#it’s racism that made them sing in english in the first place idk it’s like

[joverflowers]

So I become an army recently (Jan 21) and I’ve been obsessed with everything BTS related lol... watched all run + the soop and wanna start the bon voyage seasons but something happened this week and now I’m so disheartened, shook and disappointed.

I’ve found this thread on Twitter talk about all the problematic things BTS has said and done in the past and that none of them acknowledged it nor apologized for some of these actions.

It had everything from being racist, classists, colourism and cultural appropriation and to even disrespecting various religions.

Idk if I want to Stan them anymore. As much as it hurts me (since I genuinely loved these guys) I can’t have the same innocent fondness of them I once had without always subconsciously going back to these things.

What would you do in this situation? Also did you have any idea? Did BTS ever talk about any of these issues? I just need it to rant and get this out of my system since I’m going crazy 💔

Hello dear. First of all, I am very sorry to hear that you had to go through a disheartening experience all by yourself while searching for answers.

I am directly going to answer your question on what I would do in a situation like this as a person who’s been in the fandom for a couple of years and was aware of these things. I would also like to request everyone to consider this entirely as my own opinion. I am not trying to discredit their efforts on correcting these issues or justify them doing anything remotely problematic.

I think I know exactly what thread you might be talking about so I’m going to go through them one by one. As for racism, I think you’re referring to them using the n word while singing almost right after their debut. In which case, I would like to say that incident happened years ago and I really think the members did not know at that time that the use of this word is extremely offensive and disrespectful. And yes, the members did not explicitly verbally apologize for the use of the word. However, years after the backlash on WOH, Namjoon spoke out on a vlive about how he did not know nor realize that while he was trying to write lyrics and compose songs that stand up to the western hip hop song standards, he has addressed issues that were culturally insensitive and inappropriate. He also admitted that some lyrics might come across as objectifying, though he did not intend to do so through his songs(and till date they refrained from reperforming any of the songs that have controversial lyrics of any sorts).

He also added that while he can address a lot of issues that were problematic on their behalf, he sincerely apologized for all of them. He talked about how he discussed the topics they address in one of their songs with his sociology professor beforehand. Because he wanted to make sure that he can portray the message he wants through his songs rather than repeating the mistakes he made due to a lack of knowledge about the issues.

As for classism, I think this also occurred due to a lack of knowledge about how discriminating this comes across as. Mainstream hip-hop culture lyrics and how they use this concept commonly to show superiority over others, especially over their haters, might be one of the strongest reasons if you were referring to their use of this concept in their lyrics.

On the topic of colorism, I think the problem itself is way more complex in the Asian context. As an Asian person myself, I think I heard the words thrown towards me so casually so often as a teenager, I did not even acknowledge how problematic and disturbing these words were until I stumbled on these topics and their context on a broader view and decided to educate myself on these topics. 

The majority of the issues related to cultural appropriation really have more to do with their stylists, than the members themselves. They did not/do not have much control over their outfits or styles. Even in shows such as In the Soop, they had to wear products of certain brands more than the other due to product placement. As for being disrespectful to the religions, Yoongi once spoke out about how knew very little about a certain religion and apologized to the fans, and requested them to correct him if they do something that is disrespectful. 

Lastly, every single of these events happened years ago, and even though they did not bring up every single issue and explicitly apologize, Namjoon mentioned on a Vlive, that he is working towards acknowledging all these issues so that he can ensure that no member repeats these actions and that he thought being respectful with his words and proving them through their actions would be the best apology. And he truly kept his words and proved their good intentions time and time again.

You mentioned not feeling an innocent fondness towards them anymore because of the mistakes they made in the past, and I truly understand what makes you feel like that. I am going to go a bit off-track in here and talk a bit more about the context of why exactly is it tougher for people who have been born and raised Asian to understand or acknowledge these issues in the first place unless they deliberately make an effort to know and research about these topics.

In a Bangtan bomb, Namjoon kept saying in the background how hard is it for him to remember how to converse properly in English because he rarely needs to speak it back home. Also, Namjoon mentioned learning English from popular tv shows and songs. As I am also a person who learned English entirely from tv shows and songs, trust me when I say that as kids or teenagers who often heard people curse or use slurs so casually on television, I truly did not understand the severity of the offense of these words. I did not curse or use slurs myself, but if I saw someone else saying these things, I would not stop them either due to the lack of my knowledge and that act itself is something I am guilty of. Even though I apologized to the people, I understood that truly enlightening myself on these topics and refraining from repeating these actions is the best way for me to redeem myself. 

