Topps, the American trading card company, has issued an apology after releasing a BTS Bruiser collection for their Grammy-themed sticker cards Tuesday. The company received backlash from social media for depicting the South Korean K-pop band's caricature with violence.
BTS Bruisers showed the septet as whack-a-mole characters who have been badly beaten and bruised after their Grammy loss to Lady Gaga and Arianna Grande for the Best Duo or Group award. Topps' Grammy-themed trading cards also featured Taylor Swift, Megan Stallion, Harry Styles and Billie Ellish but only the BTS illustrations were violent.
Netizens called out Topps for the insensitive depiction in the wake of the growing anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States. According to CNN, there have been at least 500 reported hate crimes, ranging from verbal harassment to physical violence, targetting Asian Americans in the last two months.
On the day of the trading cards' release, there was a mass shooting in Atlanta where six of the eight victims were Asians. On Twitter, the hashtag #RacismIsNotComedy immediately trended after the ARMY demanded Topps to pull out the cards.
This prompted the trading card company to issue an apology on social media. Topps said that the BTS cards have been removed from the deck and will not be printed or made available.
However, BTS fans want Topps to clarify their statement and indicate why it was upsetting to the public to show their accountability. The ARMY also called out the company for not making a direct apology to the group.
Meanwhile, despite their loss at the Grammys, BTS is keeping a positive outlook. BTS member RM said that it was not likely not their time because it would be better to get the award in person.
Due to the pandemic restrictions, BTS did perform at the awards show but it was beamed live from a South Korean stage and not in Los Angeles, where the Grammys normally take place. RM also said that they did not "fail" at the Grammys because they were able to do their first solo performance as nominees in a cherished ceremony watched by millions around the world. Viewers were treated to a mini-concert with a dance-heavy set and a lot of fireworks.
After their Grammy performance, BTS was honored by the Guinness World Records for the having the most number of simultaneous viewers for a YouTube video release for the song "Dynamite." The music video earned three million views within 24 hours.
