Beans of Wisdom: Save the sea lions

by DB Staff

This week in Beans of Wisdom…

ObsessedMuch talks priorities in “Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching” comment #7:

I am glug- glugging my way tooo.. There are just too many shows to watch! And then this Wednesday (or Thursday with subs) W- Two Worlds will come out and I would literally have no time to breathe. But I would take this abundance of must watch shows over drama paucity any day. Who needs a social life anyway?

hella replies:

I’ve already warned all of my friends that after next week basically don’t try and talk to me. I will be busy all the time. I’m going out this weekend despite an exam (!) just so I can be a hermit for the rest of the summer. What is a social life compared to the company of lee jong suk and han hyo joo?
(and woo bin and suzy and park shin hye and seo in guk and etc…)

In “Beans of Wisdom: I’m sorry, I love you (drama!)” comment #27, A squad 38 lurker writes:

I’ve been a lurker, but that comment about bullying really resonated with me. Thank you kate, and thank you DBStaff for posting it.

I’ve been distinctively uncomfortable with how a few commenters on here felt the need to put down the taste of others, in a particularly condescending manner, just to vent their frustration onto something for their drama not doing as well as they want.

I realize their words just words, but words can be injurious too. On one hand, expressing one’s thoughts is a right, on another, when that thought does little else but put down others, the necessity of expressing that thought should be brought in question. I believe you can express your opinions and defend your taste, without the need to be disrespectful of others’. In other words, they’re just words, but making someone else’s self-esteem plummet without any regard for them can also be considered bullying.

Is it bad taste and/or stupid to like Kim Kardashian over Jane Austen? Who knows? Perhaps. Perhaps not. If you believe so, the way to go is talk about what you love about Jane Austen, rather than attacking the Kardashian’s fans for their tastes.

In the context of DB, it’s all dramas anyways. Tomato, Tomato. Or even Orange, Apple, Kiwi, Banana, Pineapple, Lemon. It might be too sour to you, too sweet, too tangy, but it has uses to someone else, it might even be beneficial to that someone else. Respect to all please.

Sara adds:

Well said! A right needs not always be used.

I think the “victim” should learn not to be too sensitive for their own comfort, but I’ve seen enough comments on here to understand why several commenters have felt “intellectually” inferior for their tastes. Expressing your disappointment is fine, but expressing it through vitriol is not nice.

bananachocolate writes in comment #28:

Although I rarely comment on this site, this post was one of the loveliest I have read here on Dramabeans.

I understand the aspects of loving certain drama and having different tastes. I admit that I fall under that “elite” mentality when I question why my mother or cousin would prefer another type of drama or feed into the hype. For my cousin she prefers watching a drama with good looking OTP. To others it seem pretty shallow to watch a drama because of OTP, but I too have sat down to watch dramas that makes no sense at time or the editing was not that good all purely because of one character or actor that in my book was attractive!

For me I prefer watching dramas with a bit of mystery (my brother absolutely loves detective/police dramas), but my mom is the total opposite. She loves silly rom-com and plots that employ very common K-drama style tropes.

I remembered one particular conversation though:

Me: “Mom how come you enjoy watching dramas that make no sense sometimes and cliche?Why not realistic dramas? ”
Mom: “Because those dramas have fantasy elements. Because you get to jump into fantasy without having to think about real life.”

I think that conversation struck me as a reminder that we all have preferences.

I have been on the side of the minority when it comes to loving underrated dramas or not enjoying popular dramas, especially DOTS. There was always someone asking me why I didn’t enjoy it. Well, I couldn’t despite loving SJK and SHK (all the way back in Full House).Reading the comments above about different preferences/tastes is really comforting as I was on both sides.

I love beans of wisdom posts because it provide a feeling of community. I know that DB staff censor spam or hateful comments, but knowing that there is someone out there with the same opinions on something you particularly love is comforting. In addition, I always find myself reading comments and my friends would ask why I do. It’s because of the community, it’s because of the people that share different views and lifestyle. Perhaps that view is negative or really sad, but it’s the comment that shed light into a situation, perspective, or person.