Do all these justify the things they did? I do not think so. But neither does this justifies how often antis throw them under the bus for problematic things they did admit to and reflected upon over the years. I personally think what matters the most is the members acknowledged exactly why this comes across as problematic and refrained themselves from repeating any of these actions for years to come. Though their admittance to these things will not bring back innocent fondness, once you realize they are all human who made many mistakes in the past whether due to lack of knowledge or obliviousness. But I do hope you recognize their efforts on how hard they worked on themselves to improve.

As for whether you want to remain a fan or not, is entirely up to you, sweetheart. But I do hope I could somewhat portray the situation from the contextual point of view and whether they reflected on the matters afterward or not. If you have any more confusion on this, or if there are other incidents or topics I skipped entirely, please feel to reach out. 

[hypnopompik]

1. What’s your middle name? Evangeline

2. What are you listening to right now? Debussy La met 

3. What was the last thing you ate? Chicken salad

4. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Brother

5. Do you drink? Occassionally

6. Do you smoke? Never

7. What is the first thing you noticed in someone? Smile/Eyes

8. What is your hair color? Black

9. What is your eye color? Brown

10. Do you wear contacts/glasses? Nope

11. Dogs or cats? Both

12. What’s your favorite animal? Giant Panda

13. What’s your favorite television show? Game of Thrones or The Office

14. What’s your favorite movie? Lord of the Rings

15. What’s your favorite band/singer? Hozier/Aurora

16. How old are you? 24

17. Do you have a crush on anyone? Yes 🥰🥺👉🏻👈🏻

18. What’s your sexual orientation? Biromantic Asexual

19. What’s your favorite color? Pink/White/Silver

20. What was your most embarrassing moment? Falling over in a fountain in the middle of a theme park

21. Do you ever wish you were someone else? No

22. What were you like when you were a kid? Happy

23. What would your dream house be like? A cottage with large windows and a large garden in a small village surrounded by lots of fields

24. What last made you laugh? Probably The Office

25. What is your favorite word? Sacrilegious or Interesting

26. What is your least favorite word? Moist or Bowl

27. What turns you on? Kindness and neck kissing

28. What turns you off? Rude people

29. What is your star sign? Libra sun, Aquarius moon, Capricorn rising

30. What are your favorite books? I have such a long list

31. Do you have any siblings? Yes, brother and sister both younger

32. Do you like to dance? Yes I love dancing I used to dance professionally

33. What is your definition of cheating? Any physical act with another person other than your partner

34. Have you ever cheated on someone? Never

35. Do you regret anything? Nope

36. Do you have any phobias? Thunder and lightning, insects, some birds and

37. Ever broken any bones? Collarbone a few toes and a few fingers

38. Ever come close to death? Yes

39. What is your religion, if any? Buddhism and also I practice witchcraft

40. Have you ever been to a psychiatrist/therapist? Never.

41. Are looks important in a relationship? Nope (im asexual)

42. Are you more like your mom or your dad? Neither

43. What is your favorite season? Spring

44. Do you have any tattoos? No but I want

45. Do you have any piercings? Several; lips, 4 on my ears.

46. How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had? 0 official

47. Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Yes

48. Who is your celebrity crush? Snoop Dogg and Johnny Depp

49. Are you a virgin? Nope

50. Do you get jealous easily? No never

51. What is your favorite type of food? Italian

52. Do you ever want to get married? Yes

53. Who was your first kiss with? Not happened officially

54. Have you ever been cheated on? Yes

55. What is your idea of the perfect date? Long walk in a park with a picnic, museum and art gallery, then a long drive to the countryside at night see the stars

56. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? 

