The MBLAQ’s Hello Baby fever still grips fans even three weeks after the reality television show went off air. Tweets mentioning Lauren, Leo and Dayoung — the three adorable children of multicultural backgrounds featured in Season Five — still flood fans’ Twitter timeline daily. Why this particular season has a hold on viewers — even those who did not start out as MBLAQ fans — is anybody’s guess. MBLAQ’s Hello Baby seems to have taken the show to new heights when it made fans not only laugh at the mishaps — Mir dropping Dayoung’s birthday cake is a good example — but also debate about the decisions each member made when disciplining the children.
Curious as to what the biological parents make of the show, Suzieuda contacted Andrew Lunde, father to Lauren, to get his assessment of MBLAQ members, their parenting skills and the K-pop industry in general. And she could not resist asking him about the possibility of a MBLAQ’s Hello Baby reunion. Read on to find out what Andrew has to say about these and more.
S: How much did you know about MBLAQ prior to the show?
AL:We had heard of them, but were not fans. I would now say that I am definitely a fan of them and wish them all the best.
S: What is your impression of the individual MBLAQ members and their “parenting” skills?
AL: This is a tough question as cultural biases can play into it. Also, there is no “right” or “wrong” way to raise a child and everything is debatable. Each of the members of MBLAQ has his own talents. I found Mir to be a lot of fun and very energetic and he made a strong first impression. Cheondung was a calming influence over everyone. Joon stole the kids’ hearts, so he must be doing something right. GO is also calm and cheerful and the kids responded to that and I suppose you are most curious about Seungho… more in your later question.
S: Fans were in two minds about Mir giving Dayoung a “timeout” when she refused to eat in Episode 3. Were there moments when you agreed or disagreed with their parenting styles?
AL: At first I thought that Joon was a bit loud with the angry noises that he made with Leo and such. But I quickly learned that it was all in good fun and he wasn’t actually aggressive and is in fact the EXACT opposite. Honestly, though, I would never criticize any of them too much and I even tweeted in Mir’s defence as I know he had no ill intentions. I also tweeted that I thought Dayoung would open up as I had seen her be very lively off camera, I am very happy that Dayoung did her family proud.
S: I personally learned a lot from Episode 4 (in which Dayoung received therapy to enable her to express herself better). Do you have a favourite episode which taught you something new about parenting etc?
AL: I guess I also learned from that episode and although I actually own that teddy bear that was in the episode and attempted to talk to Lauren with it on one occasion, I am not a child psychologist and cannot be compared to that woman’s brilliance. Thinking back on the show, I feel that it helped MBLAQ in their parenting skills and probably showed the fans that parenting is tough and can be a thankless task. If you work really hard at it, the end result can be fantastic.
S: Has being behind the scenes for the show enhanced your understanding of how the Kpop industry works? (For example, did it shock you to know how busy an idol group is when they are promoting? Etc)
AL: I have been working in Korea for a long time and the K-pop business is no different than any other. Korean people work very long hours and they know it. Most of the executives that I speak to (in my job) look forward to the day when people work less in Korea. It might take some time, but hopefully the K-pop stars will also work more reasonable schedules in the future. At the moment, I do feel bad for them as they are very likely the hardest working people in showbiz (anywhere) in the world. But with my previous experiences, this didn’t surprise me. One thing that did surprise me is that I saw MBLAQ performing on TV one song nearly every day. That is a lot of work for what must be a limited benefit.
S: How would you describe Lauren’s relationship with Seungho? What do you think made her particularly attached to him?
AL: I really have no idea why she got along with him almost instantly. My wife thinks that it is because they did some really fun stuff the first few times they met. The water park and of course their first meeting at the sledding park. Put kids in a fun place and they are sure to like who brings them there. Seungho built on that and won Lauren’s heart very quickly. When thinking back to the first day of filming, I was a bit worried that Lauren would get shy and want to be with her parents. She surprised us by not caring at all where we were! Getting back to Seungho, he is a very kind, intelligent and warm person. He cared for Lauren like he would a family member and Lauren responded to that. It was a great experience for her.
S: How do you feel about the overwhelming love and attention that international fans have showered on Lauren?
AL: It has been a wild ride. When I sit back and think about what is going on, it is truly surreal. Of course I am very happy with all the attention she has been getting and up to now it is nearly 100% positive. It continues to amaze me when I hear about a new country where Lauren has a fan. Up to this point we have received gifts from Spain, Brazil, USA, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and have been told that gifts are coming from several other places. I really had no idea. I am doing my best to keep the fans happy and it has taken up a lot of our family’s free time, but it has all been worth it.
S: So what is next for Lauren? Is another reality show in the cards for her?
AL: We will have to wait and see. The phone could ring tomorrow or maybe never again. I am just happy with what was accomplished. Lauren will start school soon enough and it will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens going forward. I will continue to update stuff on twitter and if there is any big news I will be happy to let you all know.
S: The million-dollar question on every Hello Baby MBLAQ fan’s mind: Any plans for a reunion with MBLAQ?
AL: It is a bit too soon for that question. A reunion means that some time has passed. I hope we see them again sometime this year.
Thank you so much Andrew for your time!
