With its cast in place — Sung Yuri, Jung Kyeo-woon, Kim Min-joon, and Min Hyo-rin — and its May premiere set, KBS’s rom-com series Maids held its first script rehearsals this week. But one lingering issue remains unresolved: the title, with which producers are wrestling after receiving complaints.
The problem? One national organization of housekeeping workers has argued that the title is belittling to their work, and announced their intention to campaign for a change. Starting in 2004, the organization made the formal choice to change the language used for their line of work, opting for words like 파출부 (housekeeper) and 가사도우미 (household assistant) rather than the word the drama uses, 식모. You can consider it a matter of cultural awareness and/or political correctness, akin to how English speakers may cringe to hear someone still using “stewardess” rather than “flight attendant.” A rep from the organization argued that the drama shouldn’t resurrect an outdated word that has been deemed dissatisfactory by society.
One source with the drama’s promotional department admitted, “We guessed from the outset that the title might attract criticism, so a month ago we began preparing to change it. There are about 20 possibilities that are being considered.”
The new candidates include Elegant World, Grand Women, Secret of 1st Street (1st Street being the locus of the chaebol families serviced by the maids), The Ladies’ Teatime, House Queen, and Suspicious Women.
The contenders all have a ring of awkwardness (not to mention overcompensation) to them, but I respect that they’re trying to resolve the issue amicably. Even so, let’s hope they hit upon something a bit smoother than The Ladies’ Teatime. Maybe Ladies Who Lunch would be a better option if you’re trying to evoke that elite, posh world of the upper-crust, though it’s not really a phrase that carries over into Korean.
The name change isn’t just a matter of picking a new selection out of a hat, though, since there is reportedly considerable difference of opinion within the production team. The director and writer in particular are attached to their original working title, and are loath to relinquish it.
One source with the production said, “The moment a drama’s title is changed, it has to be able to make an impression on the viewers. I think one of the chief reasons for the hesitation to change the name is the warm, friendly feeling you get from the title Maids.” Ah, the warm, friendly feeling of offending a large subgroup of your intended audience. Satisfying!
The drama is expected to make its final decision on the title this week. The drama soon-to-be-formerly-titled-Maids premieres on May 11.
Via Star News
RELATED POSTS
- Maids adds Min Hyo-rin, Kim Min-joon
- Jung Kyeo-woon joins Sung Yuri in Maids
- Sung Yuri cast in Maids
- Pasta writer returns with Maids
RECENTLY COMPLETED
first?(:
GO GO GO!
yes i sure support the name change, and the cast looks so focused
Sung Yuri cut her hair? Noooooooo.
Buahahaha over er…’Suspicious Women’ what does she do?
Oh, the hawwwwttt guy in light blue suit!Eeep!
I think Korea should establish an organization that brainstorming the translation of the movie/drama title into English. I’ve tried to turn blind eye on the title until recently, it’s getting really ridiculous!
Why do they always seem to portray the good and innocent leads with short bouncy hair while the seconds/supposedly evil have long and lustrious hair?
I actually cut my hair short over a year ago coz I was influenced lol… but now I want my long hair back…
uhhh it can go both way lol. an evil character is going to look evil regardless of her hair.
…lol…really to that degree? But I kindda find short hair appealing, clean and classy.
Anyway, can I cast a vote for “secret of 1st street” it has no any element about the story and you need to watch to know about it, It has a ring of mystery; maid is so prehistoric to me, and yea in the new generation we need some changes not just in title but a little sophisticated word to befits people the new generation.
Not necessarily. The most recent example would be the villainess in My Princess who had short hair too….but definitely not bouncy! haha…
Maids wasn’t that great of a title in the first place…but i agree that the alternatives aren’t sounding much better.
I kind of like House Queen.
maids is better,i prefer short names or titles :p
Mmhhh.. Why they didn’t mind for Lee Jung Jae & Jeong Do Yeon’s movie : Housemaid?
I’m guessing it’s because the group/organization specifically does not like the word 식모 (maid) whereas Jun Do-yeon’s movie was titled 하녀 which still translates to maid/housemaid in english but is a different word in korean. It’s like the example javabeans used in the article about stewardess and flight attendant. One is just politcally correct but both technically meant/means the same thing.
LOL over the proposed title changes!
I do agree that the title before wasn’t exactly politically correct, but please don’t change it to ‘suspicious women’!!
i don’t like “maids” too.
i prefer using the title “helper”
someone who helps around the house, helps take care of our family.
thats what i call our help at home rather than the archaic term “maid”. i cringe everytime i hear someone use that word
“Ah, the warm, friendly feeling of offending a large subgroup of your intended audience. Satisfying!”
LOL
I think my fave out of that lot are “Elegant World” and “Secret of 1st Street”. To me, S01S feels more like an original title…but I honestly didn’t mind “Maids” either.
