The TV show ‘Show Me the Money’ was cancelled last month amid a myriad of controversy. Producers were criticized for content that was often demeaning to women, used foul language, and included sexual innuendos. Of particular note was when Song Min-ho, a member of the idol group Winner, created a rhyme that was arguably demeaning to women.

 Nowadays artists around the globe are engaging in the expression of their art free from restriction. People can criticize society and express various aspects of social dissatisfaction through their artistic endeavors. However, it’s true that people are often overlooking the problems created by their brand of freedom of expression under the guise that the work is a creation of art. It is argued that some actions and words that are normally morally problematic are somehow justifiable under the umbrella of artistic expression. To begin with, let’s examine the examples of art crossing the line in Korea.

 The September issue of, Maxim Korea, caused a huge controversy for its cover page which beautified sexual offenses and the abuse of women. They cover entitled ‘A Bad Guy’ features a man holding a cigarette, standing next to the trunk of a car that has a woman in it with her legs tied. The cover’s picture eluded to the beautification of the abduction and murder of a woman and raised the ire of the Korean public. People argued that it exceeded the range which could be tolerated in society because the victim was a woman.

 In the case of the musician Song Min-ho, the rapper and the broadcasting studio issued an immediate apology to the obstetrics association and to the public. The heart of people, however, was already turned. In the case of Maxim magazine, the publisher disposed of the issue. After it was withdrawn, they donated the profits raised to an association dedicated to the prevention of sexual violence against women and a women’s rights association.

 Whenever these situations occur, our country’s counter-measures seem drastically insufficient. So what do other countries do when they, encounter similar situations?

 Famous American rapper Snoop Dog wrote a song that contains lyrics that refer to women as hoes. The term quickly became mainstream with teenagers often referring to their female counterparts are hoes. In addition, the singer J. Cole used the term ‘autistic’ in his song.  He said he just wanted to use a word that rhymed with the other lyrics. Both artists garnered a lot of criticism from their audiences and had to issue an official apology. Moreover, there have been artists brought to trial for, inciting youth to over-drink and use drugs. From these examples we get a sense that people all over the world are aware of the problem of boundaries being crossed by a multitude of artists.

 However, because it stems from art, some people think that the artist is justified in their freedom of expression, regardless of the social consequences. Conversely, we have to distinguish art from the real issue being represented. If the singer and artists cared more about their lyrics, being mindful of offensive language, many more people could enjoy their work without having to take a moral stance. It is important that artists can enjoy the freedom of musical expression, but it is unfortunate they feel the need to express their thoughts in a manner that fails to consider public morality. Boundaries are needed so that everyone can avoid controversial matters in the future.