The celebrity dating show "We Got Married" is in its fourth season. Every season matches up two charismatic celebrities and lets viewers imagine their life as a couple.
Described as a reality show, "We Got Married' has more than once been accused of being scripted with rumors that the celebrities are merely acting.
The controversy was reignited recently when SHINee's Taemin was supposedly caught getting script instructions telling him how to say something. He told A Pink's Na Eun "You are brave" and "let's meet again," when a staff member was heard telling them to say it in a different way. In another segment a staff member was heard giving a cue to Taemin.
The staff member supposedly said. "If I succeed as well." Taemin then continued the sentence saying, "If I succeed as well, let's do it again."
The show's producers say neither incident happened.
"The rumors do not make sense because we never use scripts," said a "We Got Married" producer. "We only schedule the filming locations and time. I've never received a script for the show. I spoke to the relevant staff member and she said that she never said 'read it like this.' She feels the accusations are unfair."
Netwizens also commented that Taemin being scared about bungee jumping on the show was just an act when he already bungee jumped on SHINee's reality show. And a segment in which A Pink's Na Eun handed out cookies for SHINee's comeback stage was inaccurately portrayed.
Some of the show has to be scripted even if the couple's feelings are real. Every show includes dates, local trips and vacations, which have to be planned by the writers so filming locations can be found. Because the writers know the celebrities they can plan the events around their strengths and weaknesses. Awkward situations are created to bring the couple closer together and somehow the band usually manages to show up.
Probably writers also play some part in the fights the couple have. If they don't tell them what to say, they certainly encourage conflict to keep the show interesting.
The "scripted or not scripted" controversy previously came up when during an episode with Tara's Eunjung and Jangwoo. Viewers said they saw photos of a staff member holding up a cue sign.
Eunjung dismissed the rumor saying that the cue sign was just a suggestion that they mention coconuts.
"Because coconuts are a special delicacy in that country, I think one of the staff members suggested that it would be a good idea to mention them," said Eunjung. "These sort of tips rarely occur. Whenever we begin to film, the staff just tells us what we are going to do, they tell us to have fun with it, and that's it."
How do netizens feel about it? Many believed that Taemin and Na Eun's feelings are real.
And others said it hardly mattered if some of the show was scripted.
"I think their feelings are half real, half scripted," said one netizen. "There is obviously some sort of frame the producers set them up in but there has to be some genuine feelings that are interchanged here and there."
