter “isn’t well-known in England.” The group name aired censored, but it was not difficult for the viewers to recognize.



    | SBS

    I know NewJeans is really popular in South Korea, but they have had very little traction in the UK which might sound really astounding to the Korean audience. So it’s actually very difficult to reach into the UK market and the European market, which is a reflection of just how hard it’s been for FIFTY FIFTY to do and the achievement that they’ve been able to…


    — Molly Raycraft


    Another interview from the episode—with K-Pop columnist Jeff Benjamin—mentioned SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, HYBE, and JYP Entertainment as well.



    The Korean subtitles quoted, “Management companies like SM, YG, HYBE, and JYP spent so long working toward establishing solid partnerships with American labels. But FIFTY FIFTY came out of nowhere, breaking the norm for how international girl groups are made.”



    | SBS

    At another point in the episode, BLACKPINK and their collaborative track with Lady Gaga, called “Sour Candy,” were compared side-by-side to FIFTY FIFTY and the English version of their hit track “Cupid.”



    “Sour Candy at #17” (left) and “Cupid (Twin Ver.) at #5” (right). | SBS

    Unanswered Questions also drew parallels between FIFTY FIFTY and BTS, mentioning how both groups “came from smaller management companies.” In doing so, however, Unanswered Questions claimed that BTS won nominations for the EMMYs, not the GRAMMYs.


    BTS | @bts_bighit/Twitter

    When BTS, as the sole group to a small management company, made their debut on the Billboard chart, won multiple awards at the American Music Awards, won nominations for the EMMYs, and got dubbed the next ‘Beatles,’ fans celebrated their success and honored their accomplishments. BTS became the pride of all Koreans as Hallyu icons. So when FIFTY FIFTY dominated the Billboard chart with “Cupid” only six months after their debut, fans rooted for them, too; hopeful for them to follow BTS’s footsteps.


    But now that their legal battle is in full swing, what will happen to FIFTY FIFTY? How will the case end? Here’s the thing: Countless idol groups have formed and faded in the shadows while BTS propelled forward to become an international sensation. And no one paid attention to these groups. Most of the former idols who have graced Unanswered Questions have never seen a paystub as promised on their contracts…


    — “Unanswered Questions” Host Kim Sang Joong


    The episode was met with criticism from viewers, as well as BTS, BLACKPINK, and NewJeans fans, for the “uncalled-for comparisons” made “for the sake of hyping up FIFTY FIFTY” and so, ultimately, excusing the girl group for turning on ATTRAKT.



    | theqoo

    “How many K-Pop idol groups did this episode have to disrespect to defend FIFTY FIFTY? This is madness.”

    “This was… quite the sh*t show of an episode. Who even are the people being interviewed? I can’t believe the comparisons made it on air. Ha… What is this, some sort of a sick prank?”

    “What even is this…?”

    “We don’t care what people think.”

    “FIFTY FIFTY isn’t going to survive this Unanswered Questions episode, LMAO. No one is going to side with them… Not after what was said and done in this episode.”

    “Not that I watched the episode… But it shouldn’t have focused on comparison who’s more popular in what parts of the world. It should’ve focused on the details behind the legal dispute. Isn’t that what Unanswered Questions does as a program? At least, the editing team should’ve known better than to include the parts mentioning other K-Pop groups.”

    One viewer pointed out, “Unanswered Questions [defended] the girl group to suspicious lengths,” enough to leave the viewers “questioning the real intention behind the episode.”



    The episode was supposed to be about FIFTY FIFTY’s legal dispute with their management. So none of the interviews and comparisons about other K-Pop artists were relevant. No one asked how popular FIFTY FIFTY was in the UK. No one needed the ‘Sour Candy’ vs. ‘Cupid’ ranking differences. What the viewers needed was a deep-dive breakdown of what went down between FIFTY FIFTY and ATTRAKT. But instead, we got 60 minutes of Unanswered Questions defending the girl group to suspicious lengths, that it left us questioning the real intention behind the episode.


