A Clean Sweep angered viewers with unnecessary Hidden Camera

JTBC's entertainment show 'A Clean Sweep' raised eyebrows from the first broadcast of the 2024 season with its unnecessary 'surprise camera' prank. There is an outcry among viewers.

In the 77th episode of JTBC's entertainment program 'A Clean Sweep', which aired on the 15th, the Strongest Monsters were depicted preparing for the 2024 season.

‘A Clean Sweep’, now in its third season since its founding, hosted a stove league on the air today. Producer Jang Si-won, the head of the team, interviewed each and every member, from senior members to Young-gun, and talked about salary negotiations and whether or not to renew the contract.

However, from this point on, the antics of ‘A Clean Sweep’ began in earnest. Class A members classified as having greatly contributed to the victory of ‘Strongest Monsters’ last season. Among them, producer Jang Si-won suddenly notified Shin Jae-young, who won Rookie of the Year, that his contract would not be renewed.

PD Jang said, "After spending a year with Shin Jae-young, I thought he was a good person and player. However, it is true that there are question marks about 'Will he be able to do well next year?'" and "We decided not to renew the contract with Shin Jae-young. There are various reasons. “I thought the pitching staff needed to be reorganized and I thought change was needed,” he said. At this, Shin Jae-young was unable to raise his head and appeared to be in tears. After a while, PD Jang said, “The last thing I want to say is hidden cameras.”

Shin Jae-young is a player who desperately needs the ‘A Clean Sweep’. Shin Jae-young, who was notified by his team that his contract could not be renewed after the 2022 season, announced his intention to retire from active duty along with his release. However, due to his love for baseball, he participated in a tryout for the 2023 season's 'A Clean Sweep' and was selected as the strongest Monsters player. Shin Jae-young said, “I am a pitcher who experienced more frustration than accomplishment on the mound during my active career,” and expressed his thoughts, saying, “I will pitch well in ‘A Clean Sweep.’”

In fact, Shin Jae-young showed outstanding skills by winning the Rookie of the Year award in the KBO 2016 season, but his career as a professional player was not smooth after that due to poor ball control and a decline in pitch status. Accordingly, ‘A Clean Sweep’ was another opportunity for him. This is why I did my best in each and every game in ‘A Clean Sweep’. Even though he was teased as a 'bad guy' in the sense that he was a pitcher who gave easy balls to batters, he continued to work hard and achieved the result of being selected as the rookie of the year in 'A Clean Sweep' last season.

The production team of ‘A Clean Sweep’ played a prank on Jeong Eui-yoon again with a surprise camera. PD Jang said, "The biggest problem in 'A Clean Sweep' is the outfield. If we don't change this, we have come to the conclusion that the Strongest Monsters may disappear. This year, the Monsters will not renew their contract with Jeong Eui-yoon." Jung Eui-yoon asked with a confused expression, “Is it true?” He also expressed bitterness, saying, “I’m being released. I can’t play baseball anymore.” Jeong Eui-yoon said he would at least go to support and asked for tickets. After a few words of conversation, PD Jang reversed his release, saying, "I'll try to fool you for one more year. Let's do it for one more year this year."

Chung Eui-yoon recorded four double plays last season. In the game against Busan High School, the team lost due to a double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th inning. In the Gyeongbuk Classics, I almost suffered a triple murder. Among viewers, there was an opinion that Jeong Eui-yoon, who had performed poorly, should be released. Even Jeong Eui-yoon himself seemed to accept his release. However, the production team of 'A Clean Sweep' staged a surprise camera 'reversal of release' as if teasing Jung Eui-yoon.

The surprise camera in ‘A Clean Sweep’ was neither fun nor meaningful nor touching. No reason could be found for the Stove League, a 'A Clean Sweep' league in which both good and bad players are accepted out of 'humanity'. The extended directing was also boring.

Even the viewers feel like they were fooled. Fans of ‘A Clean Sweep’ pointed out things like, “Hidden camera use is a form of abuse of power,” “It’s a low-level hidden camera,” “It’s not good to surprise people with cameras,” and “They say they’re all going to renew their contracts, but they’re squeezing out an hour.”

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr