Queen of Controversy Sulli vs. Johnson & Johnson

[chastainy.livejournal.com]

On August 20, Sulli posted a photo on her Instagram of her and (Netizen's talented fave ex-Kara member) Goo Hara in a large pink “Johnson’s baby oil” t-shirt. She wrote, “Friendship photo with Hara. Hara that I love.” The photo appears to be taken by Korea's own Terry Richardson, Rotta. Knetz are not happy because of the Lolita themes the picture portrays.

1. [+1,551, -57] Our country still doesn't realize how big of a problem lolita is. While we're quick to get angry over child sex crimes and criminals like Jo Do Soon, we still allow pictures with concepts like this to be taken.

2. [+1,425, -61] Lolita is a crime and it should be punished. Restrictions need to be placed.

3. [+1,330, -47] Lolita is not a personal preference but a crime. There are so many child sex crimes already, you can't possibly think this picture is okay. The only ones made victim will be the children ㅡㅡ

4. [+138, -6] I think Johnson's is going to sue them ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

5. [+120, -8] There is definitely a problem here. You really can't shield them just for being pretty faces. Lolita is something that should not be allowed at all and I support this boycott fully.

6. [+100, -5] Nevermind this crime talk, Sulli just has issues with her head in general

7. [+85, -3] I agree with the best replies. With sex crimes against children running rampant already, you honestly can't consider lolita as a personal preference anymore.

8. [+83, -3] Rotta is just as responsible and problematic for taking these photos

9. [+67, -2] All this fuss over two b*tches who can't use their brains for once

10. [+53, -2] We need to start by taking down that pathetic Rotta

Johnson & Johnson, the company behind the product, has spoken up about the controversial photo after netizens notified the company about the photo. They wrote, “Thank you very much for reaching out to us with your concerns. We at Johnson’s do not condone the objectification of any persons, and appreciate your flagging this misrepresentation of our brand. Please know that we do not take any such incidents lightly and have flagged this issue to our management teams for review and action. Once again, we appreciate your support in reporting the issue, and helping us maintain the values we hold dear.”

Soompi: 1 via naver jelly_jilli & 2 via topstarnews, netizenbuzz via nate

Comments

[flowereon.livejournal.com]

That photo is unsettling

[saemcrh.livejournal.com]

I've always thought Sulli is gorgeous, and I do appreciate that she's being herself and not allowing her actions to be dictated.

But that being said, her friendship with Rotta is uncomfortable to say the least, and she is really playing into this disgusting lolita schtick... especially when she works with him.

This is deeper than "Sulli doing something non-conservative that k-netz don't like", it's a complete sexualisation of child-like imagery and situations.

[impatiences.livejournal.com]

your feelings are my feelings spot on.

[awsteven.livejournal.com]

yikes. just like how i judge ppl who work willingly with terry richardson, i judge ppl who work willingly with rotta. this shit isn't cute, it's disturbing imo. rotta's a major pos idek why anyone would think his work is art

[torontok.livejournal.com]

Yknow I was really supportive of Sulli for a lot of the nonsense she got dragged for (being braless,clubbing etc) but her continously working with Rotta is so gross to me and its making me like her less

[chastainy.livejournal.com]

ia he posted some pic of a little girl's thighs in her schoolgirl uniform recently, i just find his photography so nasty n it's clearly meant to sexualize minors and if the person being photographed is of age it's meant to create a fantasy for the viewer that the person is younger. whole thing is so creepy.

[cafetin99.livejournal.com]

Birds of a same feather...

[staaan.livejournal.com]

sulli and goo hara are both on my shitlist tbh. between them continuing to work with rotta and goo hara following another (https://www.instagram.com/juan9ann/) (pls don't click the link if you're easily triggered by this sort of thing!!) really gross lolita insta they can fuck off

[rawbabyoctopus.livejournal.com]

I clicked the link and am really disgusted right now...wow goo hara is going in my shitlist now

[suxaholic.livejournal.com]

k netizens are such hypocrites. majority of all
girlgroups have or has had a lolita concepts

[anewtrilogy.livejournal.com]

Can we stop generalizing all """knetizens"""" like that, how is it different from saying "koreans are such hypocrites" lol?
Anyway people are capable of caring about more than one issue at the same time, just because all these people are criticizing Sulli, it doesnt mean they all dont see anything wrong with gross concepts, thats another and completely different discussion to have. Why do you assume whole korea doesnt give a shit unlike oh so enlightened ifandom, just because now they talk about Sulli.

[lulufairybubble.livejournal.com]

The thing is,with Terry involved,this is very intentional. The concept is exactly what you think it is and the use of two Asian girls to convey this disgusting theme was on purpose.

