For this cultural post, I want to talk about and give my impressions about a news article that genuinely surprised me. This post will talk about the “cancelling” of Cook Gabbie and Josh Carrot from Korean Englishman. Both of these people are well known in the YouTube community, especially Josh Carrot from Korean Englishman.
I have made posts about Josh and fellow producer Ollie in previous posts talking about Korean Englishman, and how they are very informative and the content they produce is centered around spreading Korean culture to famous actors, entertainers, and the general public. They are highly respected and well liked, because they are so kind, friendly, and for their love towards community and subscribers. So it came as a surprise when this news came out.
The two in the photo are a married couple, and the drama started on their trip to South Korea. As we are aware, the coronavirus is prevalent and has affected everyone around the world, and for many this pandemic has been really tough emotionally. During their trip to Korea, Gabbie uploaded a video during their time in quarantine. In Korea, people from outside the country are mandated to stay at a government approved facility for two weeks before entering the country and public. This requirement is very strict and taken very seriously. As we have seen in the news and media, South Korea has been able to contain the spread of the coronavirus very well, due to the strict regulations placed. However, in the video that she uploaded, the video contained clips of how she celebrated her birthday during the two week mandatory quarantine. In the video, she showed friends and family coming to where the two were staying and would exchange hugs and gifts. The issue was that it was not just one group of friends but many people were seen dropping by. This sparked controversy almost instantly. The backlash they received was great and the amount of hate they got was just as great. Though Gabbie tried to justify her actions, it was clearly an irresponsible act and people were furious that they were taking this virus lightly and disobeying the mandatory quarantine.
The backlash she received caused Gabbie to delete her channel altogether. However, the video also caused backlash towards Korean Englishman and Josh, her husband. In the photo at the top (left), an image of Josh delivering an apology video can be seen. Josh had to deliver this message on the main channel of Korean Englishmen and they have also since stopped producing videos.
I am very saddened and yet disappointed that this happened. I respect the two very much and have been continuously watching their content for over a year. However, I can not overlook the irresponsible actions they took. They put themselves and others in risk of spreading the virus that South Korea has been trying so hard to deter. Though I hope that they would eventually return and make content again, I hope they take this time to reflect on their actions. These apology videos and articles can be found online and I also included the link to his apology video down here.
Comments
I wouldn't be shocked that this video caused such a backlash since Korean people were trying very hard to fight the virus. I've also watched the apology video and I hope what Josh said that they only received and talked to people from inside the apartment was true. My final presentation was also about the pandemics in South Korea and the cases are rising in Korea since November. I really hope that everyone, whether in Korea or the US, or anywhere else to stay safe, healthy and responsible.