I spent a day with BTS ARMY (K-POP IDOLS)

BTS, short for bangtan sonyeondan or Bulletproof Boy Scouts in English, is a seven-member boy band from South Korea whose musical style encompasses pop, hip-hop, R&B and EDM. The band is so wildly popular that in 2018 BTS grossed more than $4.6 billion. For 0.3% of South Korea's total GDP, it's no surprise that such a successful band captivates its own dedicated and die-hard fan base, officially known as the BTS Army, an acronym for adorable representative MC for you, since BTS was formed in 2013, the Army has established itself as one of them. not the most devoted, loyal and diverse fan base and music today, with at least 90 million fans worldwide, my name is anthony padilla and today I will sit down with the BTS

army

to learn the truth behind of this enormous and elusive fandom.

Are they a diverse group of level-headed people who find solace in BTS's core values, or are they millions of superficially screaming teenagers obsessed with the latest boyband fad who will turn their backs on them once the next successful boyband emerges in scene. these fans are either harmlessly displaying their unwavering support for a band that resonates with them or they are nothing more than deeply disturbed obsessive stalkers who crave interaction with celebrities to fill a void in their own lives. Me Candace bass mainly Anthony Hi Megan, thank you so much for coming. and teach me about the wonderful world of the BTS

army

, happy to do, what do you consider yourself part of the BTS army, an army of the BTS army Stan?

Yes, everyone knows me. I guess I'd say I'm a fan, but I don't want to use it. that word because I'm NOT a psychopath, so I mean, boy, do I talk about them every day? Yes, I get up in the morning, I check my Twitter for news about them. Yes, I go to bed watching a funny video so I can just like it. laugh, yes, I think it's the worst and what does it mean to be part of the BTS army? Love the boys and love them. Yeah, I even made sure with her with them what she says love, love, as long as you love her music, as long as you're.

A fan of yours knows this group of seven guys who are making their way his way. I think you can call yourself a BTS army. I think it doesn't have to involve anything more than something as simple as that. I feel like my day is not complete. until I saw it, I can at least an hour of BTS and our beats yesterday, yes, 365 hours of beauty, yes, a year, yes, how long have you been part of the BTS army? From two years old to any 18. I became a fan in 2017. I was actually going to I saw a movie at LA Live and they were performing at the Staples Center.

I liked walking through this crowd, like it felt like there were thousands of people in BTS gear, and I thought, What's going on? What's going on? I have to know about this and After washing the movie, the AMAs see his DNA performance and it literally went downhill from there, like a life change, whatever I have literally defined it as before Bangtan and after a bench, like you were a fan from the moment you heard BTS for the first time. song or did you take a little warm-up. I had a friend who was crazy about them, yeah, and then she tried to get me involved in them and just showed me videos and pictures so you could join your friends. over beats, yeah, yeah, and that got you, yeah.

I made a lot of friends through BTS. I already have a soft spot for kpop bands and you know, in Korea all the men have to go to the army, the real army. So the guys that were in the band that I liked had to leave, take that break, yeah, and then I thought, well, I need to fill this void with another band and I thought, "I'll give BTS a chance." I went to their concert and I was like, “Okay, yeah, sign me up for this army,” because it's amazing how big of a BTS band you are.

I've seen them eight times in two years, basically in one year when the Mattel dolls. those BTS dolls came out so I started recreating their outfits for their dolls in whole ways you can recreate looks of the guys that are in your life and make little versions of them for the doll. Yes, you are very active on social media as a Graham fan, you have a BTS fan account, yes, and what do you post? I just like to post updates, like if they're going to a music show or they just like memes or just funny poses, and you have a lot of people following you.

That explains those things. What is it about BTS that attracts you to dedicate a large part of your life to showing support for them? I think that's his message when it's like telling the entire military to love themselves and speak for themselves, especially now in this generation. People can feel really bad about themselves and that there is a lot of bullying, so BTS is there to tell you that it's okay to just love yourself, no matter your flaws or anything. I may sound dramatic, but I think they make me a better person in the sense that at least I'm thinking about it you know at least I'm thinking about loving yourself at least I'm thinking about their UNICEF campaign none their campaign to end violence at least I am Thinking about these things and trying to incorporate them teaches you to be more positive in real life.

Do you ever find that people judge you for your devotion to BTS? to a sports team or you know, anything with an ALICE-ism is just as strong, right, but there is one that has been normalized and looks exactly crooked, yeah, I think it's a cultural thing, I don't know for some reason the way that are grouped there. percent show up, they've been judged because, oh, they were wearing makeup or look at what they're wearing or they look too feminine bah bah bah and social judgments are expected of a man yeah, I don't know, to be honest, I really know.