Yeah, but So1S kind of sounds like a conspiracy-themed drama (all chaebols actually actually made a deal with the devil, or something equally ridiculous XDD), or a mystery one
how about ” House managers ” , ” Caretakers “…
where’s park shi hoo?
LOL
ahahahahahahah
It’s probably going to be suspicious woman. It’s usually bad or suspicious. I always wonder if there’s a joke I’m missing. I don’t really care what they call it just make the drama good!
Maids – why not abigail, subreta, or whatever term
Maid is also a shortened form of “maiden”, an archaic word for an unmarried woman or a virgin.
if the main char should be an innocent girl this was meant to be a pun about the main char …ohh well klala land and its titles
I don’t think the English word isn’t the problem, the Korean one is. I like were you are going with this though, a pun on the word would be really cute.
so many typos, my apologies.
np I have the same problem and I wish soooo bad an EDIT button
skivvy would be errrm more appropriate?
enjoy the reading:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maid
there are some definitions for maids
I suggest the following alternatives for the title:
1) Tea time Tai Tai’s
2) First Help ( ers)
3) Views from 1st Street
The candidates for the name change sucks.
“Ah, the warm, friendly feeling of offending a large subgroup of your intended audience. Satisfying!”
LMAO, snarky JB.
Haha! Of the alternate titles I only like “House Queen”
Hope they can come up with something better than those though. Just make it an English title only already. Tired of drama title changes.
And I wonder…will the mannies of Korea campaign to change “Manny” ‘s title too?
What with all this Dramas and Title changes!!! jeeezzzz this is like the 3 drama that is having Identity Crisis…
heck why don’t they go with “Maids in Seoul”.. or “Pretty Maids”, or “Maids Hunters” or “Maids of Love”…..
If the writers are having a hissy fit about the title, can’t blaimed them, they are writers that what they do…why doesn’t the production ask the fans to submit their fave title for the drama and then select the title…… just a though here..
no park shi hoo!!!!:( my yuri so cute though!!!!!!!!looking forward to the main couple. Maybe it’ll be a good thing that i will not have 2nd lead syndrome.
Heh heh. I love you, JB.
“Suspicious Women” is the name of my imaginary stereotypical melodrama, which contains every Kdrama trope ever, so I hope they pick something a little better.
My melodrama will be entitled “Just Tell Her!”
Other options
“Don’t Believe a Word She Says”
“Lying B#tch” “She’s Lying”
“Ignoble Sacrifice”
LOL.
I vote for Just Tell Her.. or
Just say it!…Damn < —- that's my phrase de madness when watching melodramas…
LOL!!
“Don’t Believe a Word She Says” — Actually, the rom-com movie, Too Beautiful to Lie, is alternatively called “Don’t Believe Her” =D
But yeah, we really do need more on-point titles.
Hee hee!
I want to watch that one for the sake of truth in advertising.
Lol. I love this sooooo much.
Does the title have to refer to their job or place of occupation? Cant they use the essence of the story as the title?
More inane suggestions:
Work at Home
Me and My Mistress
The Chaebol Wives
Arggghhhh!
Or, as someone says, use the main character’s name.
Julie’s World
Julie’s House
It works in English; I don’t know how it translates, though.
They should steal from the best, and go with “Upstairs, Downstairs”! To be honest, Maids is not a great title, but it’s hard to think of one that isn’t worse…
Agree with you, Sam! Where’s the subtlety? How about
Love Scrubs
Red Palms
Aching Muscles
No Pain No Gain
Love At First Wash
Love and Suds
Double Double Toil and Trouble
Handy Hands
Chlorox Love
With the OST songs
Walking on Laundry
All you need is Bleach
Drive Your Car
Happiness is a Warm Lunch
I Saw Her Cleaning There
LOL
HAHAHA
I’m on a roll here guys, how about taking a leaf from the classics?
Casableacha
The Sound of Mosaic
To Kill A Mocking Roach
Moppin’ in the Rain
My Sweaty Lady
Gone with the Flush
Grease
The Silence of the Lamps
Star Wash
This thread is amazingly hilarious.
Who wouldn’t want to kill a mocking roach?
I know I would.
YY – These are PURE GOLD, I tell yas.
More OST
Like A Rolling Pin
I Believe I Can Cook
Smells Like (I finally Got that) Teen Spirit (Out of the Carpet)
Born to Mop
People Get Supper Ready
(The) Help
You’ve Lost that Laundry Feeling
No Woman No Sandwich
Light My Pilot Fire
When Dough Cries
HAHAHAHAHAHA
LOL
LOL. you ppls are terrible, making me laugh like a mad woman in the middle of the library.
Love at first Wash!
Oh my god, I love that! I swear commenters here are hilarious! XDDD
YY, Jomo….I truly miss you, guys!!!!!
This thread’s utterly hilarious! I was clapping my hands the whole time in glee. Laughed out so loud!!!! Hahahaha!
