BTS ARMY #StopAsianHate Trending on Twitter after Australian TV show for “unnecessary” COVID joke
3 min read
BTS, April 2022 (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
After seeing an Australian show, The Project, putting inappropriate background music to the K-pop group’s clip in their promotional video. BTS ARMY trended #StopAsianHate and #ApologizeToTaehyung. ARMYs are criticising the TV show. For its “xenophobia” and for using the video to “perpetuate hate against the Asian population”. In the clip, The Project added coughing background music as V was enjoying a Grammy performance. Designers even altered germ emojis to make it appear as if V was coughing and spreading the infection. Fans slammed the decision, accusing the firm of using the Asian population to make a COVID joke, especially because Asians are still being humiliated over the pandemic.
Disgustingly racist. They did it on purpose. There’s no way anyone in media in the big year of 2022 cannot understand the seriousness of making Covid 19 “jokes” about Asian. @theprojecttv needs to formally Apologize to BTS & hold their staff accountable #RespectBTS #StopAsianHate pic.twitter.com/sAhOR7zNwX
— Mu⁷ (@130613fate) April 4, 2022
An Australian TV show has been criticized for editing a clip of BTS’s V coughing
A clip of BTS’ V swaying to the music with coughing noises in the background was spliced into a famous Australian show, The Project, on April 4. They added a voice-over before the clip explaining the group’s recovery from COVID. The clip was deemed offensive and racist toward the group by internet users. The six-minute movie gave a basic overview of the 64th Grammy Awards’ most glamorous moments. Fans and non-fans alike, however, were disappointed by the video. The voice-over said before showing V coughing: “K-Pop superstar BTS stormed the stage, disregarding their recent feud with COVID-19.” To add insult to injury, the authors placed germ emojis on V’s mouth. #StopAsianHate quickly became a trending topic on social media as viewers pointed out that the TV show featured an Asian group to imply that they were spreading the illness.
This is the real video, he was enjoying the performance by Justin Bieber, and that’s it, stop with your racist behavior that will never lead to anything good. It is a disappointment that in the middle of 2022 people continue to be this way #StopAsianHate pic.twitter.com/rcebuu7o43
— PROUD OF BTS ᴼᵀ⁷ (@xemptyjkx) April 4, 2022
On February 15, BTS’ V tested positive for COVID but recovered completely on February 22. After being deemed totally cured, Jungkook and J-Hope were recently freed from quarantine. Many people stated that the TV show was “offensive” and that it was “perpetuating hate” toward Asians in general, not just the K-pop septet. Meanwhile, The Project has subsequently removed the tape following widespread criticism. Many people have sought an official apology from the show, but they have yet to respond.
I’m really disappointed that yet another source of news and current events is once again perpetuating hate against the Asian community. Do you realize how dangerous this is? Do you realize that you could be contributing to someone being harmed or killed? This isn’t comedy
— BTS Learned About Breaks From Ross & Rachel ⁷ (@Amii_OT7_) April 4, 2022
Also … In case this isn't clear: V was laughing and the outlet added graphics to make it look like he was spreading COVID. They knew exactly what they were doing. It's not just a "joke." This is disgusting and it's this kind of action that normalizes racism. #StopAsianHate
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) April 4, 2022
I'm so upset. It's 2022 and ya'll are still making "covid" jokes about asians and who even finds these jokes funny anymore it's just perpetuating hate towards asians. Whoever edited that clip of tae coughing is going to the deepest pits of hell. #StopAsianHate https://t.co/Y4w88aKcyY
— Lina (@LinaBTS1012) April 4, 2022
Shraddha
I am a second-year journalism student from the school of Mass Communication at KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar. Since I'm pursuing journalism, writing and getting published is my dream job. Due to the fact that my subject's studies are based entirely on my research work and sources, I am able to write informative articles. New writers are worried that the story has been told already, well, it has been, but not by you.
