"There’s a fine line between politician and celebrity." - Sarah clemens, 11th grade
Kpop idols don’t get into politics much. When things as simple as being overtly sexual are taboo, there’s a lot of pressure to not voice any strong opinions. Mega famous boy band BTS has been a notable exception. Last year, they donated a million dollars to the Black Lives Matter organization. In a statement explaining their donation, the band both said that “prejudice should not be tolerated”, and “we feel it’s the right of everyone to not be subject to racism or violence”. Their fans have supported them wholeheartedly in this. Whether it’s clogging racist hashtags to the point they’re unusable, wrecking a Trump rally, or matching that one million donation, BTS fans have used their numbers and dedication for good. It can be heartwarming. But all this also raises an uncomfortable question. Is this activism done out of goodwill, or fan devotion? Does it matter?
There’s a fine line between politician and celebrity. Celebrities have voiced their political opinions before, but BTS’s situation remains unique. In South Korea, Kpop is not called Kpop. It is referred to as “idol groups.” Every member of a group must be a different type of pristine. There are roles: the leader, the rapper, the dancer. The "visual." So when BTS speak out on politics, they are not doing this just as musicians, but also as people bred to be role models. Even though they do have casual fans, BTS are still responsible for the worldview of millions.
Talk show host James Corden is no stranger to ire. Lately, he’s received a lot of it -- viral tweets abounded concerning his acting in the latest Cinderella remake. Before that, his universally panned role in Cats. Awkward photographs. Still, on Monday September 20th, he poked a too big bear. He made fun of Korean pop band BTS. On live TV. Corden was commenting on the band’s latest appearance at the United Nations General assembly. All it took was a few remarks: that BTS fans were “15-year-old girls” and BTS themselves were “unusual visitors.” Social media was promptly set aflame.
One Twitter user, by the name of tanseok, tweeted: “james corden is now in army’s black book. he used armys and bts for clout idc.” Corden has indeed invited BTS on his show multiple times. The tweet soon amassed over forty thousand likes. Another tweet, by twitter user minimonichild: “the james corden thing rlly has me remembering that so many celebrities pretend to care abt bts when they really don’t…” The tweet got over seventeen thousand likes. Trust seemed to be a common theme in the anti Corden tweets. “I can’t believe how easily we trust people” went iamfineOT7. Quoting the video of James Corden’s remarks, KuhuThakur11, wrote, “We can’t trust anyone rather than Halsey!! No more papa mochi now”, referencing both BTS’s nickname for Corden and singer Halsey’s longtime friendship with the group.
In response, James Corden deleted the video from his socials. It’s the smallest, most insignificant form of damage control. Still, a clear message was sent. The man who danced in crosswalks naked was not going to risk BTS fan wrath. There are certain fanbases you just don’t mess with.
The James Corden situation is evidence of two things: that BTS (short for Bulletproof Boy Scouts) has a massive fanbase. And that this fanbase is very protective. The online portion at least. BTS has roughly forty million followers on Twitter. It’s not as much as other superstars, say Taylor Swift (one hundred eighty million), or Ariana Grande (eighty four million). Yet they average more likes than almost anyone else on the app--often more than a million per tweet. This is because of how much of an active and committed fan army they’ve built. Not every BTS fan is a diehard, of course, but many are. TIME has hailed them as the fandom with “an unrivaled amount of organization.” One could argue the fans have good reason to be this vigilant: the Kpop industry is notoriously bad to it’s stars.
We’ve seen every cliche about a horrible underbelly existing in the entertainment world. It doesn’t make learning about the Kpop industry any less shocking. South Korea has the tenth highest rate of suicide in the world. Entertainers are no exception. In 2019, two of the biggest Kpop stars, Sulli and Goo Hara, killed themselves in the span of six months. Media scrutiny is often cited as a reason. It’s particularly bad for female stars. Park Hee, an Associated Press journalist, stated: “Some female idols have been ostracised for not smiling in a television show and reading a book about feminism that contradicts male-dominated, patriarchal South Korean society.” Sulli, for example, didn’t wear a bra. She called herself a feminist. And the media couldn’t stand it.
