The Rio Olympics "sparked anger" in South Korea, according to Lee Hyo-won of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The cause for complaint is not the sporting achievement, "but rather the TV coverage at home, in particular remarks by commentators perceived as inappropriate or even sexually discriminatory towards female athletes." All three South Korean terrestrial broadcasters -- KBS, MBC and SBS -- "have been broadcasting the Games." But "despite embarrassingly low ratings due to the 12-hour time difference and extended use of smartphones," that has not meant comments have gone unnoticed.
Among the lines picked up so far are, "They say age is nothing but a number but 28 is quite old when it comes to women" (SBS, judo), "It's remarkable that a female athlete has made such an achievement, and she's not even male" (MBC, weightlifting) and, "It's intriguing to see a female athlete handle steel sports gear" (KBS, fencing). Elsewhere, the broadcasters "were criticized for commenting on appearance over performance." Other comments included: "She deserves an applause, all the more since she is so pretty" (SBS, swimming) and, "She looks so lusciously soft and tender" (SBS, judo). Over the weekend, one Twitter user (@JOO_D4N) "created an online archive of offensive remarks, which has since garnered widespread media attention" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 8/10).
