Why is there a severe lack of female variety MCs?

Article: Why are female variety stars no where to be seen?

Source: OSEN via Nate

Article talks about how there's a severe lack of female variety/MC stars on variety and talk shows. No woman was nominated for any of the three entertainment awards ceremonies. Figures like Kim Won Hee, Park Mi Sun, and Lee Young Ja have held longstanding posts on other TV shows but none as impactful as their male counterparts.

Shows have seen gagwomen like Shin Bong Sun, Park Narae, Lee Guk Joo shine but they have never been given MCing positions at the forefront. There is not only a lack of variety shows that are female-focused but ones that have been have lacked in popularity. The most popular variety shows like 'Infinity Challenge' are almost exclusively male-based or heavily male-based with a few women mixed in the cast.

Male variety stars have always been at the top for the past 10 years.

A variety PD had to say, "There are more female viewers than male viewers and female viewers tend to favor male variety stars, which is why it's hard for broadcast companies to create shows that are focused around a female MC."

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1. [+662, -387] It's difficult for female MCs to rise because they want to look pretty, they don't want to run around outside and suffer, they want to be inside with AC or heating during the summer and winter seasons, they don't want to be too honest in case they get hate, they have to manage their images, they want to be likable but not mean. There are so many restrictions that come with being a female MC, how can there be a show created to cater to all of that????

2. [+528, -310] It says right there that female viewers don't like watching female variety stars. The statement that women are a woman's worst enemy holds true.

3. [+500, -163] Is the article trying to say there's gender inequality at work here too
- At this rate, they're going to make conditions that shows must have a 50% female cast ㅋ
- I was going to say this too.. that there will be a new condition that female stars have to make up 50% of the cast ㅋㅋ
- But it already says in the article that female viewers prefer male stars
- Yeah, I bet broadcast channels will be forced on a quota system where they have to have a certain number of female MCs
- I wonder where they got the evidence for there being more female viewers than male.

4. [+86, -15] There's Park Narae and Kim Sook

5. [+65, -14] It doesn't make sense to argue that female stars are too scared to let go of their image and get down and dirty. Female stars are just as willing to let go like male stars do, just look at people like Ahn Young Mi and Jang Do Yeon. But when a man rolls his eyes up and sticks his tongue out, people will laugh, but when a woman does it, people hate it because they have this bias that women need to be womanly at all times.

6. [+61, -19] I don't agree with the article at all. Sure there's a lack of female stars but the ones that are actually out there are highly popular. The female soldier episodes of 'Real Men' were really popular and the female version of 'The Human Condition' had higher viewer ratings. At least give more female stars the opportunity to shine than to shoot them down first.

7. [+42, -17] I feel like a lot of the humor on TV is male based. Humor is largely divided into two categories and it's either you let go of your image and make yourself the butt of the joke or you make fun of someone else, which are two types of humors that are quite masculine. You can look at 'Infinity Challenge', the talking portion in the beginning always starts off with Park Myung Soo or Jung Jun Ha saying something stupid and Yoo Jae Suk dissing them over it.

8. [+31, -17] People say women are mean to women but I think men are even meaner to men ㅋㅋㅋ look at all the men who are hating on Kwanghee ㅋㅋㅋ

9. [+30, -11] Seeing it all laid out like this in an article, I do see some aspects of gender inequalities.

10. [+22, -38] I think the biggest issue is that women are still regarded as someone you need to protect... you can treat male stars however you want and the viewers won't care but... people are a lot more cautious with how they treat women. So of course it's a lot more boring... You say one bad thing to a woman and the entire atmosphere turns cold and people are like, "How can you say that to a woman?!" Protection to that level isn't really necessary..

11. [+20, -14] I don't think opportunities are being given fairly. In order for female MCs to prove that they're funny and talented, they need to be given opportunities to show that but they're not given anything and are already branded as being no fun and untalented..

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