Lee Soo Man slammed for utilizing SHINee Jonghyun’s funeral footage in documentary: ‘Actually hope his household sues them’

A glance into the documentary

Billed as a deep dive into Lee Soo Man’s affect on the worldwide Okay-pop phenomenon, the documentary units out to chart the rise of SM Leisure and its founder’s function in shaping the idol trade. The trailer featured interviews with numerous artists and insiders from the Okay-pop world who labored carefully with SM Leisure, portray a portrait of Lee as each a pioneer and a controversial determine. Whereas the trailer touches on Lee’s achievements, it additionally makes an attempt to deal with criticism across the high-pressure tradition of Okay-pop idols, referring to how Western media has usually solid a important eye on South Korean leisure programs.

The controversy

The backlash started nearly instantly after viewers seen the inclusion of footage from SHINee’s Jonghyun’s funeral — a deeply emotional and personal second for followers and people who beloved him. Jonghyun, who died by suicide in 2017 after publicly discussing his struggles with psychological well being and the overwhelming strain of idol life, stays a deeply revered and beloved determine inside and past the Okay-pop group.

Subsequently, for a lot of, utilizing this second in a documentary about Lee Soo Man feels not solely tone-deaf however exploitative. Followers and critics alike have accused the filmmakers of leveraging a painful tragedy to construct sympathy for somebody who had usually been criticised for his function in shaping the very system that many say contributed to Jonghyun’s psychological well being struggles.

On social media, followers known as the selection “disrespectful,” and “dehumanising”. Some additionally questioned how Jonghyun’s dying, which symbolised the very emotional value of the Okay-pop machine, may very well be utilized in a movie that largely centres Lee Soo Man’s legacy with out instantly addressing that value from the angle of those that lived it. Requires a revision or elimination of the footage proceed to mount, with followers demanding extra sensitivity and accountability when representing such a tragic second. As of now, the documentary’s manufacturing group has not responded to the rising criticism.