YY, Love at First Wash, hahaha! Gone with the Flush…waahhh! But I think I love Chlorox Love — something so dangerous there and extremely sexy, hahaha!
And Grease? Hahaha! Will it evolve into a musical? Yey!
And I think Jomo’s All You Need is Bleach will be the perfect OST for that, hahahaha!
I Saw Her Cleaning There…nice…isnt it kinda voyeur? hehehe…
More more suggestions, please!
What are they saying they are having probs with the title? They just have to peek in here to get loads of ideas LOL!
Why dont they just use the politucally correct word then?
I think Maids is just too simple of a title and the writers should consider something more clever and attention grabbing.
Out of the ones listed House Queen seems like it’s the one to be pick. It kind takes in the connotation of a female cleaning staff ruling over a bachelor household by keeping it functioning and then moving into a position where they’re visibly the Queen (Lady) of the House by marrying him. still as sticky as Maids but doesn’t use the word Maids.
Maybe I have no taste, but I’m kinda grooving on “The Ladies’ Teatime”.
Oh my god…Jung gyu Woon is SO HANDSOME !!!
the best title is maybe : perfect Prince/Chaebol! XD
huh…I agree with you, why not just use “Housekeepers”, if that is what the organization prefers? Same meaning, no need to enhance/invent new meaning to the word/profession….”Suspicious Women”??? That sounds really bad, are chaebols going to hire a “suspicious woman” or a “housekeeper”?
woah suspicious women? it depends how the storyline goes i guess? why not governess? hahaha or just like when they changed janitors to custodians sounds better eh but housekeepers to something else? what else can we think of?
errr, out here the preferred term is domestic worker :p
maybe they should aim for a title that describes the ‘upstairs and downstairs’ relationships in the households…
btw, love sung yuri’s bright orange nail polish
*inspired to fish out mine*
household assistant
Seems pretty obvious they would love a title like
“At Your Assistance” or
“Home Assistants”
housekeeper
They would like
“Keepers of the Castle”
Secret of 1st Street is pretty much the only one I prefer out of the ones listed. It could even just be 1st Street, or Life on 1st [Street] for a pun. Hm, I do like the pun.
It’s the least cliched (besides the 1st bit) and also could carry a gender-neutral tone (at least in translation) because it’s not just about the women. Men are in this too with leading roles! All the others seem either overly domestic while avoiding the fact that the women are housekeepers so I don’t even associate the plot with the title. Even ones such as House Queen (which makes me think of Queen of Housewives and Queen of Reversals) would have me think first of a housewife instead of a housekeeper.
Also, when was the last time they ever just used a place for a title? I can’t really think of one right off. It’s just about always focused on a gender instead. If it’s titled for the place then it’s more about what’s going on living (and serving) at 1st Street as a whole instead of focusing on one group and completely forgetting the rest while avoiding the suggestion it’s only going to be about the upper crusty. They could take a page title-wise from Downton Abbey, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Battlestar Galatica as a few examples in how the titles are the place.
/end mini rant
How about “The Help”? Though it’s a rip-off. Plus I don’t know how it would translate. Or as someone suggested, “Housekeepers”.
Simple would be better than something long and clunky though. I’m tired of rolling my eyes at long and nonsensical kdrama titles.
i’ve been waiting for this since 2010, but if they change the title, i won’t watch it anymore
house queen is the only one that dsnt sound as corny as the rest..maids is a good title for the show..but i agree…its not a nice one..cuz its lyk saying servants…rude -.- wonder wat theyll decide on
All of the alternatives have an off vibe about them. What the hell is with “Suspicious Women” it sounds as if all of the ‘Maids’ are hatching some secret plan to take revenge against their employers. Whatever, they’re all kinda ridiculous except for Secret of 1st Street. That title might be alright. Again, all of the title having this off or bad vibe to them makes it sound as if this is gonna be some sort of serious drama. I thought it was gonna be more cute and how there would be tons of bickering between the leads.
Ah well, let’s see what happens with the title and with the drama when it actually airs
“Maids” isn’t exactly the most creative, clever title ever, but it’s certainly better than the alternatives that they’re considering. I’d probably get weird stares if I told my friends I was watching “The Ladies’ tea time.” We should just name the drama, “Jung Kyeo Won is super duper hot”
haha they should really establish a dress code for these script reading sessions. jung kyeo woon seems so outta place in his blazer cos everyone else looks like they’re heading to family mart to grab a loaf of bread
What about ‘Domestic Helpers’? That’s what maids are formally called in my country.
omg another drama im excited about jung kyeo woo and kim min joo….but i would have thought KMJ would be lead oh well
hey guys don’t u think it will be awesome if PARK SHI HOO is casted here, instead of JKW or KMJ??
Oh nooooo…Jung Gyu Woon is just perfect !
Park Shi Hoo looks older for this character.