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| A scene from Tving's drama series, "Work Later, Drink Now" / Courtesy of Tving |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
As alcohol consumption has become more common on television, some concerned viewers and experts are questioning whether there might be too many drinking scenes in dramas and entertainment shows.
The increasing displays of drinking on TV may reflect the medium's increased respect for realism.
Netflix's "Paik's Spirit," which was released last October, features culinary star Paik Jong-won and celebrity guests talking about life over intoxicating meals. Han Ji-min, who appeared as a guest in the second episode, later said in an interview that she felt less pressure drinking in front of the camera on the show.
"I would have been hesitant to appear in the show if it aired on one of three major broadcasters. But since it's an over-the-top (OTT) platform, I felt I could be more true to myself," Han said.
The OTT and cable-TV revolution have changed the way alcohol is portrayed. Tving's "Work Later, Drink Now," which will be renewed for a second season this year, centers on three drinking buddies who hang out in a bar every day.
"Heavy drinking inflicts damage on the body, but you might want to loosen up a bit while drinking, at least once in your life. No one has a perfect life," the drama's screenwriter, Wi So-young, said.
Alcohol acts as the central theme in several shows currently on air.
"Drinking Friends," a talk show that started last December on iHQ, features celebrities gabbing over life lessons while consuming drinks with the guests.
"Local Table," which kicked off in February on MBC, features celebrities traveling, drinking and eating local food.
The Korea Health Promotion Institute monitored 219 most-watched dramas and 438 popular reality shows aired in 2021. Each episode of the dramas or reality shows had an average of 2.3 scenes involving alcohol.
It claimed that portrayals of alcohol consumed by characters in shows significantly influence viewers. Depictions of people drinking alcohol in programs have been shown to increase the social acceptance of alcohol use and further cue cravings for alcohol.
According to a survey conducted by the institute, 47 percent of the 1,057 respondents ― ranging in ages from 20 to 64 years old ― answered that they had the urge to drink after watching a drinking scene on TV.
"Depictions of drinking are gaining popularity across OTT platforms and social media because they impose less restrictions. Drinking scenes have the risk of romanticizing or encouraging heavy drinking and are often linked to lewd or violent content," said Kang Chang-bum, an official at the Korea Health Promotion Institute.
The research team also suggested that government intervention through public policy is necessary. "Right now, government policies to reduce the negative consequences of drinking are focused on changing the public perception around excessive drinking. The government should intervene to regulate inappropriate depictions of drinking in the media," he added.
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