57. Do you believe in aliens or life on other planets? Of course

58. What talent do you wish you’d been born with? Singing and musical abilities

59. What is your saddest memory? My grandfathers deaths

60. Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes

61. Do you believe in soul mates? Yes I am pretty sure I’ve already met them

62. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, multiple colours

63. Has someone ever spread a nasty rumor about you? I don’t think so I can’t remember.. oh yeah someone spread a rumour that I had a list of people I was going to kill ... I was 13

64. Would you go against your moral code for money? No

65. What are three things most people don’t know about you? I’m asexual, I’m a witch and I’m ambidextrous

66. Who are you jealous of? I don’t get jealous very easily.

67. Do you sleep with a stuffed toy? Yes, his name is Freddie

68. How long was your longest relationship? 0

69. Is the glass half empty or half full? Half full

70. What is the sexiest thing someone could ever do for/to you? Buy me sexy underwear/lingerie and cook a nice meal and then a nice movie in a cuddles

71. Who is your most loyal friend? Lukas

72. Are you in a relationship? Nope

73. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, what is your favorite thing about him/her? I don’t

74. Are you a bad person? Yes I can be

75. Are you a lover or a fighter? A lover

76. What did you do on your last birthday? Party and movies with my family

77. What is your favorite quote? ‘I always love finding a new place to wear diamonds’ - Marilyn Monroe in To Marry a Millionaire

78. If your best friend died, what would you do? Organise an amazing wake, funeral party

79. If you had to go back in time and change one thing, what would it be? I’d stop Hitler getting to power

80. If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do? Tell my friends and family and just spend time with them

81. What is the strangest dream you’ve ever had? THE STEVE MARTIN DREAM

82. Are you happier single or in a relationship? Idk I’m happy single

83. Who were you in a past life? I’m not sure

84. What is your happiest childhood memory? I have so many good moments especially with my siblings

85. Have you ever experienced unrequited love? Yes

86. Have you ever had an imaginary friend? No I don’t think so

87. If you were the president, what would you do? The opposite to whatever trump is doing

88. What is your ideal career? Owner of a bakery/cafe/florist/bookstore

89. What is your political affiliation? Irk

90. Are you conservative or liberal? Liberal

91. Is the male or female body closest to perfection? Female

92. Do you like kissing in public? Never did it but I don’t mind it

93. If you could change one thing in the world, what would you change? I’d try to change racism/transphobic/sexism/feminism/save the planet/animals/

94. Where would you like to live? Norway/France/Italy/Belgium/Netherlands

95. Where would you go on your dream vacation? Anywhere

96. Describe yourself in one word. Passionate

97. Describe yourself in one sentence. Short, curvy, English girl with black hair and honey eyes with a positive optimistic and bubbly outlook on life

[moonlightfanfics]

FAQ (sort of)

I thought since I've been away for a while, I need to reconnect with you guys so here's some stuff I thought you'd like to know about me😋

(It’s extremely long so it’s all under the cut!)

Name: Maya

Nickname: May-May

Zodiac sign: Leo

Where was I born: England

Where do I currently live: US. (That’s why in my writing I alternate between American spellings and English spellings lmao). Also my accent is fucked ahaha

Book/series I reread: Hunger Games Trilogy

Books I have yet to read: Game of Thrones & HARRY POTTER

Aliens or ghosts: Aliens

Favourite song: I have too many so I'm just gonna do my top 5 (not in order)

Ed Sheeran - Sing

Chris Brown - Forever

The Weeknd - Earned It

Aaliyah - More Than A Woman

Jennifer Lopez - Love Don't Cost A Thing

The last person who hurt me, did I forgive them: In terms of like boys, erm yes, kind of

What am I most afraid of: Deep sea, I have a huge phobia

A good quality of mine: Good listener

A bad quality of mine: Hold grudges

Actor/Actress I trust enough to watch whatever they're in: Actor/s - Sebastian Stan, Evan Peters. Actress - Emma Stone

Favourite season: Spring

Am I in a relationship: No

Something I miss: Watching the twilight saga for the first time lol

My best friend: I have like six, no joke

Eye colour: Brown

Am I excited about anything: Going on vacation this summer

My current obsession: Evan Peters bc American Horror Story

Someone I love: Parents

Someone I trust: Not many

Favourite TV shows as a child: H2o, That's So Raven, Drake & Josh, Wizards of Waverly Place

What do I think about the most: This isn't to be fake deep lol but I'm always thinking about equality, racism etc. I'll just be studying and my mind wonders to it idk why

Do I have any strange phobias: Dogs, I am absolutely terrified of them, oh and also bridges

Favourite hobbies: Going to the gym

Last book I read: It's been an embarrassingly long time since I last read a book, fifty shades of grey. I'm constantly reading fan fiction though

