[Desk Column] The Persistent Controversy of Misogyny in the Distribution Industry

[Asia Economy Reporter Myung Jin-gyu] Controversies over misogyny continue to simmer in the distribution industry. After GS Retail went through a major ordeal over a misogynistic poster controversy, all distribution companies have removed or modified finger gestures in their advertising images and issued apologies. Some food and beverage companies even circulate their ads among employees in their 20s and 30s, asking them to point out any parts that might spark misogyny or misandry controversies.

Controversies involving misogyny, misandry, and generational conflicts have existed before, but never to this extent. Conflicts that go beyond simple confrontations have also turned into backlash against companies. Boycotts break out, and harsh language is exchanged in online communities as parties clash. Initially, finger gestures were the issue, but now people are trying to find meaning in meaningless arrangements of advertising phrases and images. Even those who viewed them without thought begin to get confused after hearing explanations.

Whether GS Retail has truly become a target of resentment is unclear, but in their new advertisement, the phrase ‘WEE_K’ became problematic. The spacing of WEE, meaning very small, and K led to accusations that it implied Korean men have small genitalia. This criticism has grown to the point where most people now respond with “It seems that was the intention.” In an image showing beer snacks, peanuts and sausages became the issue. Critics question why peanuts and sausages were included among beer snacks, branding it as a misogynistic ad.

While these claims may sound plausible, it seems overly sensitive. Suppose it was spaced as ‘WE_EK.’ EK stands for the Iron Cross medal awarded by the Nazis in Western contexts. Then it could be interpreted as “Are we Nazi Iron Crosses?” If spaced as ‘W_EEK,’ EEK expresses surprise or fear, fitting for an ad about a horror experience. The criticism about peanuts and sausages as beer snacks hardly needs a rebuttal. No one is calling for a boycott of peanuts and sausages yet.

After the misogyny controversy escalated, GS Retail placed the involved employee on administrative leave and began an investigation. Internally, they concluded that the misogynistic imagery was not intentionally inserted, but the designer was disciplined, and the marketing team leader was demoted to a regular team member. Various internal factors played a role, but the outcome was a disciplinary action. As a result, marketing staff inevitably become highly sensitive to all kinds of images and phrases every day.

Even if we see no problem, the fact that someone else might perceive an issue causes tremendous stress. An executive in the distribution industry said, “We held detailed meetings with internal staff about the subjects of the misogyny controversy, but concluded that it is difficult for us to catch these issues in advance internally,” adding, “Gender conflicts have now become an unpredictable new risk for companies.”

Humans have lived seeking meaning in meaningless objects. This started from the days when people looked at constellations in the sky and wrote myths about Greek heroes, and it continues today. It is worth recalling once again that the world is not designed to be so calculated and complex.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.