The path to Sulli and Goo Hara level fame is described as similarly hellish. Almost worse. Bloomberg has declared kpop outfit Blackpink “the world’s biggest girl band”. They recently released a documentary titled Blackpink: Light Up The Sky. It was the most viewed documentary in all of Asia. In it, band member Jennie talks about the trainee process all Kpop band members go through. Idols aren’t known for talking about this. The process can be incredibly secretive. Yet she describes it as “very harsh” and says, “I remember having to send a good friend of mine home every month because they got eliminated from the test.”
Her words ring true with other accounts of the trainee process. Former trainee Elaine Chong wrote about her experience for BBC, saying that a two year contract was the “shortest they offered.” She was forbidden to leave the company building except for school. Holidays were no exception. “Dating was banned...Trainees were all supposed to act straight even if they weren't. Anybody who appeared to be openly gay was ostracised by the company.” Her account goes on to describe normalized eating disorders, as all trainees were required to be less than 104 pounds, no matter their height. In 2016, BTS band member Jimin was reported to have restricted himself to one meal a day for ten days. Chong’s breaking point was when the company began pressuring her to get plastic surgery. She was only eighteen.
All of this comes as a sharp contrast to Kpop music, which is largely known for being bright and colorful. On July ninth, BTS released their latest single, the poppy “Permission to Dance.” It’s music video is a technicolor teenage dream. Kaleidoscope dance moves everywhere. The lyrics are similarly upbeat: “we don’t need to worry / cause when we fall we know how to land.” (I honestly enjoyed the song--there is genuine talent in this dark tale after all.) Their appearance at the UN Conference was, in fact, their third time speaking. Each time with a message of hope. This time, the band’s leader, RM, said: “Every choice we make is the beginning of change, not the end.”
The final layer to this situation is the band member’s impending military service. All Korean men are required to serve in the military for roughly two years. (Women can voluntarily join, but aren’t required.) BTS don’t have to serve until they’re thirty. South Korea isn’t currently at war with any country, so it might not seem like a huge deal. But Kpop fame can be extraordinarily fickle. Once an idol leaves the public eye, they might never get it back again. Questions remain regarding if anyone is capable of forgetting BTS. Once again, they might be a notable exception. Still, with members like Kim Seok-jin and Min Yoongi turning 28, the deadline is drawing near.
It’s a paradox upon paradoxes. BTS speak of joy and happiness even at times when their industry is unraveling. And they have immense political power, despite not being able to escape the politics of their own country. Putting such responsibility on young and talented shoulders isn’t known for working out well. One wants to root for BTS though; looking at how wisely they’ve used their platform so far. Maybe this Kpop band could be a turning point for their industry and the world at large. Maybe not. Truly there’s no easy answer. As to what kind of influence BTS should have, and as to how powerful that influence can get.
There’s a fine line between politician and celebrity. Celebrities have voiced their political opinions before, but BTS’s situation remains unique. In South Korea, Kpop is not called Kpop. It is referred to as “idol groups.” Every member of a group must be a different type of pristine. There are roles: the leader, the rapper, the dancer. The "visual." So when BTS speak out on politics, they are not doing this just as musicians, but also as people bred to be role models. Even though they do have casual fans, BTS are still responsible for the worldview of millions.
Talk show host James Corden is no stranger to ire. Lately, he’s received a lot of it -- viral tweets abounded concerning his acting in the latest Cinderella remake. Before that, his universally panned role in Cats. Awkward photographs. Still, on Monday September 20th, he poked a too big bear. He made fun of Korean pop band BTS. On live TV. Corden was commenting on the band’s latest appearance at the United Nations General assembly. All it took was a few remarks: that BTS fans were “15-year-old girls” and BTS themselves were “unusual visitors.” Social media was promptly set aflame.
One Twitter user, by the name of tanseok, tweeted: “james corden is now in army’s black book. he used armys and bts for clout idc.” Corden has indeed invited BTS on his show multiple times. The tweet soon amassed over forty thousand likes. Another tweet, by twitter user minimonichild: “the james corden thing rlly has me remembering that so many celebrities pretend to care abt bts when they really don’t…” The tweet got over seventeen thousand likes. Trust seemed to be a common theme in the anti Corden tweets. “I can’t believe how easily we trust people” went iamfineOT7. Quoting the video of James Corden’s remarks, KuhuThakur11, wrote, “We can’t trust anyone rather than Halsey!! No more papa mochi now”, referencing both BTS’s nickname for Corden and singer Halsey’s longtime friendship with the group.