    — theqoo


    Korean viewers continue to express disappointment at Unanswered Questions for “lacking the research and understanding of the K-Entertainment and K-Pop world” in the episode to have provided real insight.



    | theqoo

    “I don’t understand why this episode dragged on and on about other K-Pop idols when it was supposed to have been about FIFTY FIFTY and their dispute.”

    “Remember BTS, too, didn’t get a lot of attention at first, right after their debut. ARMYs know what kind of effort and dedication it took for the members to get where they are now. So… What is this episode even talking about? Why bring BTS into this at all? Oh, and the EMMYs? Are you serious? SBS doesn’t know the difference between the EMMYs and the GRAMMYs?”

    “I don’t think Unanswered Questions had the remotest understanding of all the details behind what happened to FIFTY FIFTY and ATTRAKT at all.”

    “The EMMYs, LMAO. This is f*cking comical.”

    “But didn’t BTS go through hell of a lot more than FIFTY FIFTY ever did?”

    As for the latest development in the legal dispute between FIFTY FIFTY and ATTRAKT, the girl group members have submitted a statement to the court that they have no intentions to undergo mediation and negotiation meetings with the management.

  • Surprise, surprise. A lot of the haters are a part of fandoms of these established groups.


    A while I ago, I was wondering if the girls are being punished for braking some unwritten rule by bypassing and not getting approval from the Kpop industrial complex first before making it big globally. Turns out, it doesn't have to be that deep.

  • Surprise, surprise. A lot of the haters are a part of fandoms of these established groups.


    A while I ago, I was wondering if the girls are being punished for braking some unwritten rule by bypassing and not getting approval from the Kpop industrial complex first before making it big globally. Turns out, it doesn't have to be that deep.

    They don't even need haters to bury them, even a huge name in kpop like cbx received a huge backlash from knetz for a very strong cases. What do you expect from a group with a very small fanbase like 50/50 with no strong cases in the court too. If their songs didn't go viral, they still will get backlash but not as huge as now simply bc they (cupid) are not popular and us here won't care about them at all.

  • how we supposed to believe this show when they can't even get the smallest fact correct. When did Bts won for emmy or nominated for one? That is for television award, right?

    The same way I understand your post just fine even if you used "won" instead of "win". It's a small mistake, but I can filter it out through context and reading between the lines. I'm perceptive like that.


    :pepe-flirt:

  • They don't even need haters to bury them, even a huge name in kpop like cbx received a huge backlash from knetz for a very strong cases. What do you expect from a group with a very small fanbase like 50/50 with no strong cases in the court too. If their songs didn't go viral, they still will get backlash but not as huge as now simply bc they (cupid) are not popular and us here won't care about them at all.

    To me it's less about the strength of the case and more about how they're threatening ppls faves or the industry's traditional order. I agree that no one would care if they weren't a threat.

  • The same way I understand your post just fine even if you used "won" instead of "win". It's a small mistake, but I can filter it out through context and reading between the lines. I'm perceptive like that.


    :pepe-flirt:

    lol so a grammar mistake from a netizen is now equal to a TV show that supposed to unfold the 'truths' yet can't even google a very simple things? And which award they even refer to Grammy, if it is a typo when Bts also never win that one. This is why it is hard to take 50/50 stans seriously, they just don't make sense at all. :pepe-joy:

  • lol so a grammar mistake from a netizen is now equal to a TV show that supposed to unfold the 'truths' yet can't even google a very simple things? And which award they even refer to Grammy, if it is a typo when Bts also never win that one. This is why it is hard to take 50/50 stans seriously, they just don't make sense at all. :pepe-joy:

    FF stans can't be taken seriously, rn they are playing the victim, but before the scandal they were all around internet saying how they will end BTS, BP, how Cupid is bigger than Dynamite, etc. And it wasn't just a few people, now that those fandoms are pointing out their discrepancies, are bad people.

  • To me it's less about the strength of the case and more about how they're threatening ppls faves or the industry's traditional order. I agree that no one would care if they weren't a threat.

    To me it is more about the girls and their parents choices. If they want to get out from that company that much, pay for their termination fees. Simple. They will not facing this huge backlash. We all will support them if they have obvious evidence like omegax or loona, but their cases didn't show anything. Like you want us to blame the ceo no matter what even with no evidences againts him just for sided with the idols?

