Here’s Why MBC’s Controversial New Survival Show “My Teenage Girl” Is Receiving Backlash Before It’s Even Begun

With LOUD finished, Girls Planet 999 having just passed its halfway point, and Mnet and HYBE just announcing I-Land 2, it seems as survival show season is in full swing. With these more successful survival shows come smaller shows that will often go for more risky premises in hopes of being seen, which appears to be the case with MBC‘s upcoming My Teenage Girl.

The series has a simple goal, create a global girl group that can chart on the Billboard charts and comes from producer Han Dong Chul who has worked on such established survival shows as Produce 101, Show Me The Money, and Mixnine.

While this all seems like a mundane plan for a survival show, the issues begin with how the girls are set to be grouped. The show is planned like a school with the girls grouped by age. They will be designated as 1st year through 4th year, with 1st being the youngest and 4th being the oldest.

More concerns grow when the age range for each group is seen. Here is how it breaks down by international ages.

With a majority of the girls being below 17 in their international age, netizens are concerned about how they will be treated. Netizens’ fears were furthered when the first promotional photos for the show came out. The outfits may be appropriate for trainees in their late teens and early 20s…

But the choices made for the youngest trainees are raising many eyebrows. The blue streetwear outfit, primarily composed of crop tops and other fitted items, has been a big concern since it was put on the 1st year trainees.

For the 2nd years, the girls were given an art school look, but the outfits were again composed of crop tops paired with short skirts and high boots.

3rd years was given a sporty look similar to the 2nd years’ look but with high socks instead of boots.

Finally, 4th years were given a punk rock look with fishnet tights and all. While this may be okay for some of the girls, even the members of this group who are still minors were put in this look.

Netizens are very concerned about the direction this show intends to take and the sudden influx of incredibly young trainees on survival shows. This frustration hearkens back to some of the concerns about the 12-year-old PNATION trainee from LOUD, who is set to debut.