Sure I might not move physically in response to that comment on a particular site, but maybe somewhere or sometime my way of thinking will change thanks to a comment. Even if it’s only 1%, that 1% is the “moved” and “response” that Jin Sung was talking about.

So thanks for the comments everyone
P.S. I love the hilarious comments, people are so creative and funny.

MistyIsles points out something in “Wanted: Episode 7” comment #3:

Man, poor Hyun-woo is going to be traumatized for life. Anyone else thinking, though, that he will have the perfect backstory for your typical drama lead? Childhood trauma, complicated family tree/birth secrets — he’s even a secret chaebol heir! Of course, none of that is secret anymore, but maybe if he and his mom ever take that plane to Paris he can meet an expatriate Candy who never heard about the “Wanted” broadcasts?

Speaking of the weather, in “Odds and Ends: Uncontrollably delayed,” it’s been raining suggestions on what to do during the Dramabeans panel in KCON LA. pastmidnite starts in comment #18:

Note to Beanies attending the panel: Remember to scream or laugh or chant or make any other exciting, loud noises. Who knows, the famous director in the next room might hear you and get curious enough to decide to cut his panel short & join you guys

Sue writes:

Actually, if I was going to Kcon I would prefer the games over the director. But hey, you can still have fun with the wheelchair at Kcon. For example you could cosplay as a corrupt chaebol, or you can disguise the wheelchair as a mini truck of doom. You can try to run over people while girlfriday pulls them out of the way at the last minute. Hours of fun!

Lime Chilli:

I have other k-drama game ideas for you :
– kdrama spin the bottle – perform an awkward drama kiss if it lands on you
– kdrama wack-a-mole – whacking evil second leads in the head whilst avoiding all the adorable second lead syndrome worthy candidates. Yes I’m looking at RJY in Reply, YSJ in School and even you KWB in Heirs.
– kdrama twister – left foot on terminal illness right hand on reuniting first loves you have UNCONTROLABLY FOND! Right foot on rich douchey chaebol left hand on mean opposing mother in law you have SECRET GARDEN! Left foot on cross dressing girl right foot on cohabitation hijinks you have YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL (or MOONLIGHT DRAWN BY CLOUDS in sageuk I guess?)
OMG this is too much fun!

Meanwhile, Alessar has a specific wish for javabeans:

I hope it all goes smoothly and you’re out of pain soon. Also that your doctor has the skills of Jang Hyuk in Beautiful Mind but the personality of Jang Hyuk in Fated to Love You. ^_^

bebeswtz writes in comment #7 of “Oh Snap! IU and her seven flower boy princes”:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Help….. can’t….. breathe…….
*spazz*
*claps like a flabbergasted seal lion*
HELP

YY replies:

See that sea lion they’re resuscitating next to you? That’s me.

pastmidnite:

See that out-of-breath mermaid next to the sea lion being resuscitated?
That’s me, wishing to have human legs and be surrounded by 7 hotties.

pogo:

See that beached dolphin, over there by the mermaid and sea lions?
That’s me, after I’m done making high-pitched noises of swooning glee.

bips99‘s mind runs differently:

see me? next to the mermaid, next to the sea lions ?

No???

Of course not. Because while all of you are spazzing, the world suddenly became woefully short of girls. I’m off to pick from the remaining six. IU can afterall just keep one!

ta-da!

While redfox is just confused:

see that confused ninja student who wonders why Teachers´class suddenly consists of mermaids and sea lions and what use could they have for ninjaing skills? Thats me. Um, Teacher… what lesson exactly… *raises the mermaids´ tail to find a seal foaming at the mouth, steps away*… did you teach them…

In the same post, Alacarte asks:

Well I’ll be darned. Which country did IU save to star in a drama with all these hotties? I can’t wait for this to air already!!!

To which kitkat replies:

she was lee soon shin at some point.

Good catch!

Miranda writes about the fascinating Hong-joo in “Mirror of the Witch: Episode 19” comment #4:

I love, love love the sense that in Hong Joo’s mind, she’s possibly in some sort of epic romance with the Taoist master.

