BTS Racism, Cultural Appropriation, Colorism & Cultural Insensitivity | Kpop History & Black Culture
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Adiola addresses the ongoing issues of racism, cultural appropriation, colorism, and cultural insensitivity within the K-pop group BTS. The discussion includes the group's initial hip-hop image, their transition to a more mainstream sound heavily influenced by black music, and several instances where members have made culturally insensitive comments or gestures. Adiola also highlights the role of K-pop's 'Big Three' entertainment companies in perpetuating these issues and the group's attempts to rectify past mistakes.
Takeaways
- 🎤 BTS initially embraced a hip-hop group aesthetic, heavily influenced by black culture.
- 🔄 Over time, BTS's music evolved from hip-hop to a more pop-oriented sound, still drawing from black musical influences.
- 🗣️ The founder of BTS's company acknowledged using black music styles to facilitate their entry into Western markets.
- 👥 Other major K-pop companies also built their music on foundations of black music, indicating a broader industry trend.
- 👥 Members of BTS have been involved in controversies related to cultural appropriation and insensitivity, including模仿黑人英语口音和使用种族歧视语言.
- 👥 There have been instances of BTS members making colorist and culturally insensitive comments about skin tone.
- 🎵 The use of the n-word by BTS members in performances and interviews has been a point of contention.
- 🧑🎤 Namjoon, a BTS member, expressed regret over using certain terms in their music that were insensitive to West Coast hip-hop.
- 🔮 Some members of BTS have shown a degree of self-reflection and expressed a desire to mature and be more considerate in their actions and music.
- 🔄 Despite past controversies, BTS continues to face similar issues, raising questions about the group's cultural sensitivity and the industry's approach to these matters.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The video discusses issues of racism, cultural appropriation, colorism, and cultural insensitivity in relation to the K-pop group BTS.
What is the purpose of the video?
-The purpose of the video is to address whether the issues that have been criticized in K-pop groups, including BTS, are actually changing or not.
What was the original concept for BTS?
-BTS was initially meant to be a rap group, with the original lineup consisting of rappers. However, this changed pre-debut, and only one rapper, Namjoon, remained in the group.
How has BTS's music evolved over time?
-BTS started as a hip-hop group but later shifted towards a more consumable pop sound, incorporating elements of trap, R&B, soul, rap, and other black musical influences.
What role did black music play in BTS's success in the Western market?
-Black music, including hip-hop, served as a base for BTS's sound, making it easier for them to break into the Western market where audiences were already familiar with these genres.
What are the 'Big Three' of Korean music entertainment companies?
-The 'Big Three' of Korean music entertainment companies are SM, YG, and JYP, which have all acknowledged the influence of black music in the creation of K-pop.
What are some instances of cultural insensitivity mentioned in the video?
-Instances include Namjoon wearing cornrows and dreadlocks, using the n-word, making colorist comments, and wearing a Native American headpiece.
How has BTS responded to these issues?
-BTS has shown some acknowledgment and response to these issues, such as Namjoon expressing regret for using certain terms and changing lyrics to avoid sounding like the n-word.
What is the significance of the founder of BTS, Bang Si Hyuk, acknowledging the influence of black music?
-Bang Si Hyuk's acknowledgment indicates that the use of black music styles was a deliberate strategy to appeal to Western audiences and facilitate BTS's entry into the Western market.
What is the video's stance on the use of black culture in K-pop?
-The video suggests that while K-pop has been built on black culture, there are ongoing issues with cultural appropriation and insensitivity that need to be addressed.
What is the video's approach to presenting this information?
-The video presents the information in a chronological order to show the progression, or lack thereof, over time, and encourages viewers to use their own judgment on the matter.
Outlines
🎤 Cultural Influences and BTS's Early Years
The script discusses BTS's origins as a rap group and their evolution into a hip-hop influenced K-pop group. It highlights how the group's music and aesthetic drew heavily from black culture and how this was acknowledged by the founder of their label, Bang PD. The discussion also touches on the broader context of K-pop's roots in black music, citing the influence of major entertainment companies like SM, YG, and JYP.
🔮 Controversial Incidents and Cultural Sensitivity
This section of the script outlines a series of incidents involving BTS members that have been criticized for cultural insensitivity. It includes instances of the use of racial slurs,模仿黑人英语口音, and inappropriate comments about skin color. The script also mentions how these actions have been addressed by the members and the group's management.
