(click the seriously pissed off JR to see what I'm so pissed and ranting about)
Can I first just clarify that there is nothing wrong with being a black kpop fan, just like there's nothing wrong with being hispanic or caucasian or any other race and being a kpop fan, but honestly, some people take the stuff Korean idols and groups say and do as racist and offensive when it's either to get a laugh or amuse their fans. I came across this post on tumblr while I was on my RPH blog and I couldn't help but flip my about it. I reblogged and also added this:
This honestly has nothing to do with my blog but I just wanted to reblog and mention how incredibly stupid this entire post is. I read the whole thing and yeah, Kpop has a tendency to follow other cultures, and even make fun of them sometimes but honestly every other culture or place in the world makes fun of each other so who actually gives a flying ? Just because they’re dressing like another race or talking like one, or even doing the “blackface” thing, if you’re really that insecure about yourself that you feel the need to get butthurt about this stupid , you need to learn to let it slide off your back because it’s music and they’re celebrities. Almost every idol has had the cornrolls thing so singling Jongin from EXO out is completely wrong. Hoya saying the ‘n-word’ and Rap Monster speaking ‘gangsta’ is also a poor excuse for your racism claims. So honestly, calm your .
My argument was not that great to be honest, it was just me raging and going on about how this guy making accusations for racism in Kpop without knowing that much about it was extremely stupid. However, I found this other user (bless them) that reblogged it and added this:
May I please add some things here?
I understand your argument perfectly. There is something wrong with the way K-Pop sometimes portray the “gangster” lifestyle or black culture. So I get it.
But I have some things to say.
Let’s begin with EatYourKimchi. Have you watched any of their videos? It just sounds to me like you haven’t. You make it sound as if they don’t love Korea. But listen to me when I say that they do. Of course they ing do. They moved there, and have lived there for five years. And you say they don’t speak a of Korean? It may not be perfect, but they speak some. No, it’s not perfect, but they do. If you cared to watch any of their W.A.N.K.S, you’d hear them ordering food in Korean and the like.
You also mentioned that they should at least have a Korean person to back up their statements. Um, do you have any idea who Soo Zee is? Because I do. She’s their Korean friend and employee. And I’m sure that she helps them keep their facts straight. You also said that they spoke of Korean culture with authority—as if they were stuck up or something. Again, if you cared to watch anything from them, like their TL:DR’s, you’d know that they are not, in any way, stuck up people. Just as an example, for one of their TL:DR’s, the question asked by YouTube watchers was about mental illness in South Korea. Simon and Martina clearly said that they couldn’t straightforwardly answer that question because they didn’t know or have any experience with that kind of thing. BUT—they talked about what theydid know. They talked about their experience as teachers concerning students who could possibly have had learning disabilities or ADHD.
Let’s move on to Kai. Yes, we get it. Kai is the “dark-skinned” member of EXO. He certainly can’t help that. But do we know for a fact that it was in his power to tell makeup and hair stylists in SM Entertainment that he didn’t want corn-rows? Maybe he liked them, maybe he didn’t. It was a part of their Wolf Era persona. And the title “foreigner” was most likely not in his power at all. I mean, can you imagine him saying “yeah, I totally wanna be called the foreigner, it’ll go perfectly with my dark skin and corn-rows, that would be awesome and everyone will love it hahaha.” No.
GD in his Coup De’at MV. Yes, his face was painted black. But whoever said that he was trying to look like a legitimate black person? Did you take into effect the entirety of the MV and its symbolism? I’m not a huge GD fan, but my friend is, and she explained to me that this MV was supposed to be the different stages of G-Dragon through the years “dying,” in a way. As for this particular part, his background is of white masks crying black tears, which supposedly means that his loneliness and depression is leaking and that in actuality he is dead. He wasn’t painted black to be a black person. It wassymbolism for something else.
Now let’s assess, here. You have some really great points and arguments, and I don’t doubt for a second that there is racism in K-Pop. But why are we blaming them? (I mean K-Pop stars themselves.)
We need to recognize that (mostly in North America) black culture is portrayed in a negative light. We may see it a different way, or decide to go against it and know it for ourselves, but think about what people on the other side of the globe can see. They see our media. Our media effects the world greatly. It is horribly flawed and racist—of course it ing is—but that’s what they are exposed to. I’m not saying they’re stupid and ignorant and would believe every single thing our media spits out for that reason.
In conclusion! You have amazing points and arguments…
…but check out your facts.
And let’s not blame K-Pop stars for the most part. Let’s blame the media.
Now once again, I don't want to say anything that can be twisted around to make me sound racist, because in all honesty I adore black, hispanic, asian, and caucasian Kpop fans all alike. It doesn't matter where you're from or what your culture is, you should be allowed to like a certain type of music or culture or food or people or whatever without being discriminated against by other fans of the same thing. But if you are not native Korean like these idols are, then you have to expect the tiniest bit of racism from them. It happens.
ALSO ON A HAPPIER NOTE I FINALLY HAVE MY PERSONAL TUMBLR UP SO YOU CAN CLICK THE PICTURE BELOW TO GO TO THAT
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