Family photo of Lee Ji-hoon and Ayane. Ayane’s social media capture

The ‘daycare candy’ controversy sparked by Ayane, the Japanese wife of singer Lee Ji-hoon, has thrown a fairly weighty topic at our society. It vividly showed how a stone casually thrown by a ‘celebrity family’ that has gained fame through the media, and thus wields broad influence, can take on a violent edge.

In the past, controversies involving Moon Jung-won, the wife of Lee Hwi-jae, had the character of a perpetrator case stemming from her own direct fault or nuisance behavior, such as floor-noise issues or the so-called ‘toy dine-and-dash.’ The Ayane affair is of a different stripe. The problem grew serious because she dragged ordinary service workers or institutions in a workplace into her own social media, where she has tens of thousands of followers, to ‘publicly call them out’ merely because they did not meet her standards.

Those who, by appearing on television, have become ‘celeb-civilians’ (a portmanteau of celebrity and ordinary person) step back saying “I am only an ordinary person” when controversy erupts, yet the ordinary people who have no means of defense suffer fatal blows from their rash attempts to make things public. And in the end, the person who started it also receives indelible wounds amid fierce public criticism, repeating the vicious cycle.

■ “A candy wrapper in the daycare bag…” A small spark turns into a big blaze

Capture from Ayane’s Instagram

On the 7th, Ayane wrote on her social media that she found a candy wrapper in the daycare bag of her 22-month-old daughter, Ru-hee, and expressed regret. Having long insisted on a salt-free diet, she wrote, “Until now she did not know the taste, so while there were occasions at a hospital or a cultural center where she might be given something, she would only go on about candy, candy, and I have been persuading her by saying ‘You cannot eat this~,’ and she did not whine; but now she has come to realize that she can eat it,” revealing her distress.

Nevertheless, the remark immediately drew the ire of internet users. Reactions criticizing Ayane’s carelessness poured in, such as: “Once you send a child to an institution, is it not with the understanding that they may give candy or snacks?”, “You may be startled at first, but I do not think a well-known person should write this in a public space,” and “You will need to keep sending your child to daycare; after this, how will you face the teachers?”

Even so, Ayane strongly asserted her parenting philosophy, saying, “We are not asking the daycare to feed only our child a salt-free diet; we are trying our best to keep to it at homeis that so laughable?”

However, as the criticism did not subside throughout the weekend, she finally bowed her head. Ayane apologized, saying, “I posted it just because I was a little upset. As the wife of a public figure, I was reminded once again that I need to consider that what I post can become a news article.” Her husband, Lee Ji-hoon, also moved to contain the situation, saying, “Sorry for making a fuss.”

■ Is this what social media power looks like?

Even so, the public cast yet another cold gaze at her use of the word ‘ordinary person.’ Having appeared on couple-centered variety programs and become known to the public, and with tens of thousands of social media followers as well as activity as a YouTube influencer, it is doubtful that she stands in the same position as ordinary people.

Kim Da-ye’s social media

Earlier, the controversy over broadcaster Park Soo-hong’s wife Kim Da-ye and the ‘postpartum care center whooping cough’ case was in the same vein. She uploaded a photo showing the back of a staff member along with a post expressing concern after giving birth, and was met with a barrage of criticism. Choosing to display in a space visible to the masses something that could have been handled by privately inquiring with and coordinating through the institution, thereby creating an atmosphere of “please criticize together,” was cited as a case of ‘abusing social media power,’ wielding a fandom obtained through broadcasting as if it were a weapon.

■ A casually thrown stone, a Mobius strip in which the perpetrator becomes the victim again

The biggest problem is that these light complaints become a ‘public execution’ that threatens someone’s livelihood. Ayane’s post intersected with the reality of daycare teachers who have recently suffered from infringements on their authority and poor working conditions, and thus drew even fiercer criticism. At a single expression of dissatisfaction from a celebrity, frontline teachers, service workers, and small business owners have no choice but to shrink.

Such controversies always end in deep wounds. Rash public call-outs elicit even greater anger from members of the public who hold opposing views, and the criticism soon turns into indiscriminate malicious comments and cyberbullying directed at the entire family. A light remark comes back as a boomerang that tightens the noose around oneself and one’s family. Consequently, the people who wrote the posts also come to complain of severe psychological pain during this process.

■ The homework of the ‘observational variety show’ era… They must shoulder weight commensurate with their influence

Experts analyze that this phenomenon is not unrelated to the flood of ‘family observational variety shows’ that commodify celebrities’ private lives. To secure ratings, broadcasters turn celebrity families into celebrities; using that as a springboard, they receive sponsorships, engage in commercial activities, and otain wealth and fame. Yet when their own remarks become controversial, they pull out the ‘ordinary person’ frame as a shield.

The special status of celebrity families is both a privilege and a heavy crown. The excuse “We did not know because we are ordinary people” can no longer serve as a get-out-of-jail-free card for the public today. There is an urgent need for a sense of responsibility that recognizes the fact that a single word can cut off someone’s livelihood or turn an ordinary citizen into a victim of a witch hunt. At the same time, the media and the public need sustained monitoring and reflection to foster a mature culture in the online public sphere.