Fans around the world were shocked upon hearing the racist words of German radio host Matthias Matuschik. Following the release of BTS’ cover of “Fix You” on MTV Unplugged, Matuschik compared them to the coronavirus, describing them as “some crappy virus that hopefully there will be a vaccine for soon as well” (Iasimone, 2021). He claimed that their cover of the song was “blasphemy” and stated that they would be “vacationing in North Korea for the next 20 years” due to the release of this cover (Iasimone, 2021). He then proceeded to attempt to clear himself of being racist by explaining that he has a car from Korea (Iasimone, 2021). “I have nothing against South Korea. You can’t accuse me of xenophobia only because this boy band is from South Korea … I have a car from South Korea. I have the coolest car around” (Iasimone, 2021). Matuschik was immediately met with an internet storm, with hashtags such as #Bayern3Apologize, #Bayern3Racist, and #ApologizeToBTS trending on Twitter. Fans and fellow music industry peers alike demanded an apology from Matuschik (Pardiwalla, 2021). They received one from the radio station, claiming that “he just wanted to express his displeasure over the aforementioned cover version,” and apologizing in this stead (Iasimone, 2021).

Unfortunately, this was just one of many situations in which Western media and the rest of the world have been racist towards BTS. In June 2019, Channel 9, one of Australia’s major TV networks, aired a segment including many racist and xenophobic comments (Delgado, 2019). Among them were “Perez Hilton alluding to the band’s sexuality, Rob Mills questioning their singing abilities, and Nick Cody referencing their ‘gangster names’” (Delgado, 2019). British comedian Jimmy Carr could also be heard saying that “When I first heard something Korean had exploded in America, I got worried. So I guess, could have been worse, but not much worse” (Delgado, 2019).

In March 2021, Topps, a trading card manufacturing company, received massive backlash upon releasing their Grammys-themed Garbage Pail Kids sticker collection (Rolli, 2021). The BTS sticker depicts the seven members as the moles in Whack-a-Mole, bruised and bloodied due to their Grammy snub (Rolli, 2021). Hashtags such as #RacismIsNotComedy trended on Twitter, with people demanding an apology from Topps (Rolli, 2021). Topps later apologized for the incident and removed the product, but many found the statement insufficient (Rolli, 2021). They had failed to address the issue of the stickers, which was the normalization of racism towards Asian Americans (Rolli, 2021).

Another depiction of Western media’s racism towards BTS is the difference in the treatment of “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On”. “Dynamite” blew up all over the world upon its release, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, receiving over 900 spins by U.S. radio on its first day (Murphy, 2020). A few months later, “Life Goes On” was released, and despite also debuting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, it received less than 10 spins by U.S. radio on its first day (Murphy, 2020). It is important to note that “Dynamite” has lyrics that are all English, while “Life Goes On” has primarily Korean lyrics. The massive success of “Dynamite” further proved the xenophobia that exists in U.S. radios. English songs automatically receive more support and attention than non-English songs, another example of how the Western media gatekeeps non-English artists from achieving success.

Western media has consistently been racist towards BTS, with many only using them for their popularity, and then not speaking a word in support when they receive racist comments or unnecessary hate. It is sad how hypocritical the Western media is and how determined they are to keep not only BTS, but artists from all around the world, from achieving success. The same people who were on playing Luis Fonzi’s “Despacito” and Psy’s “Gangnam Style” on repeat years ago, are the same people who are actively preventing non-English artists from reaching success. As many have said before, music is a language that can surpass all other language barriers. Let’s all work together in giving all artists a fair chance in achieving their dream.

References

Lead Image: Screenshot from MTV UK. (2021, February 23). BTS Performs "Fix You" (Coldplay Cover) | MTV Unplugged Presents: BTS [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60g72d4Nqss