In response, James Corden deleted the video from his socials. It’s the smallest, most insignificant form of damage control. Still, a clear message was sent. The man who danced in crosswalks naked was not going to risk BTS fan wrath. There are certain fanbases you just don’t mess with.
The James Corden situation is evidence of two things: that BTS (short for Bulletproof Boy Scouts) has a massive fanbase. And that this fanbase is very protective. The online portion at least. BTS has roughly forty million followers on Twitter. It’s not as much as other superstars, say Taylor Swift (one hundred eighty million), or Ariana Grande (eighty four million). Yet they average more likes than almost anyone else on the app--often more than a million per tweet. This is because of how much of an active and committed fan army they’ve built. Not every BTS fan is a diehard, of course, but many are. TIME has hailed them as the fandom with “an unrivaled amount of organization.” One could argue the fans have good reason to be this vigilant: the Kpop industry is notoriously bad to it’s stars.
We’ve seen every cliche about a horrible underbelly existing in the entertainment world. It doesn’t make learning about the Kpop industry any less shocking. South Korea has the tenth highest rate of suicide in the world. Entertainers are no exception. In 2019, two of the biggest Kpop stars, Sulli and Goo Hara, killed themselves in the span of six months. Media scrutiny is often cited as a reason. It’s particularly bad for female stars. Park Hee, an Associated Press journalist, stated: “Some female idols have been ostracised for not smiling in a television show and reading a book about feminism that contradicts male-dominated, patriarchal South Korean society.” Sulli, for example, didn’t wear a bra. She called herself a feminist. And the media couldn’t stand it.
The path to Sulli and Goo Hara level fame is described as similarly hellish. Almost worse. Bloomberg has declared kpop outfit Blackpink “the world’s biggest girl band”. They recently released a documentary titled Blackpink: Light Up The Sky. It was the most viewed documentary in all of Asia. In it, band member Jennie talks about the trainee process all Kpop band members go through. Idols aren’t known for talking about this. The process can be incredibly secretive. Yet she describes it as “very harsh” and says, “I remember having to send a good friend of mine home every month because they got eliminated from the test.”
Her words ring true with other accounts of the trainee process. Former trainee Elaine Chong wrote about her experience for BBC, saying that a two year contract was the “shortest they offered.” She was forbidden to leave the company building except for school. Holidays were no exception. “Dating was banned...Trainees were all supposed to act straight even if they weren't. Anybody who appeared to be openly gay was ostracised by the company.” Her account goes on to describe normalized eating disorders, as all trainees were required to be less than 104 pounds, no matter their height. In 2016, BTS band member Jimin was reported to have restricted himself to one meal a day for ten days. Chong’s breaking point was when the company began pressuring her to get plastic surgery. She was only eighteen.
All of this comes as a sharp contrast to Kpop music, which is largely known for being bright and colorful. On July ninth, BTS released their latest single, the poppy “Permission to Dance.” It’s music video is a technicolor teenage dream. Kaleidoscope dance moves everywhere. The lyrics are similarly upbeat: “we don’t need to worry / cause when we fall we know how to land.” (I honestly enjoyed the song--there is genuine talent in this dark tale after all.) Their appearance at the UN Conference was, in fact, their third time speaking. Each time with a message of hope. This time, the band’s leader, RM, said: “Every choice we make is the beginning of change, not the end.”
The final layer to this situation is the band member’s impending military service. All Korean men are required to serve in the military for roughly two years. (Women can voluntarily join, but aren’t required.) BTS don’t have to serve until they’re thirty. South Korea isn’t currently at war with any country, so it might not seem like a huge deal. But Kpop fame can be extraordinarily fickle. Once an idol leaves the public eye, they might never get it back again. Questions remain regarding if anyone is capable of forgetting BTS. Once again, they might be a notable exception. Still, with members like Kim Seok-jin and Min Yoongi turning 28, the deadline is drawing near.
It’s a paradox upon paradoxes. BTS speak of joy and happiness even at times when their industry is unraveling. And they have immense political power, despite not being able to escape the politics of their own country. Putting such responsibility on young and talented shoulders isn’t known for working out well. One wants to root for BTS though; looking at how wisely they’ve used their platform so far. Maybe this Kpop band could be a turning point for their industry and the world at large. Maybe not. Truly there’s no easy answer. As to what kind of influence BTS should have, and as to how powerful that influence can get.