She’s always treated him in a hauntingly loving way that goes way beyond student/teacher, and it’s been especially weird to watch her interact with him when they’re alone and we all know he’s her puppet: instead of ordering him around or ignoring him, Hong Joo’s been interacting with him as though this is all normal. In one moment she’ll gently ask for something and actually wait for it, and then in another she’ll almost kindly point out that he has no free will anymore. But… her tone and her words and posture all make it seem like this isn’t an act, that she believes some version of this is real.

It’s as though she thinks they are deeply, deeply in love and that her black magic has removed a small impediment to their being together. The fact that that “small impediment” is his free will doesn’t bother her. And if he loves her, truly loves her, then surely he’ll let her do what she wants because that’s what you apparently do when you love someone in Hong Joo’s world? She’s fascinatingly amoral.

“The Good Wife: Episode 3” is giving Sade a dilemma. In comment #4, she writes:

I’m having that problem too! I keep telling myself not to like Tae Joon but then I’ll find myself staring at his face thinking about how handsome he is and how much Yoo Ji Tae volunteers with building schools in poorer countries and against domestic violence and with abandoned puppies! I definitely have faith in his acting though that he’ll make me hate him more as the show goes on.

Michykdrama has a reminder for her fellow beanies in “Beautiful Mind: Episode 9” comment #15.2:

While I agree with you that ratings don’t necessarily reflect the quality of the show, I hope we won’t keep comparing shows and putting down other shows while trying to express our love for BM.

It is KBS who is at fault here for not giving due credit to the hardworking and talented BM team. It has nothing to do with other shows at all.

We can express our love for BM without resorting to putting down other shows or criticizing the tastes of other people who may like something else.

Just my 2 cents because I really hate it when it becomes a “war” between fans of different shows. We can like different things and still get along! Save the anger for KBS! Hehe.

In “Beautiful Gong Shim: Episode 19,” Miranda writes in comment #2:

Gong Shim. Get out of the road. Get out of the road when a car’s speeding towards you, get out of the road when a truck’s honking at you, get out of the road when you’re inexplicably wandering a few feet into it to obliviously play with your damn phone. Avoid roads altogether.

To which DramaMama replies:

There was a pikachu there in the road.

In the same post, Nicolus says:

Well… Its a Double Truck / Car of the Doom combo! In a single episode!

I guess there was super sales at the Scriptwriter’s shop : “Buy a truck, and also get a free car!”

While in “Beautiful Gong Shim: Episode 20 (Final),” Dee-Oh writes in comment #18:

Given how often people in dramas just stop contacting the people they love as soon as they travel to the US, I’m starting to suspect that, contrary to popular belief, we don’t actually have phones in America.

*stares at her iPhone in suspicion*

In “W–Two Worlds: Episode 1,” Neem writes in comment #9:

Lee Jong Seok is like 86% leg.

dramafan100 replies:

Actually his body proportions do not add to 100%.

So, if you think legs are 86%, then his long arms are considered to be not normal – so quite possibly 33 % arms, he has broad shoulders which are also not considered normat – I guess 25% of him is shoulders and then there is the torso. I needs to be 50% I think.

So = he is 86+33+25+50 = 195% man.

So, that satisfies me.

whilethemusiclasts has a question in “W–Two Worlds: Episode 2” comment #50:

Will there ever be a drama where Lee Jong-suk’s family isn’t killed from the get go? Better luck next time?

Chandler replies:

Lol, honestly though. This is actually why I love that they casted him for this drama. His family does always die…but this time he is actually going after the writer of his fate, instead of the culprit?! Um. Am I the only one finding this awesome?

Oshi:

I’d be afraid to be his mom in anything at this point.

And Miranda adds:

Agent: “The good news is you’ve been cast in the most anticipated drama of the summer!”
Actress: “REALLY? Wait… what’s the bad news.”
Agent: “You’re Lee Jong Suk’s mom.”
Actress: “…dammit.”

Remember to be courteous, don’t spoil, and read the Dramabeans Commenting Policy. See you next week!

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