In the latest episode of Queen of Tears, viewers are taken deeper into the marital struggles between Hong Hae In, portrayed by Kim Ji Won, and her husband Baek Hyun Woo, played by Kim Soo Hyun. The drama series quickly gained popularity, boasting impressive ratings just four episodes into its season and consistently bagging a spot on Netflix Philippines’ Top 10 TV shows since it aired.
While the show has garnered widespread praise for its plot and stellar cast performances, the show is now facing some backlash, particularly among its international audience, after viewers spotted Hyun Woo (Kim Soo Hyun) casually sipping from a Starbucks cup in Episode 4. The cameo appearance of the Starbucks cup has caused much debate online, here’s why.
READ: Netizens Call Out ‘Queen of Tears’ for Featuring a Starbucks Cup in Episode Four
ICYDK, there is currently a global call to boycott Starbucks due to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Although Starbucks has not been explicitly blacklisted by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the company's controversial history, including legal disputes with their own employees for expressing solidarity with Palestine has fueled the boycott sentiment.
While some argue that certain international Starbucks franchises operate autonomously from the main corporate entity, the scene has left a sour taste among Queen of Tears fans. Many of them have expressed their disappointment on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Just let out the loudest sigh of disappointment when I saw the Starbucks cup in 'Queen of Tears'. Oh, brother. We can never have anything good here,” tweeted one user.
“Did ya’ll notice in 'Queen of Tears' Ep 4, Hyun Woo was drinking Starbucks? That scene disgusts me the most. Sorry, not sorry,” said another.
While it’s essential to note that the scene in question was likely filmed before the boycott gained traction, some users say that this is still inexcusable, with one netizen saying, “When the Jisoo scandal blew up, they literally went and [re-shot] +10 episodes of [River Where the Moon Rises] with a new male lead. So if they cared, the 'Queen of Tears' production could have easily [edited or deleted] the few seconds with the Starbucks cup showing up.”
What are your thoughts on this controversy? Share it with us in the comments section below.
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