Another controversy has hit BTS, the widely popular K-Pop group, and their loyal fans, dubbed the ARMY, are not taking this sitting down.
The ARMY has rallied up on social media to protest the airing of a sketch comedy segment in the Chilean TV series Mi Barrio. The ARMY said that the segment, which was compiled on a BTS Chile fan account, mocked BTS as well as South Korea. Within hours, the hashtag #RacismIsNotComedy started trending online as fans started to protest the offensive TV show.
Reports cited that the Mi Barrio sketch featured Chilean actors who pretended to be BTS members. They made jokes about the Korean language and hinted that the boyband is associated with North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un. Fans warned on social media that they will file a formal complaint against the Chilean broadcaster.
Mi Barrio immediately responded to the controversy in a post on Instagram. While the statement acknowledged the mistake, it didn't touch on issues of racism and xenophobia, leaving the ARMY more upset as the apology wasn't sincere and heartfelt.
The news comes just a few weeks after BTS issued a statement expressing their sentiments about anti-Asian racism amid the rise in attacks and violence against Asians in the in the United States. The group revealed that, despite their popularity and global fame, they were also victims of racial injustice and were mocked for not knowing how to speak English during their tours abroad.
The boys said that they had to "endure expletives" just for the way they looked and they couldn't understand the misdirected hatred towards their appearance. The septet vowed they will "stand together" with Black Lives Matter and condemn violence and discrimination.
Their statement was also released days after a U.S. trading card company had to pull out their latest collection as it featured the BTS members with bruised faces following their Grammy loss to Arianna Grande and Lady Gaga. The public accused Topps, which released the trading cards, for being racist. Topps had to issue an apology as well and said that the BTS stickers will not be released nor sold anywhere anymore.
Meanwhile, BTS has yet to release a statement in response to Mi Barrio and this latest controversy. The ARMY, however, vows to defend the group as #RacismIsNotComedy continues to gain ground on social media.
