I’m not sure if anyone watching hit South Korean talent selection show Produce 101, which has had 4 seasons now, thinks that it is 100% fan voted with no producer and management involvement. But even knowing is different then getting confirmation that yes, the shows are indeed rigged and fan voting has nothing to do with who makes the final cut and joins the newly formed idol group. PD Ahn Joon Young of CJ E&M who worked on all four seasons has admitted after arrest that the 4th season Produce X 101 and the 3rd season Produce 48 were both rigged.
For those watching it probably validates how ridiculous some poor performers seem to make the cut every week while real talent got less screen time and always low votes. This whole thing started because fans got fed up, apparently by the 4th season the “top vote getters” were egregiously selected vis-a-vis actually popular contestants with the viewers so fans complained and a police investigation was launched. Goes to show that they would have gotten away with it if they didn’t shove truly terrible contestants to the top spots and expected fans to just accept it.
Ms Koala I’m sorry, but there are some typo that makes me itchy. The rigged votes are for Season 3 (Produce 48) and Season 4 (Produce X 101)
It’s a shame that the show is rigged but does it justifies an arrest? Cheating on a show means possible jail time? Don’t the police have bigger priorities to focus on? People should just stop watching the show and then it will get low ratings and it will get canceled.
It’s sad for the talented contestants that was unfairly treated during the process tho, their dreams got crushed because of human bias/greed not because of them lacking talent.
Because theres corruption involved and also votes casted cost money. So basically fans, family and friends were spending a ton of money voting for their loved ones while being led on the nose that its all fair despite their increasing suspicions. The dude was paid a hundred grand in under table money (that’s just one of the agencies exposed so far), offered prostitutes and given expensive gifts – all while still getting a salary from CJ – a public listed company. I am pretty sure CJ knew what was going on but closed a blind eye to it as after all corruption is a historical pass down from centuries ago in this culture are so its no big deal. But – with new media, times are changing. The ordinary people on the street is now gaining power by banding together. There is hope for a new society as more rats are smoked out with internet age exposes
Wow. That’s bad. Thank you for this information. I’m enlightened. This is awful :/
Welcome to South Korea! Glad he got arrested named and shamed because those kids were busting their chops out singing heart and soul for…nothing as that dishonest cad decided to play judge and jury with those well deserving contestants only he knew they didn’t have a hope in hell of succeeding. Now because I’m highly sceptical of Korean entertainment awards etc this further confirms my suspicions. They are highly corrupt and couldn’t care less. It’s really not nice at all to have this publicly outed. Bless those Produce contestants who should have been placed. Your day of reckoning will arrive.
That’s awful. Glad he got caught!
very nice blog post thanks admin great work
Welp, I don’t agree with the last paragraphs Koala, since many international fans are quite satisfied with the final line up since it full of actually talented people. But half of them are rigged. Yes. Probably Hangyul or Dohyon (one is talented dancer and singer, the other are genius musician) are rigged by Mnet after backdealing with their agency MBK, since both of them loved internationally but not so much by Korean (since only Korean can vote). Another one who is probably rigged is Kim Minhee (talented singer) since his fanbase is not that strong in Korea, but starship (his agency) vp is being arrested so now we know. Fans are bitter because many popular and loved trainee are not included, like Kim Mingyu (handsome, hard working kid, but boy can’t dance, can’t sing and one of the worst trainee), Lee Jinhyuk (talented rapper and dancer) who probably are arrange by his own company to not included in final line up, since his band mate Kim Wooseok is already there and they need a new cash cow with new founded popularity, and many of them who is probably are quite talented but not actually THAT talented compare to the ones in final line up. Another issue is their rank is probably being rigged also, Kim Wooseok said to supposedly no 1, but he was a has been idol, not a new trainee.