On May 5th, a recording of Kang Min-kyung‘s live stream was shared on “X”(previously known as Twitter).
The individual who shared the video expressed their distaste for jokes about female celebrities smoking. During a live broadcast, someone made such a joke in the comments, but Min-kyung appeared to take it seriously and stated that she did not appreciate it, which the netizen found commendable.
The video rapidly garnered interest, reaching over 610,000 views and 2,000 retweets in a single day.
Kang Min-kyung, in the video, read a comment from a netizen and responded with sarcasm, saying, “How amusing, suggesting that I quit smoking. Is this meant to be humorous? Such comments are far from humorous.”
She reiterated, “I frequently come across these types of jokes. To be honest… I truly dislike jokes about smoking. I am not a smoker.”
After witnessing this, users on “X”expressed their thoughts, stating that the reason behind the aversion to jokes such as “Do you smoke?”towards women could be due to the insinuation that smoking is a major flaw for women. They further pointed out that these jokes often lead to harassment, with the expectation for a response denying the habit. Rarely do they anticipate an honest answer of “Yes, I do,”already assuming that the person will conceal it.
Some individuals retorted, “To begin with, the joke isn’t amusing, and why is smoking such a major issue? If you don’t smoke, what are the consequences? And if you do, what are the consequences? Is it intended to be funny? It appears to be a means of belittling someone through humor.”
The sentiment expressed was that the joke’s premise, which assumes that women should not smoke, is highly offensive. Although smoking is not against the law, many still find jokes that imply suspicion towards women who smoke to be distasteful.
The video quickly circulated among various online communities, including “theqoo” , where netizens continued to express their disapproval of the joke. Many criticized the comedian, stating that his attempt at humor was insensitive and outdated. Some even went as far as to say that the joke perpetuated harmful gender stereotypes and was not funny in the slightest. Others shared their personal experiences of being subjected to similar jokes in the workplace, calling it low-quality and directed solely at women. The consensus among commenters was that the joke was distasteful and lacked class.
Currently, Davichi has released their new song “I’ll be by your side”in March. Kang Min-kyung is actively engaging with fans through her YouTube channel, “Kyang Ming-kyung.”
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