Last film I watched: Friends with Benefits

Superpower I wish I could have: Telekinesis

When do I feel at most peace: When there are no upcoming tests, finals etc

Do I sleep with lights on or off: Off

What is my song of the week: Ed Sheeran - Shape of You

Afraid of heights: YES

Pet peeve: Incorrect grammar

Have I ever had a friend turn enemy: Luckily no, the minimum time I've known one of my best friends for is four years. The longest is 14 years

What is my current desktop picture: A skyline

What fictional universe would I like to be a part of: Harry Potter

Something I worry about: This seriously keeps me awake at night, the idea that I'm not going to get a good job in the field I'm interested in, I'm not going to marry someone who I think is the perfect match for me and that I'm not going to be able to have kids

Scared of the dark: YES

Can I sing: Yes

Something I wish I could do: Shut off my emotions

Where do I want to live: On an island by myself

Do I have any pets: Yeah, a fish lol

Early bird or night owl: I can be both

Story behind my last kiss: One of my friends house party, drunk, big mistake

Favourite genre of music: Hip-Hop

Who is my hero: The person who invented earphones

What makes me really angry: Racism/inequality fucking boils my blood

Kindle or real book: Real book

Favourite sporty activity: Dancing

What was the last thing I bought: Ben & Jerrys lmao

How tall am I: I'm tiny, 5"4

Can I cook: I'm a fast learner

Can I bake: Yes

Do I have more girl friends than boy friends: Yes

Sexual orientation: Straight

Last time I cried: This morning, watching Obama leave the White House

Guilty pleasure: Cookie dough ice cream

Favourite youtuber/s: E and Gray

Favourite game/ app: MARIO Run

Favourite number: 7

Am I religious: No

Do I like space: Yeah, but if I think about it too much it scares me

Do I like deep ocean: HOLY FUCK NO

Am I much of a daredevil: Hahaha no

Do I like clowns: Its not a phobia but I don't like them at all

Do I admit when I'm wrong: Unless it's to my parents, yes

Am I bad loser: No

Forest or beach: Beach

Am I good liar: Yes

Do I talk to myself: A lot

Hogwarts house: Gryffindor

Am I very social: Yeah

Do I keep a journal/diary: No but I am going to start asap, my mom suggested it to me cos she wrote in hers for years and she said it helped her so idk

Do I believe in second chances: Unfortunately, my dumbass never learns so yes

Do I believe people are capable of change: Yes

Have I ever been underweight: Yes

Am I ticklish: I am sooooooo ticklish

Have I ever been on a plane: Yes

Do I have any piercings: Just my earlobes and my nose

Do I want children: Yes, so so much

What makes me nostalgic: Listening to early 2000's music

What colour mostly dominates my wardrobe: Black and gray

What do I hate most about myself: My boobs

What do I love most about myself: My boobs

How old am I: 16

One of my favourite quotes: I can't remember who said it but it's always stuck in head - "if you fall in love with two people at the same time, choose the second one, because you wouldn't have fallen for them if you really loved the first person"

Have I learnt from my mistakes: Ahahaha hell no, still making the same dumb ones:)

Do I dream: Yes, and they're weird af

An experience that has made me stronger: It has also made me more aware and woke, just my ex in general

If I were immortal, what would I do?: I'd learn every language in the world

If I could get away with any crime, what would I do?: Shoot Donald Trump

Love or money: Money

Love or career: Love

If I could time travel, where would I go: I'd find out who really killed JFK

Zombies or vampires: Vampires

Dragons or wizards: Wizards mate, Harry Potter n all that

Do I judge a book by its cover: Unfortunately, yes, I'm working on it though because I've been proven wrong so many times

Have I ever had my heart broken: Yes, it was messy

Do I like my handwriting: I love it ahaha

How do I handle anger: Really bad, I cry and cry and then I turn into an emotionless monster, so yeah really badly

Was I named after anyone: Yeah the poet Maya Angelou

Do I use sarcasm a lot: Ahaha yeah, I get it from my mom

What TV character am I most like (personality): Bonnie Bennett - The Vampire Diaries 

Favourite fictional character: Jon Snow - Game of Thrones

This was soo long but wayy overdue. If you actually read all this thank you so much!!