BTS & Hatred?
BTS short for Bangtan Sonyeodan or Bangtan boys . It’s a seven-member boy band group(Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) from South Korea that debuted in 2013 under big hit entertainment. They are famous for their music and the positivity they spread through the lyrics of their songs and different campaigns like Love Yourself and Speak yourself. They are a significant part of this big hit entertainment industry. They have a colossal fandom consisting of fans from every age group, from teenagers to older adults, from girls to boys of different races and countries. BTS is what unites these people together through the music. BTS fans are called Army, and these two have a unique and robust connection. As much as Army ( fans ) are protected towards the boys, boys are also as protective towards the fandom. And the boys are as goofy as they are professionals. They played a significant role in making Korean culture and music famous all over the globe. Pretty much everyone knows about k-pop, or at least they know BTS.
How did they gain fame?
Let’s go back to the past when BTS debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. They debuted nine years ago, and we were not famous at the start of their career as BTS. But they continue to make music as that’s the only thing that makes them happy. They did free shows and concerts so people would listen to their music. At their first concert/performance, there were around 150-200 people, and the boys were soo happy to see those many people listening and watching them perform. They kept making music, and in 2016, they got the album of the year; and that was that two years went by, they thought they had lost their way. They thought of disbanding in 2018 but still put through it, and that’s the year they got Mama (Korea’s the best award show) 6 awards, that’s right, six awards in one go. During their speech, members expressed how it felt for them and how emotional it was. They were soo happy that they decided to continue with their music no matter how many things they faced.
In 2018 after they released the song IDOL (the song of the year in Mama), they gained popularity outside Korea, too, as the song itself was getting more and more plays. They started gaining more and more people enjoying and connecting with the music. They gave a speech in UNICEF about accepting who you are, loving yourself, and always speaking yourself no matter what others say under the campaign of Love Yourself And Speak Yourself, which comforted many people. We can’t say they are just famous because they are handsome and well-dressed. Their music speaks for many people and makes them feel loved and accepted. BTS moved from a small boy band in South Korea to what they are now.
Why do Indians hate BTS?
No doubt BTS has a massive fanbase in India, but it does not cross the number of people hating them. Which artist doesn’t get hatred or trolled on social media, right? But Besides constructive criticism like copied tunes, non-sensical music, and stupid lyrics, which is fine but people have a lot more reasons which might sound a little too off the topic, like:
- For being too feminine
Where some people worship them as a group of men, some can’t even recognize if they are men or women. When it comes to appearance, band members like to follow no rules or definitive beauty standards, making them look more manly. People consider accessories, makeup, and even the color pink too feminine to be worn by a man. Antagonists call them ‘gay,’ ‘girly,’ ‘kinners,’ and a neverending list of homophobic tags. Being gay or transgender is not an insult but an identity, and questioning someone’s sexuality because they don’t follow the same dressing rules is toxic. It’s 2022, and there is still space for patriarchy and toxic masculinity. But the artists behind the song like ‘love yourself’ can’t be changed by some random trollers on the internet. The band likes to break stereotypes instead of conforming to social norms, and their faithful fans love them for their music, incredible choreography, and appearance.
* Toxic fans of bts
Every fanbase is obsessed with their idol and worships them somehow, but the BTS ARMY is a little too much. Attacking other fan groups on social media and giving rape and death threats to people posting one single word against BTS is nothing extravagant for the fans. Most fans are from the age group 12-18, tweeting statements like “getting raped by BTS is not a crime but a dream.” Tweets like these make the ARMY look like sociopaths, and it’s not ‘some of the fandom’ but the ‘most of it’ which speaks louder than the nicer ones. Their love and obsession are harming the band in some way, offending a no. of people daily with their irrelevant tweets making the people despise them more.
* homophobia
The LGBT community had to undergo so many taboos and ultimately made a place in society, but some people derogate someone else and compare them to the LGBT community. BTS members are called ‘gays,’ ‘kinners,’ and the popular term ‘chhakka’ by the haters for their shrill voice, clean shaved look, and soft personality. In India, men doing makeup is still not that acceptable. People haven’t been taught how to live with unfamiliarity, so their outburst against their sense of lack makes them despise the band more.
The sexuality of the band is not only questioned due to their appearance, but the closeness of the members has become one a reason to offend people. In a viral video, Jimin was seen almost kissing the most famous band member, jungkook. At the same time, Jimin and teaching were also seen kissing RM’s forehead. After these videos got viral, BTS started getting ferocious hatred on Twitter.
* Similarities to the band ‘Big Bang’
People tend to claim that BTS is trying hard to be like the famous k-pop band ‘Big bang.’ Bing bang is another k-pop band comprising four members: G-Dragon, T.O.P., Taeyang, and Daesung. BTS and Big Bang bands started with hip hop initially and then grew with western influences. This comparison between both the bands offended the ‘Big bang fans.’ BTS gets compared with many bands. Antagonists believe Big Hit Entertainment has been following the ways of the greatest band of all times’ The Beatles. At the same time, some believe BTS has a long path to walk compared to The Beatles.
But in the end, what matters despite this hate is the journey they have traveled and their constant rise out of the hatred they get.
