Netizens Discuss CLC Sorn’s “Insensitivity” Following Her Viral Video Of Skin Care Recommendations To “Squid Game” Characters

The video has prompted discussions of colorism and more.

A TikTok of CLC‘s Sorn in collaboration with Wishtrend, a beauty and skincare company, has fans discussing the video’s content as well as her social media history.

Sorn from CLC. | @sssorn_chonnasorn/Instagram

In a video for Wishtrend’s TikTok account (@wishtrendtv), Sorn “recommends” skincare products to Squid Game characters. This is in line with a popular trend online where users will express their opinions about characters or celebrities using methods like cooking a meal, designing a bedroom, planning a vacation, etc. The people they like more “receive” better items (or even the TikTok user themselves), showing their positive opinions.

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However, Sorn’s video has been received by numerous fans as insensitive due to her recommendation for Ali, portrayed by Anupam Tripathi. Ali is the sole non-Korean main character, a Pakistani migrant worker. In the TikTok, Sorn recommends a variety of products for Ali while only recommending a few products to others and even herself to the characters Kang Sae Byeok (Jung Ho Yeon) and the ddakji player (Gong Yoo).

The video has over 300,000 views on TikTok and was recently set to “private.” However, a repost on Twitter has amassed over 3 million views. Sorn trended worldwide online soon after as fans discussed the nature of her content.

| Twitter

Some fans believe that act of recommending many products to Ali could have been an expression of her positive attitude towards the character. This would fall in line with the trend, as people will “give” their favorite characters or celebrities the better items.

However, many fans saw this as insensitive and offensive since Ali is the only non-Korean main character and the one with the darkest complexion. Some believe her video is connected to a long history of colorist beauty standards that encourage those with darker skin to seek skin lightening methods, whether that’s through makeup products or bleaching procedures.

Other fans defended Sorn by explaining that the products she recommended do not include skin-lightening agents. Multiple fans of color have also backed up Sorn by sharing their own positive experiences with Wishtrend’s products.

The TikTok account responded to a comment asking why Ali was recommended multiple products by explaining that they chose to give him better items than the “old man” for example, to whom Sorn recommended a single cotton pad.

| @wishtrendtv/TikTok

Fans are also discussing the “queerbaiting” seen in her videos. Queerbaiting refers to hinting at LGBT representation with little or no intent to respectfully depict LGBT people, as well as non-LGBT people purposefully hinting at them being LGBT despite being cisgender and/or heterosexual. It’s commonly used to refer to relationships between fictional characters but can also be employed as a marketing tactic to draw attention.

@sssorn_chonnasorn

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Sorn has made multiple videos where she hints at the idea of her being LGBT, including one where she expresses that hearing compliments from women brings her more joy than hearing compliments from men. However, in a later video, Sorn expressed that she is “very, very straight.”

The comments section on the TikTok for Wishtrend shows many fans questioning the intentions behind the video as well as the potential queerbaiting. The account has pinned a comment urging people to stop assuming Sorn’s sexuality through a TikTok video because “it’s getting annoying.”

| @wishtrendtv/TikTok

Neither Sorn nor Wishtrend has responded to the criticisms from netizens. The original post on TikTok has been set to “private,” meaning it is currently not visible on their page.

Source: TikTok and Instagram

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