In the Media: IU's Zeze

Article: Heo Ji Woong defends IU? "It's not right for a publishing company to offer an interpretation"

Source: OSEN via Nate

1. [+2,660, -135] But the thing is, 'My Sweet Orange Tree' is an autobiography of the writer who passed away 30 years ago. The reason he wrote the book was to give strength to the Brazilian kids suffering from child abuse and is one of the most read youth books in the world. A cleaner interpretation is applied to it because of these intentions, which is why IU's fishnet stocking wearing lolita interpretation is being slammed.

2. [+2,312, -189] As expected of a critic who sits on 'Witch Hunt' all day saying perverted nonsense. I knew he had nothing worthwhile to say when IU's boyfriend Jang Giha was on the show talking about sexual positions and all. Do you really believe that a pedo interpretation is a freedom of expression? Applied to music that kids of all ages can listen to?? You realize that IU never applied a 19+ rating to her music, right?

3. [+2,202, -129] Call it art all you want but it's not normal to call an abused 5 year old child 'sexy'

4. [+236, -11] Heo Ji Woong, stay out of this. Do you think netizens and the publishing company is doing this purely to ruin IU's career? How can you consider a pop song a pop song if the public has no real connection to it? How dare you throw rocks at the publishing company while tarnishing the work of a writer? Stay out of this. You have nothing in that head of yours but shit. Don't act like you're anything more.

5. [+180, -6] IU's thoughts should've remained just that, her thoughts. She should not have applied it to music that is spread to the public. Why did no one restrict this when it is clearly faulty on moral values?

6. [+147, -7] You stupid f*cK, since when was it a freedom of interpretation to sexualize a 5 year old child? Why don't you call what all those sex criminals did 'works of art' too? You stupid f*ck think you can go around saying whatever you want because you have two lips? The dirtiest thing you can do in this world is mess with kids, you idiot. Come and sue me if you want, I'll swear to you right to your face you dumb ass.

7. [+135, -5] This wouldn't be as controversial as it is if she did not sexualize a minor like this. But what's done is done and an apology won't fix anything. This album serves nothing more than a representation of IU's sexuality.

8. [+111, -3] Let's get one thing straight here. The publishing company never gave a 'guide line' to interpreting the book. All they said was that they were worried about Zeze being sexualized as a character.

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Article: 'Fans are angered' over IU putting news of fan meet on SNS instead of responding to Zeze controversy

Source: Newsen via Nate

1. [+1,962, -63] Didn't fans always say she's known for communicating with them? ㅋ

2. [+1,765, -58] The most realistic option for her right now is to just quickly admit to her mistakes

3. [+1,746, -57] There's just too much for her to sweep under the rug. Several plagiarism controversies and all. She needs to apologize, but I bet she'll just cry at her fan meet later.

4. [+212, -4] As expected, the minute anyone says anything bad about her, she shuts her mouth and waits for it to pass. But of course she'll show up to her fan meet and say stuff like, "I was wondering how I could apologize to you all..." ㅋㅋㅋ

5. [+203, -9] I feel like IU is just looking at this whole controversy and thinking "They're just jealous of me. Why are they being like this to me? It's sooo hard for me"

6. [+196, -9] When Kim Hye Soo was caught plagiarizing her thesis while in the middle of shooting a movie, she admitted to her fault right away and apologized. There are many cases where stars tried to drag out their silence and ended up exacerbating the situation but Kim Hye Soo's fast response actually quieted the controversy down quickly. Yoon Eun Hye and IU seem to think silence will resolve their scandals in due time but they should realize their popularity will diminish in that time as well. A star without popularity might as well be unemployed. I hope IU makes the right decision.

7. [+153, -4] If she doesn't want to end up like her friend Jiyeon, she better respond to this.

8. [+119, -2] She's on path to becoming Yoon Eun Hye

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Article: IU's 'Zeze', a reinterpretation leaves out the original author's depiction of his pain

Source: X Sports News via Naver

1. [+24,758, -1,395] Mistakes like this are bound to arise when you have no real knowledge on the subject but want to look like you do anyway. Right now, it's best that she just comes clean and admits that she was short on thought and that she's sorry. Enough with the stupid shields claiming freedom to interpretation and culture and all that nonsense.

2. [+23,263, -2,144] IU, you seem to be thinking that you can just stay silent and all of this will blow over, but that's not going to work this time. Your recent sampling scandal has brought to light all the rest of your plagiarized songs to the public's eye, including 'Leon'... and now you're under controversy for the sexualization of a 5 year old abused child on top of a plagiarized teaser. No amount of silence and hiatus can put any of these to rest. Before you ruin yourself to T-ara's level, just admit to your fault and do what Lee Hyori did by recalling this entire album, take down your digital songs, and reflect for 1-2 years. That's the only way you can survive at this point. The power of your stupid fanboys can't save you this time.

3. [+21,293, -1,033] I vote that she never read the book. If she truly read the book and still wrote those lyrics, she's a lost case. Just because she promotes her image as a lolita concept gives her no right to sexualize the victim of child abuse and call him cunning and dirty.

4. [+16,694, -754] Reinterpretation -> you mean misinterpretation and delusional

5. [+7,627, -168] When Park Jin Young was hit with his sexy school uniform scandal, he took down the CFs immediately. Moreover, dozens of articles slamming him were released at the time. But with IU? There are articles defending her, claiming it's freedom of interpretation. Why is that?

6. [+6,448, -302] So this is how the career of a pseudo artist is ruined

7. [+5,905, -142] To all of you arguing that it's freedom of expression... I hope that when someone tells your 5 year old child that he is 'sexy and dirty', you're able to embrace them just like this.

8. [+5,734, -178] I really am looking forward to how IU or her agency decides to respond to this. I'm sure they'll release it within today... I wonder if it'll surpass their "visiting the sick" excuse.

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