  • To me it's less about the strength of the case and more about how they're threatening ppls faves or the industry's traditional order. I agree that no one would care if they weren't a threat.

    Doubt it's just that.


    Koreans seem to be far less on 50/50 side than most i-fans are.

    There is a sense of 'poor CEO doesn't deserve to be treated that way by lowly idols who have not put the work in yet'.


    Notice that is a trend with all kind of topics: netizens don't like it when newly debuted artists have a 'big mouth' (which often just means sticking up for themselves). They need to earn it first before they are allowed to talk back to someone senior like a CEO.

  • FF stans can't be taken seriously, rn they are playing the victim, but before the scandal they were all around internet saying how they will end BTS, BP, how Cupid is bigger than Dynamite, etc. And it wasn't just a few people, now that those fandoms are pointing out their discrepancies, are bad people.

    On twitter?


    Because I never saw that here in allkpop.

  • Bingo! Just posted an old thread above your post that addresses this "intention to attract general public opinion that is not interested in talking about idols by appealing to the 'noble anger' of the Korean public sentiment."

  • To me it is more about the girls and their parents choices. If they want to get out from that company that much, pay for their termination fees. Simple. They will not facing this huge backlash. We all will support them if they have obvious evidence like omegax or loona, but their cases didn't show anything. Like you want us to blame the ceo no matter what even with no evidences againts him just for sided with the idols?

    I do agree that it will very difficult for the courts to rule in favor of fifty fifty, but it would be nice if labor laws were changed to stop smaller agencies from exploiting want to be idols.


    Like I said in the other thread, many of the things fifty fifty accuses their company from doing is standard practice in the industry, specially in smaller companies.


    forum.allkpop.com/thread/168260/
  • I do agree that it will very difficult for the courts to rule in favor of fifty fifty, but it would be nice if labor laws were changed to stop smaller agencies from exploiting want to be idols.


    Like I said in the other thread, many of the things fifty fifty accuses their company from doing is standard practice in the industry, specially in smaller companies.


    forum.allkpop.com/thread/168260/

    The thing is, out of 4 issues in their claims, only one is relevant enough to be brought in the court.


    1. Aran's surgery. (Imagine the fans rage if company didn't announce about the surgery while they suddenly put them under hiatus)

    2. Financial transparency (acceptable but most of their claims already debunked)

    3. Forcing them to work during Aran's resting days after surgery (they didn't have any schedule after that soo???)

    4. Lacks of support from company especially in promoting the group (they have tons of cfs calls, barbie, tiktok promotion, good apartment, tuition, etc...)


    Out of this 4, they themselves in the end only focus in the financial transparency case. It is fair but is it enough especially if in the end the company didn't commit any fraud? They might set a negative example instead of changing the system to be better. I agree that the labor laws can be improved a lot but what they are doing now only making it worst. It's simply because most of their accuses are a made up issues instead of the real one that need real attention.

  • One interview included in the episode, with Molly Raycraft, pitched FIFTY FIFTY against NewJeans, commenting on how the latter “isn’t well-known in England.” The group name aired censored, but it was not difficult for the viewers to recognize.

    Quote
    I know NewJeans is really popular in South Korea, but they have had very little traction in the UK which might sound really astounding to the Korean audience. So it’s actually very difficult to reach into the UK market and the European market, which is a reflection of just how hard it’s been for FIFTY FIFTY to do and the achievement that they’ve been able to…
    — Molly Raycraft

    Another interview from the episode—with K-Pop columnist Jeff Benjamin—mentioned SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, HYBE, and JYP Entertainment as well.

    The Korean subtitles quoted, “Management companies like SM, YG, HYBE, and JYP spent so long working toward establishing solid partnerships with American labels. But FIFTY FIFTY came out of nowhere, breaking the norm for how international girl groups are made.”


    At another point in the episode, BLACKPINK and their collaborative track with Lady Gaga, called “Sour Candy,” were compared side-by-side to FIFTY FIFTY and the English version of their hit track “Cupid.”

    Unanswered Questions also drew parallels between FIFTY FIFTY and BTS, mentioning how both groups “came from smaller management companies.” In doing so, however, Unanswered Questions claimed that BTS won nominations for the EMMYs, not the GRAMMYs.