🌞 Ongoing Issues with Colorism and Representation
The script continues to detail incidents where colorism and racial insensitivity were evident, such as comments made about members' skin tones and the use of culturally insensitive imagery. It also discusses how BTS and their management have responded to these criticisms, including changes to lyrics and public apologies.
🔄 Evolving Perspectives and Ongoing Dialogue
In the final paragraph, the script discusses how BTS and their management have continued to address past controversies and work towards greater cultural sensitivity. It mentions specific actions taken by the group, such as changing lyrics and addressing past mistakes, as well as ongoing discussions about representation and cultural appropriation in K-pop.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cultural Appropriation
💡Colorism
💡Racism
💡Hip-Hop
💡K-pop
💡BTS
💡Black Music
💡Cultural Insensitivity
💡Bang Si-hyuk
💡N-Word
💡Rastafarian
Highlights
Adiola discusses BTS and issues related to racism, cultural appropriation, colorism, and cultural insensitivity.
BTS's initial concept was a rap group, heavily influenced by black hip-hop culture.
Bang PD acknowledged that BTS's music is based on black music, which helped them break into the Western market.
The Big Three K-pop companies (SM, YG, JYP) have all been influenced by black music.
BTS member Namjoon was seen with cornrows and dreadlocks before debuting.
Namjoon used black English on a radio show in 2013.
The group was seen singing along to the n-word in a 2013 video.
Jimin made a skin tone-related comment towards Namjoon during a roast.
Namjoon expressed regret for using the term 'westside till I die' in a song.
Jungkook made a comment about Hosak's skin tone during a show.
J-Hope made a comment about getting tanned and needing sunscreen.
Suga wore red braids during a performance, mimicking black hairstyles.
Namjoon made a colorist comment about his band members V and J-Hope during an interview.
Jungkook and Jin made a comment about Tae Young's skin tone in an interview.
Namjoon made a New Year's resolution to be more considerate of his words and actions.
BTS changed a lyric in their song to avoid sounding like the n-word.
J-Hope's album art featured rastafarian colors and what appeared to be locks.
Namjoon sampled a speech from cult leader Jim Jones in his mixtape, causing controversy.
Big Hit Entertainment apologized for the Jim Jones sample, attributing it to the producer.
Transcripts
hi everyone it's adiola welcome to my
channel
please watch this video to the end
before leaving a comment
today i will be talking about bts in
regards to racism
cultural appropriation colorism and
overall cultural insensitivity
let me preface this by saying i don't
believe in holding people's mistakes
over them for years
the only reason i'm making this video is
because the problems we have been
scolding these kpop groups about for
years continue to happen
i think it's time we face the reality of
whether things are actually changing or
not
please note that i'm not instructing you
on what to do with this information we
all have our own brains for this purpose
and you can do this information as you
wish
this is simply a topic that i've wanted
to address for a while as it manages to
remain a relevant conversation
so let's begin first you guys need some
context
bts was initially meant to be a rap
group the original lineup of the group
consisted of rappers
this changed pre-debut and namjoon ended
up being the only rapper that stayed in
the
group and thus became the leader as the
only remaining original member
when bts ultimately debuted the group
came out as a hip-hop group
fully embodying the aesthetic of black
hip-hop culture
over time as they shed their heavy
hip-hop persona for something more
watered down and consumable
bts's music became less hip-hop oriented
and started to lean more towards black
influence pop
including elements of trap r b soul
rap and other black musical influences
this was seen in their 2015 album the
most beautiful moment in life young
forever
it was with their 2016 album wings that
bts's fame took off
everything from their clothes to their
dances continued to pull from black
culture
bang shihok aka bang pd or hitman bang
the founder of bay kit entertainment and
creator of bts
has explicitly acknowledged this before
himself
at a 2017 press conference when asked
about bts's sound bank pd said
in terms of music black music is the
base even when doing many genres like
house
urban and pr b there's no change to the
fact that it is black music
bank pd also acknowledged how using
black music styles made it easier for
bcs to break into the western market
saying we added bcs's unique value along
with hip-hop and black music
the members like hip-hop and black music
these two things lowered the entry
barrier to western markets