[lilykt7.livejournal.com]

Yah this is gross. I've always had a problem with the way female idols are infantiled but this is a whole new level. Ugh and now I know who rotta is. What a waste of space.

[a-cheshire-grin.livejournal.com]

As long as people don't stop supporting creeps like Terry Richardson and Rotta, this whole "Lolita is sexy!"-culture, will not change.
As long as people don't understand that infantilizing grown women (like Sulli and Hara) and sexualising actual children is sick and disgusting, nothing will change.
As long as the whole world literally tells women, that we've to stay young and childlike as long as possible to be seen as desirable (shave your whole body, use anti-aging products or get botox injections because saggy skin on women is ugly,...), nothing will change.

Sorry, this is a bit of a rant. I haven't sleeped in three days...~.~

[psharp10.livejournal.com]

+1000

[warmtocold.livejournal.com]

wait is this the same rotta that was taking voyeuristic photos of children in tokyo?!

[anewtrilogy.livejournal.com]

Yeah its him

[alleybetwixt.livejournal.com]

I don't really have anything to add about the concept or Rotta. Infantalizing AND sexualizing women is practically standard in SK entertainment. Anymore I just ignore it and try to mooooove on.

What I do find fascinating is how most of the heat is aimed at Sulli. The responses I've seen it's like Hara doesn't exist. Criticizing this concept/photographer is totally fair game. But the hyper-focus on Sulli looks more like a vendetta against an 'untamed' woman. This bothers me.

Were any of these netizens even aware of this problem before IU's 23 MV? She was obviously making a direct commentary on how she had been portrayed this way and how frustrating it was... and it seemed to suddenly enlighten everyone to the issue, but not enough for them to see she was shitting on it.

So, what's the deal? It's only a problem if it's done by artists that it's popular to hate on?
It's totally okay if done by your fave or by the 'pristine' lady idols who stay in their lane?

I'd appreciate people expressing concern and criticism more if there was some integrity shown towards what the root of the problem actually is. Exploiting it as an opportunity to shit on a specific idol they don't like is very telling.

[merely-a-facade.livejournal.com]

+1 i think you made really good points about how most of the criticism is on Sulli & less on Goo Hara AND also about IU's 23 MV.

[myrrhcat.livejournal.com]

im glad to see the netizens being informed and giving a shit about pedophilia (except the ones who are being misogynistic)
the photo didn't look that sketchy to me at first but the context and the photographer's other works are definitely damning

[dragonclouds.livejournal.com]

i'd never heard of rotta before so i just googled him and fuck i regret that. way worse than i thought it was going to be. shame on anyone who (willingly) works with him tbh.

[kwonsoonyoung.livejournal.com]

rotta and both of them are disgusting like anyone supporting this concept is disgusting

[unelixir.livejournal.com]

yikes :/ :/ :/

this was not surprising from sulli but i'm pretty disappointed to see hara in this :/

not enough :/ :/ :/

:/ :/ :/

[kashiyaek.livejournal.com]

disappointed in both of them. i assume there are more pics left to be seen and i really hope they won't get released cause ugh. :/

[belintuchiha.livejournal.com]

and then there's Sulli making a post about it saying
"stop misunderstanding"

like, really????????

[smilla-sini.livejournal.com]

anyone who supports this is garbage

[kaninasan.livejournal.com]

i had never heard of this photographer, but I googled him and YIKES what a creep. The pictures he takes are seriously disturbing.

[annayism.livejournal.com]

not even a cute picture. rotta is disgusting.

also his statement about the pictures of japanese children was something along the lines of him getting permission from their families, but i heavily doubt they would have agreed to this if they had seen his other work. so gross.

[fullofrapture.livejournal.com]

it's depressing how much the media and ~art~ has normalized this kind of gross representation that even adult women like sulli don't see what's wrong. knetz didn't misunderstand this one, they are dead right.

[ascarybook.livejournal.com]

i don't understand the big deal about this particular picture. i think it's cute? granted, i googled the photographer and some of his past work is gross. i just don't see it in this picture???? idk.

[belintuchiha.livejournal.com]

it's because they're purposely made seen as young/minors child-like, more so with that sweater and sexualizing it.

[broadcities.livejournal.com]

yikes sulli this is not cute this rotta guy seems rotten (hehe sorry)

but also yikes @ knetz blaming sulli for all of this while kpop has been doing lolita concepts for ages and they're hardly a complaint about that? + stop overlooking/shaming girl groups who are comfortable with their sexuality

[boxcuttergirl.livejournal.com]

that photo makes me sick. sulli can fuck off @ this point