Maxim Korea’s Controversial Photo Spread Widely Condemned, Petition to Recall Reaches Over 10,000 Signatures

[Newsie]

Following the release of Maxim Korea’s recent September issue, which immediately bred controversy with its crime-centered photo spread with actor Kim Byung Ok, Cosmopolitan UK as well as Maxim U.S. heavily criticized the publication for its latest concept and, as Maxim Korea attempted to defend itself, “expression of crime.” Claire Hodgson writes for Cosmopolitan UK, […]

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[jklapina_02de]

It's a bit hypocritical of magazines to criticize other magazines regarding its content. The same people trying to stop the circulation of this magazine are the same people who cry freedom of the press if it suits them. The best way to stop the circulation of the said magazine is not to buy it--if you're so offended. Giving it attention does the opposite.

[SC7]

I personally agree with them petitioning, I also think it's glorification of domestic violence, etc. ...

[Orion]

The magazine is out and I feel there is no use doing something now other than criticizing it. People are free to have badly conceived concepts and buyers free to condemn those. Stopping the circulation won't get rid of the mess up anyway, so I think speaking up about why such concepts can be harmful if not handled well is the best way to go about it.

And speaking of victim blaming, it was not so subtle in their Facebook post. They said that if they wanted to glorify this, they'd have used So Ji Sub instead of Kim (because all people need to like rape and murder is a hottie?). The official statement is also problematic. The person insisted it was not sexual, but does this mean violence against women and murder is a cool concept if not involving sexual violence?

Also, in a magazine mostly aimed at the male gaze and created for the pleasure of young adult males, good luck with that claim... These are not stills from a movie on a film magazine. They do not speak about an existing character in a work probably not really portraying these acts as fun. This is a concept which makes a beloved actor look cool to males while he is murdering a woman. There is not exactly much nuance there to avoid condoning.

Frankly, whatever the designer's intentions, the platform for it and follow up statements are what really made this worse. They should just apologize and reconsider their ideas and approach to such topics for their publication in the future.

[Guest Ming Banger]

The hypocrisy is nauseating. One of the most popular scenes in American TV was when Drea De Mattea was dragged out in the woods and murdered by musician turned actor Little Stevie on The Sopranos....but that was okay, yes? Or when the gangster beat his pregnant girlfriend to death in front of all the fellas? That was okay too because, you know, it's award winning writing about mobsters in New Jersey! Claire Hodgson is a joke....maybe she should check into the US and UK percentages of domestic abuse before coming after Korea. It's a photo on a men's magazine. Nothing more.

[Guest kpopmonsteryong]

this is tasteless. It's a magazine, not a newspaper. This magazine is about fashion, so are they making a fashion statement with this? Movies, TV Drama are different because they explain a story, yes, all of them are forms of art but they are different mediums meant for different messages. This is disgusting.