k-pop is unfamiliar to westerners but
they are familiar with hip-hop and black
music
it is also important to look at the
biggest music entertainment companies in
korea
also known as the big three sm yg and
jyp
lee zoom in is the founder of sm
entertainment which is home to groups
like shiny
girls generation xo nct and red velvet
in an interview he said south korea has
best consumed black music in asia just
as j-pop was built on rock we made k-pop
based on black music
in 1992 hip-hop group saltaiji and the
boy
started what would be known as k-pop
today their music dancing clothing
hairstyles and overall aesthetic
all originated from black culture you
might recognize one of the members
standing on the right
that would be yang hyun suk aka the
founder of yg entertainment which is
home to groups like 21
big bang and blackpink jin young
is the founder of jyp entertainment home
to groups like the wonder girls got7
twice straight kids and itsy in an
interview jyp spoke about his preference
for american black music
and described the sound of his label as
black music with the k-pop feel
hitman bang has spoken about drawing his
inspiration from these three companies
before
in a 2016 interview he said when i first
started off i looked at sm as a role
model since i knew nothing
and like yg i set a musical base of hip
hop
after graduating college hitman actually
worked for jyp as a producer before
leaving to start his own company big kid
entertainment
at the 2016 asia artist awards he
thanked park teen young for teaching him
everything he knew about producing
all of this information is important to
know to understand how kpop being built
off of black culture plays into the
problems i'll be speaking on later
the bcs events i'll be talking about
will be presented in chronological
order for you to see the progression
over time or lack thereof
so let's get started before bts debuted
in june 2013
namjoon was seen with cornrows and
dreadlocks which i'll be referring to as
locks throughout the video
june 2013 namjoon debuted with hair
in the pattern of 4c to mimic the hair
texture of black people
in october of 2017 namjoon admitted
to wanting to have this hair so he could
look aggressive
june 25th 2013 namjoon did his little
black english stunt on a radio show
yo this means it's
shin dong and shim shin chop and we
don't want to talk about it you know
what
you know what we don't want to talk
about it you know we're just ready on
the channel we don't want to talk about
it yeah
and we just talking about it other [ __ ]
i don't
august 19 2013 in a bangtan bomb the
whole group was seen
singing along to the n-word
[Applause]
march 13 2014 jimin
called namjoon referring to his skin
tone
to try and degrade him as they were
having a roasting session
march 21st 2014 of performing shinoah's
top
namjoon said the n-word
[Music]
it should be noted that xinhua continues
to perform their own song with the
n-word as well
here's a clip from them from august 2015
performing the song top in
la saying the n word very clearly
july 2014 during the american hustle
life reality tv show
j-hope clearly stated that he had to put
on sunscreen so he wouldn't get tanned
december 2014 chipman was seen wearing a
native american headpiece in the w
magazine spread bts did
december 2014 yoongi was wearing red
braids for their mama performance
march 15 2015 during an interview
namjoon expressed his regret for using
the term
westside till i die in their song if i
ruled the worlds
this is how the interview went you
shouted westside till i died during if i
ruled the world
that's well i was really wrong then
after the album came out i listened to
it
i thought ah i think i was immersed in
the motions while recording and ended up
shouting like that what's the specific
reason why you feel you were wrong
first off i didn't even live in the west
side and even if that song had a g-funk
sound
what i shouted wasn't the way to respect
the west coast hip-hop musicians
i believe there are many meanings inside
the words where sideslide die
sweat struggles pride etc isn't the
phrases that compress
all these factors of life are you saying
that you overlook the way
and complex undertones that the phrase
has within hip-hop
that's right i believe it's different
from the words like yo or check it
as a result i was thoughtless are you
admitting it be
a mistake further than a mistake it was
wrong i have nothing to say
march 28 2015 and the bts begin show
jungkook said hosak was the darkest guy
he'd seen
and namjoon went on to say that hozak
was as dark as a tv
may 13 2015 during bon voyage
jimmy called jongu a gum doongie because
jk had tanned
also made like raising a mixed race baby
that was
a lot of my concern because i was dark
dark skin toned and i was made full of
my skin tone since elementary school
and imagine being an actual mixed baby
i was full korean and people were aware
