[News] Maids changes its name to…

[News] Maids changes its name to…
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Last week, the drama formerly known as Maids encountered some opposition regarding its name, as it uses a word for “maids” [식모] that has in recent years been abandoned for more favorable, politically correct terminology. The production was aware of the possibility that the title might rub some people the wrong way, and got to work thinking up replacements.

The complaint came from a national organization of domestic workers, who posted messages of protest to KBS and began petitioning for the name change. They argued that they’ve spent long years working to raise awareness and alter the terms used to describe their profession, and feel that the drama’s usage of the word would undermine their efforts in one fell swoop.

The production bandied around approximately 20 potential replacement titles (including some awkward selections like Elegant World and The Ladies’ Tea Time). Their final decision came down to Romance Town and Suspicious 1st Street… to which I say, they picked wrong. The other one is FAR more interesting. (“Suspicious” is a word that has been used in all the press materials to describe the housemaids working in the chaebol homes. It doesn’t mean, necessarily, that the maids are criminals or dishonest types, but that they’re offbeat, unusual.)

Romance Town, on the other hand, sounds like a kitchsy amusement park gone bad, or the cheesy cousin to Funky Town, or maybe an ironic strip club. But does it sound like a cute trendy drama about plucky domestic help and the snooty chaebol men they work for? Not even a little.

The drama stars Sung Yuri (Swallow the Sun) and Min Hyo-rin (Triple) as maids, and Jung Kyeo-woon (Dr. Champ) and Kim Min-joon (Friend, Our Legend) as their chaebol employers, respectively. It premieres on May 11.