SBS’s long-running show Running Man is facing criticism after airing what viewers called a “sleazy, tone-deaf” segment built around excessive physical contact.
The episode, broadcast on the 23rd, featured a “Kiss Mafia” game tied to promoting the drama Dynamite Kiss. Cast members were instructed to leave actual lip marks on one another’s faces, foreheads, and arms, then guess who kissed whom based on the sensation or smell. Both the person giving and receiving the kiss were chosen by draw.
After Ji Suk Jin lightly brushed Yang Se Chan’s cheek, Yang recoiled, saying, “You smell like a dad.” During Ahn Eun Jin’s turn, the physical contact became even more direct. She hesitated, asking, “Are you sure you’re okay with this? This is embarrassing,” but ultimately pressed her lips to Yang Se Chan’s arm.
HaHa egged Yang on—“You should get one more”—while Kim Jong Kook teased, “Eun Jin even kissed your forehead but now you’re pretending you can’t do it?” The production team then highlighted these lip marks as a “comedy point,” comparing “lip stamps” among cast members. At one moment, a cast member even muttered, “This is gross.”
Running Man, still a family-time staple in the coveted Sunday primetime slot, is being blasted for relying on outdated humor. Critics noted that encouraging bodily contact for laughs echoes a bygone variety era, clashing sharply with the recent industry trend of avoiding excessive physical contact-centered gags. The cast’s defense—“It’s just a game”—did little to quell the sense that the show had crossed a line.
The production’s lack of creativity is also being scrutinized. Using the drama title Dynamite Kiss as justification for a literal kissing-based game was seen as overly simplistic and convenient.
With concerns over cast discomfort, viewer unease, and shifting cultural expectations all converging, the episode has sparked broader conversations about Running Man’s production philosophy. All eyes are now on how the team will respond to the backlash—and whether this controversy will influence the show’s direction going forward.
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