Viewers are once again expressing discontent over the dialogue in the tvN drama 'When The Stars Gossip,' starring Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin.
Despite generating initial buzz due to its high production budget, the drama has struggled to secure significant viewership ratings.
One of the primary criticisms revolves around the nature of the dialogue, particularly lines delivered by Lee Min Ho’s character, a gynecologist raised by a group of female bar hostesses. In previous episodes, his character’s comments about women’s bodies drew backlash for being inappropriate.
The latest controversy centers on a line where the character declares:
"When it comes to sex and getting one pregnant, I am an expert."
Though the context involved a conversation about a lab experiment with a rat, viewers noted that the line still referred to the character himself.
Netizens took issue with the drama’s heavy use of provocative language, calling it "unnecessary" and "inappropriate" for both the plot and the setting, which explores themes of outer space and medical science. Many felt the dialogue was forced, outdated, and disrespectful to professionals in the field of gynecology.
Critics pointed out that such dialogue adds little value to the narrative and seems to exist solely for shock value. They questioned whether the drama’s writers were prioritizing sensationalism over meaningful storytelling.
Reactions from viewers include:
"Couldn't they have phrased it as 'I'm an expert in sex and pregnancy'? Was it really necessary to say 'having sex and making someone pregnant'? Even if 'and' was meant as a simple conjunction, it comes off as crass. Even if artificial insemination was referred to as 'making someone pregnant,' it's still too vulgar. Why? Did that male character really need to be so crude and unpleasant? Was that kind of portrayal essential to the story?"
"There are words like 'mating' and 'breeding,' so why not use those?"
"It feels like the writer thinks constantly throwing around the word 'sex' makes them seem cool... but listening to the lines, there’s nothing cool about it. It’s so forced and outdated, ugh."
"This is almost insulting to gynecologists, lol."
"Is that really the best way they could say it, lol?"
"You can tell the writer thought casually using that word would make it feel cool, hip, or like a Western drama, but it just feels secondhand embarrassing."
"It seems like the word 'sex' shows up in every episode. Why are they so obsessed with it? Are they going to start throwing 'sex' at the rats too?"
"Do male gynecologists really have this kind of mindset when treating patients?"
"Honestly, the production company that decided to fund this after reading the script must be out of their minds."
"The dialogue is insane."
"This is trending so much on comment boards, but why are the ratings so low? Usually, if something gets this much hate but stays in the spotlight, it gets decent ratings."
"It's uncomfortable to watch."
"Wow... this is so bad. Is that really how a so-called gynecology expert would speak, lol?"
"No wonder people are switching channels—it’s a weekend drama, and a lot of families are probably watching."
"Do they think using the word 'sex' makes it cool? It needs to be used at the right time; otherwise, it just makes the characters look weird. This is insulting to gynecologists. Actors should really read the scripts carefully before signing on—it’s seriously damaging their reputation."
"The phrase 'making someone pregnant' is just so cringe and outdated."
"If a real gynecologist spoke like that, they'd probably get reported, lol."
"500 billion won wasted on this?"
"Even if it’s an experiment, couldn’t they just say 'mating, fertilization, and implantation'?"
"Can the gynecologists' association issue a statement already? Stop making this nonsense, pop culture."
"Instead of something like 'I’m an expert in pregnancy,' they had to say 'I’m an expert in having sex and making people pregnant.' It’s just so gross."
"Why are they obsessively using the word 'sex' instead of 'reproduction'? Logically, no professional would talk like that."
"500 billion won spent for a 1% rating."
"I kept watching out of obligation, but today’s episode was the worst... not just that line, but everything was so ????"
"Isn’t this supposed to be a space drama? Why are there lines like this...?"
"That’s the theme, apparently. Going to space to 'have sex and make people pregnant = reproduction.' They even kept saying 'sex' about animals and insects."
"It’s blatantly ridiculous. Such a waste of production costs."
What are your thoughts? Have you been watching this drama?
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