Criticism of BTS Is Often Just Xenophobia in Disguise

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bts-criticism-xenophobia-in-disguise

BIG FACTS.

It's okay to dislike K-pop - music taste is subjective. But if you're going to attack them with harmful stereotypes that already harm Asians - and Asian diasporas - like calling them "fake plastic dolls" or something along the lines, then yes, it is racist.

Another interesting thing to note is how often male K-pop idols are called effeminate, weak, or "gay" looking (because the only thing better than racism is racism mixed with homophobia!) due to differences in Western and Eastern beauty standards, in addition to the West's longstanding tradition of casting Asian men in an undesirable light. Also, why are BTS constantly attacked for being smooth-faced, youthful, and clean when White musicians aimed at the same age of target audience such as One Direction, Justin Bieber, and the Beatles are also relatively "feminine" in presentation? Really gets the noggin' joggin.

And yeah, the fans take it a bit far sometimes. But that isn't exclusive to K-pop. Ever encountered Ariana Grande's fandom? I just wish I could talk about the music I like without my bands of choice being derogatively called "gay" all the time... smh

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Is it? A lot of the hate I've seen towards the fandom is because they tend to be overly obnoxious. For example, I haven't seen other Kpop fandoms excessively self-promote their fav Kpop groups on random Youtube videos like Armys do (once saw a BTS related comment on a Yuzuru Hanyu video like ????), and I've been a Kpop fan for 10 years now. Also, a lot of Armys I've seen especially newer ones have this xenophobic mindset towards the rest of Kpop, acting like BTS is better than the entirety of Kpop and putting down other groups, claiming BTS isn't Kpop but "BTSpop", etc. Heck, if you say you simply don't care for BTS or don't like BTS on a Kpop forum or on social media, prepare to get bashed or downvoted. Those are some of the biggest factors why ARMYs are hated even among Kpop fans who don't care for BTS.

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These are fair things to say about armys, but only within kpop centered forums. I'm really talking about people who have recently learned about BTS who immediately characterize their fans as crazy. They don't know anything except for the fans are generally women who like a thing that is perceived to be liked mostly by women. Of the people i know who aren't involved in kpop in any way, but felt the need to make comments about BTS because they are in the zeitgeist, it's all just a standard response of, they look like girls and the fans are crazy. Which isn't a new reaction to boy bands, but is against femininity in every way. Devaluing men with feminine features and devaluing the women that like them.

Remember that one twatter shitstorm where that one realtor fuckwad from NY said something about "OMG Do AsIaN WoMeN EvEn LiKe tHeIr OwN MeN?" I mean LITERALLY the same shit could be said towards fucking white boy bands in the West like One Direction and the latter has is given a lot more positive reaction.

Edit: Men not women lol

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level 1

Yosoparletheshishi

 

Mostly not Asian

Score hidden·7 hours ago

 

I can agree with the article to a certain extent. I like BTS, but it really is shocking that a non-English act got so big in the US. Everywhere else, people are used to listening to English songs. Not in the US, though, because everyone (inb4 Idon't listen to US music) listens to their music.

I don't think it's racist to make that observation. I do think the US should be more comfortable with what they listen to though