I was browsing the web for some more information on some of Korea’s famous girl groups, and managed to come upon an old uproar of sorts regarding one of SeeYa’s live performances in which a backdancer had a seizure (epilepsy) on stage:
Looking back at the comments and at people’s reactions to the ordeal on forums, blogs, and newsgroups alike, I’ve found that most people reacted as thus:
OMG why didn’t SeeYa help the girl, I want to slap them, they’re such bitches for not caring about someone who could have died on stage, they’re so heartless
It really disappoints me that people nowadays are so quick to condemn. In fact, not only in this case but in many other uproars (such as the Ai-Reina-Koharu iron triangle in Resonant Blue)**, the general public rushes to conclusions without taking into consideration the nature of show business and what would be deemed “appropriate action” should anything really happen. I haven’t really had much exposure to the industry myself, but just from my participation in theatrical and dance productions, I have the levelheaded-ness to at least stop and think about -why- SeeYa didn’t help the girl themselves.
Putting aside the blaring fact SeeYa probably didn’t even -notice- the backdancer having a seizure, we focus on the adage “the show must go on.” Harsh as this sounds, it’s absolutely true. For example, in ballet productions in the 1980’s (and even today), if a performer falls or injures herself on stage, she is expected to gracefully and painstakingly take her leave and at least make it back to the wings before everyone rushes to her rescue. In theatre, if someone injured themselves on the stage during an important contest or competition (thought it has never happened in my presence), most likely the remaining actors would be expected to improv a few lines to explain why the injured actor needed to depart, and either stage crew or chorus/extras would assist the injured one off the stage.
Contrary to what people seem to have believed, SeeYa had absolutely NO obligation to help the girl at all. Does that mean they were “heartless”? No. Sometimes you need to leave the helping to people who are assigned that job. For example, in theatre, at times you do more harm than good by trying to “help” others - perhaps you had good intentions in trying to pick up that fallen prop, but in doing so someone’s scene may be ruined because the prop was -supposed- to be on the floor. Likewise, a general rule of thumb in the performing arts is to just do what you’re assigned. No one touches anyone else’s things, no one meddles in affairs that don’t matter to them. Yes, I realize the backdancer could have died on stage. The ones that -should- have instantly come to her aid were stage crew and tech members; if anyone should be blamed for not doing their job, it should be them, seeing as how the poor girl was left on the floor for 20 entire seconds writhing in pain before someone realized, “Oh shit, she’s actually injured and needs our assistance.”
I just wish people would put that in perspective before they start accusing the lead singers of being “heartless bitches”. This is show business, guys. It’s a rough world, but this was the path of action that is professionally appropriate for the singers and dancers. Crew, not so much, but I’m not a techie so I have no say in that area.
** Ai-Reina-Koharu ordeal: (thanks to Josephine for the correction; I’m a MoMusu fangirl and I -still- made an embarassing mistake, haha. My bad~) many fans were complaining that Takahashi Ai, Tanaka Reina, and Kusumi Koharu were “forcing” the other MoMusu girls into the shadows in the recording and PV of Resonant Blue. Does anyone realize that um.. this IS the music industry, and “fair” isn’t a legit excuse for anything? If the music industry was “fair” then good bands wouldn’t be dropped from labels, Britney Spears would share her limelight with lesser stars, Simon wouldn’t chew everyone out during Idol, S.H.E and Twins wouldn’t have a friendly rivalry, and Megumi and Momoko wouldn’t have dominated Berryz and C-ute songs. “It’s not fair that these three got center positions”..? I don’t know, maybe Tsunku thought that their voices fit the song best? Maybe they sounded better in their singing? Maybe - heaven forbid - they actually OUTPERFORMED the other members for this specific single? Last time I checked, if you could sing/dance the song well, you got a bigger part. Last time I checked, it was more talent = more time in the spotlight. Excuse me for not thinking with a socialist philosophy here.