of that they just called me kam do you
come to me
that's not a nice word it's not unlike
a while ago yeah come to me
oh it means neither you said the n word
i don't know how to spell it so i don't
know what it means we're sorry to say it
but
it's like racism
it's a bad word it's rude
what does it mean like skin type
oh for black people
we don't think that there's a good way
to
help people either okay thank you
oh
thank you during the 2015 summer package
jimmy made the comment that if he got
too tanned he might be so
dark that they wouldn't be able to see
him in their upcoming music video
during the same summer package namjoon
compared jungkook to mikkel
a korean blackface character because he
had tanned
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
may 18 2015 jk called nom junior
referencing namjoon's skin tone
hosok then laughed and asked namjoon why
are you so tan
june 2015 during an australian interview
namjoon made a colorist comment about
his fellow band members
v and j ho hello my name is joyce from
officially k
music hello um hi hello
what was your first impression when you
all first met each other when i first
saw v and j-hope
i couldn't see them because they were
too black
so yeah when when the nights get dark
i couldn't find them august 25th 2015
namjoon once again did his little stick
of african american english on the
variety show
his business is cold and then rap
monsters
july 13 2015 in an interview
jung ji and jin said tae young was so
dark
they thought he was wearing stockings
because of the color of his legs
namjoon had to consult hae hyun because
of this comment
january 3rd 2017 namjoon went on v
live making a kind of new year's
resolution
here's a clip of what he said i've never
thought my behaviors and my musical
words could hurt others or cause
inconvenience to others
i've never thought that way as i went
through the year 2016 i came to think
about that my words of behaviors
regardless of my intentions could cause
troubles or hurt others feelings
in the process i thought i need to hold
responsibility for that and i need to
think about such things
what i said or did would not be undone i
thought so
my goal for 2017 is to be mature in many
ways including my way of thinking
i want to become a person who thinks
more righteously and makes greater music
that's my goals june 12 2017
namjoon posted photos of his debut hair
[Music]
june 27 2017 during bon voyage
jin and his other to jungkook said that
his face had gotten a lot darker during
the trip
so once they got back to korea he would
give him a sheet mask
to fix his skin september 21st
during a knowing bros episode namjoon
said he would have looked good with lox
and so would one of the men on the show
september 22nd 2017
during the mic drop comeback dna
performance
hosok had braids he had braids again the
following day
and the following day after that
october 11 2017 hoseok had braids again
for a mic job performance four days
later hozo cut braids again
for another microperformance
[Music]
if you did yeah please change your hair
where do i dance
may 25th 2018 during a press conference
namjoon announced they'd be changing the
nega lyric in their song to different
words so it wouldn't sound like the n
word
april 2019 namjoon addressed the
but non-dune saying in a movie
addressing the same people used in k-pop
idols do problematic things
and he is brought up to say much worse
has been done before
september 26 2019
jay hoped for his chicken noodles to
remake had gel twists
he also commissioned the album art which
used rastafarian colors and
what looked to be obviously locks he
commissioned his favorite artist to make
the album art
march 3rd 2020 while reacting to an old
video
namjoon called his debut hair dope and
laughed
may 2020 released his mixtape which on
one of the tracks he sampled cult leader
jim jones who was responsible for
killing hundreds of black people
beykit ended up releasing a statement
saying they apologized for anyone who
was offended
and said they didn't purposely use the
sample and that it happened because of
the producer
they refused to acknowledge that yoongi
was seen mixing the speech
himself and that he was one of the
producers on the song
for the dynamite live countdown in
august 2020 there was a tp scene in the
background
hope this video was helpful for anyone
that was confused about anything make
sure to like comment and subscribe for
more videos like this and i will see you
guys later
you
تصفح المزيد من مقاطع الفيديو ذات الصلة
Inside the world of K-pop and why it’s become a cultural phenomenon l GMA
NCT WISH MAKAN BARENG BOY WILLIAM | #DrinksWithBoy
KPOP HISTORY in 20mins | From SeoTaiji to BTS
K-Wave 101: Bagaimana Demam Korea Melanda Dunia | Buka Data
[CC/SUB] 한정식집도 콜키지가 되나요? 네? 탁키지요? 가능합니다 [와인줄게 맛집다오🏠] EP.8
What's in SKZ's carrier?|2024 STAYweeK
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)