Whups. It seems an eye-rolling emoji (and mooncakes!) has set off some C-Netizens against South Korean actor Lee Dong Wook. Things started off innocuously enough when a curious fan asked the star if he ate mooncakes on the fan chat app Bubble. With China and South Korea both celebrating mid-autumn (happy mid-autumn everybody!), there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the question. However, it seems the actor’s response and subsequent use of an eye-rolling emoji set off some folks.
Perhaps he was just having a bad day or maybe it was a question that was raised too often. Whatever the case, the 42-year-old actor answered “Chinese fans, South Korea doesn’t eat mooncakes… 🙄 The way we celebrate the festival is different.” He also wrote, “Stop asking about mooncakes hehehehe.”
The hashtag “Lee Dong Wook Korea doesn’t eat mooncakes” trended on the Weibo hot search. To be clear, many weren’t actually offended by what he said, it’s the eye-rolling emoji they have a problem with. “There’s nothing wrong with what he said, if he doesn’t eat mooncakes then he doesn’t eat them. But that emoji is a bit ….”. Indeed many were asking if rolling his eyes was really necessary. Other comments though took a darker turn, referencing the age-old debate between c-netz and k-netz about cultural appropriation. “It’s good they don’t eat it, otherwise they might steal it once again.”
Other Netizens meanwhile weren’t overly bothered. “I feel like people just overthought this, what’s the big deal?” As one pointed out, it’s hard to assume what he actually meant just based on text and emojis. Without the nuances of tone and context his comment can definitely be (mis)interpreted in many ways.
Photo: Lee Dongwook official / Instagram
HL
Love it!!! I will roll my eyes too. He is not a young rookie who is a pleaser..he is a grown man. He can react as he wants. Some of these C-netizens are just too delicate and easily offended.
Anon
Sure he can react as he wants. So can the netizens. So why criticise on some netizens’ reactions? Some celebrities are just too arrogant.
HL
Okay.
Lisa
Some people just like to eye roll (myself included). It’s not meant to be offensive. It’s like how some people write lol in everything even when it’s not even funny. People are so sensitive nowadays.
avarachika
I only use that emoji if I feel like something is utterly ridiculous or mind baffling, but hey that’s me. It could mean many ways for Lee Dong Wook.
The way how I interpreted the text, if I was the one to read it; it seems like he’s implying that he’s been asked about this question many times and he’s thinking that I’m Korean so you should know that I don’t eat mooncake? It seems like these people don’t know any better when they asked this question because they should know that both cultures are different so why bother asking it in the first place? But, could he have gone a different way about it? Yes, maybe his fans were ignorant or didn’t know or just wanted to see if he liked mooncake so he could have used this chance to educate them. He could have been polite about it and just share that he doesn’t eat mooncake but that he eats this…without the eye rolling emoji or labeling “Chinese fans” in his comment (How did he know that the fans were Chinese? They could have been an international fan from America who might have thought…Does he eat mooncakes too?) and just put the LOL emoji at the end.
Coralie
Agreed. I don’t think the eye roll emoji was necessary. Even a “lol” would be fine at the end, which indicates humor, but an eye roll indicates derision and attitude.
I personally wouldn’t have done that. it’s like if French ppl ask me if I eat hotdogs for independence day, because I’m American. i wouldn’t say “not all Americans eat hot dogs for independence day -roll eyes-.” it’s kinda rude. some ppl just don’t know better.
anon
he was obviously doing it in a joking manner. he wrote “stop asking about mooncakes hehehehe” after. we don’t have to assume the worst. just because doing that means something negative to you doesnt mean the person who did it had that same intent.
whatwhome
I actually think this response is rather aligned with how he interacts with fans…and even on some reality tv shows. He’s only in his 40s but often acts like a grumpy senior citizen that’s only cute sometimes. That’s just my impression as a bystander though.
Applefish
Geez, how’s about Chinese need to stop assuming just because we are Asian, we should all celebrate the festival the same way as the Chinese do? Imagine you are Korean, and everyone immediately assumes you would eat moon cakes! After 50yrs (which is his age), sh1t will get old! So kudos to him being himself, and maybe netizens can learn to respectfully, too 😒 if you are going to assume, then expect an eye rolling 🙄