    Quote
    When BTS, as the sole group to a small management company, made their debut on the Billboard chart, won multiple awards at the American Music Awards, won nominations for the EMMYs, and got dubbed the next ‘Beatles,’ fans celebrated their success and honored their accomplishments. BTS became the pride of all Koreans as Hallyu icons. So when FIFTY FIFTY dominated the Billboard chart with “Cupid” only six months after their debut, fans rooted for them, too; hopeful for them to follow BTS’s footsteps.
    But now that their legal battle is in full swing, what will happen to FIFTY FIFTY? How will the case end? Here’s the thing: Countless idol groups have formed and faded in the shadows while BTS propelled forward to become an international sensation. And no one paid attention to these groups. Most of the former idols who have graced Unanswered Questions have never seen a paystub as promised on their contracts…
    — “Unanswered Questions” Host Kim Sang Joong
  • Honestly this is one of fifi biggest mistake. If they still didn't earned anything, it is hard to prove anything too. They also didn't have tight schedules like most idols so knetz view them as lazy ungrateful kids. Personally, poor girls but then I also cannot help to think if they wait a little bit, they must have more support with bigger fanbase than now.

  • Yes, the only chance they have is if they can prove that ATTRAKS CEO lied on the amount of debt that was assigned to the fifty fifty promotion.

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  • i actually saw karmys and kblinks were angry



    it was so dumb. So many unnecessary and incorrect info

    This is supposed to give the girls positive feedback and support but they make such a big mistake by mentioning 3 popular groups with huge fandom (especially armys and blink).

  • Well they are getting clicks and engagements thanks to angry blinks and Armys.


    But they are facing the wrath of those fandoms.

  • I really can't get mad about this, but I guess it's mostly a k-fans thing.

    Then again, like most i-fans, I tend to take the side of idols vs companies, so feel sorry for 50/50 anyway.


    They do seem very multi-fan/GP driven, so they don't have a big fandom that sticks up for them in a hardcore way. In a way that might be helpful so there will be less fanwars after those huffing and puffing have vented their anger for a day.

  • I really can't get mad about this, but I guess it's mostly a k-fans thing.

    Then again, like most i-fans, I tend to take the side of idols vs companies, so feel sorry for 50/50 anyway.


    They do seem very multi-fan/GP driven, so they don't have a big fandom that sticks up for them in a hardcore way. In a way that might be helpful so there will be less fanwars after those huffing and puffing have vented their anger for a day.

    I wonder if k-fans just don't want the groups they stanned to be drawn into this, since I'm sure it's bigger news in Korea than internationally. Sorry, nothing good seems to be coming out of any part of that affair.


    For me though, yes, the mention didn't offend me.

  • I wonder if k-fans just don't want the groups they stanned to be drawn into this, since I'm sure it's bigger news in Korea than internationally. Sorry, nothing good seems to be coming out of any part of that affair.


    For me though, yes, the mention didn't offend me.

    Perhaps there is a bit of that senior/junior thing in the mix as well.


    "How dare they compare those girls that barely worked and are causing trouble, to their seniors that have been through so much?"


    Notice that in a lot of discussions, Knetz are less judgmental of people who have been working in the business for quite a while than newbies.

  • Perhaps there is a bit of that senior/junior thing in the mix as well.


    "How dare they compare those girls that barely worked and are causing trouble, to their seniors that have been through so much?"


    Notice that in a lot of discussions, Knetz are less judgmental of people who have been working in the business for quite a while than newbies.

    Very true and I have seen this senior/junior divide brought up before. It could very well be a cultural difference as we do not see things in those terms right off the bat where I'm sure they do.

  • I wonder if k-fans just don't want the groups they stanned to be drawn into this, since I'm sure it's bigger news in Korea than internationally. Sorry, nothing good seems to be coming out of any part of that affair.


    For me though, yes, the mention didn't offend me.

    This, and they also sort of implied that BTS is were it is just because they didn't have any competition, so it was a easy thing, not like FF where they have to compete with the huge artists and are doing better than them. That's why they are really mad about it.

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