I don't understand where they're coming from, I got into a fight because their logic just didn't work and it's like I hate, they had no reason behind it so I had to do it. I feel like they need to say something. Did you spread anything? I hate defending them hey I don't think it was necessarily considered hey I was just telling you facts how do you think BTS Army is different from other fanbases? Well, a big family and BTS are like our parents if you were. say and let me take care of each other we all care about each other and it's just amazing to be a part of this so you're one big happy family with seven dads that's progressive the fact that we're so big.

I mean, obviously, there are bad apples in any case, yes, in something like that, but I think there are more bad apples that I gather to create bigger systemic problems in any type of group, whether it's a subculture or a fandom, the bigger They are, more evil. apples that are going to be yes, why do you think so many people have harsh judgments about the BTS army? What we've been seeing with their specific meteoric rise is this kind of xenophobic undertone that comes with Western media covering BTS, there was a profile. done by them recently where the author received a lot of ire from the fandom because he basically treated BTS as something that needed to be revealed to the Western eye and has this xenophobic undercurrent about the West being the center, specifically American culture being the center. center a Dittus wants to know if you are aware of all the problems happening in the kpop industry.

I think he becomes this narrative around the kpop industry as some kind of totally bad industry that abuses its artists. I'm not saying there haven't been abuses in the kpop industry, the entertainment industry here has its own set of problems, so I think latching onto a criticism of kpop somewhat disproves the narrative that I'm ignoring what's going on. happening in my own backyard, so I think that unfortunately that narrative comes from a more xenophobic place than people would be willing to admit mm-hmm, what's one BTS song you think everyone should listen to before issuing a judgment on BTS?

Honestly, Jen just for me, the lyrics are so powerful and it's like the courses, I'm the one who should love, yeah, in this world, like it's about loving yourself before you love others, and it's so powerful and like his voice, what's one thing you would say in two beats? yeah, if you somehow end up watching this video, thank you so much really, thank you so much for all your hard work and thank you so much for your message because it really helped me a lot and sometimes I just like it if I'm sad. I just listen to his music, my mood changes instantly and it's just amazing.

I love it. You've said that if you make us like the one percent happy, you feel fulfilled. Well, you have, you have made me. very happy life I believe that you are the cure for loneliness and also the inspiration for the creativity and positivity that this world needs. Is it customary for the BTS army to have their own specific favorite band members? The term is biased, as if it's not a favorite, it's a bias. Yeah if you know someone you're like oh hey who's your Bias and as a group blah blah blah so there's this thing called a bias buster that we record yeah the bias record is like well you've got your bias, what kind of weather do you like? you are dreaming, but suddenly you start to notice another one and that is the partial record.

What do your parents and family think about your obsession with rhythms? Yes, my mom, actually, I eventually hurt myself to like it. Do you like it now? concert buddy so my parents don't get it my brother loves it so the insular nuclear family was half and half okay okay we have half that are absolutely army all the way BTS and then they don't get it and that's fine, I think deep down they just think, oh god, she'll be single forever because since there's a certain level of guy that I express my expectations for guys with, now it's BTS or nothing or at least a BTS fan, okay, there's someone out there, right?

You will have a chance to get someone if you want to say something to someone, what would you say if you love BTS? We can get along, so contact me. Do you hope to be a BTS Dan until the day you die? I see that I like them. For a long time I don't see myself stopping anytime soon because there just isn't much to like about them and they are amazing to watch. I will always be a fan. Yes. I'd like to look back. when I'm old and gray and I'm like a man, I can't believe I lived through that time, it's like almost being alive when you were with the Beatles back then, but now it's like wow, I was part of history.

I like BTS when I die, yeah I think a BTS really helps me with my own personal journey, both through law school and mental health, all of that gives me a kind of I don't want to call them a coping mechanism but I think that you. I know they are a little bit and that's why it becomes a part of you. What brings you the most joy about being a BTS fan? I would really boil it down to a sense of belonging that you know if we're all trying to find. is somewhere, why is it bad if some people have found it in a Korean pop group?

People always ask me. Oh, what do you know? Because I work so much, you know, I work in production so many hours and then I say, okay, I'll go. at home and I can be sad because I don't have a social life or I can just spend hours watching guys do it being fun and doing their own things and it brings me joy what do you think is the biggest misconception about the BTS army is the stereotype of maybe Oh, why are you Latina? why do you like korean music? We go through that a lot, so some people think you have to be the same race, maybe because and I guess.

It goes back to language like they are, can you understand what they say? You don't have to listen to them say the words I know what it means exactly You just enjoy the moment of the musical performance Was there something you could teach me? or show me thank you oh yes, I can it's called shoot the music video shoot the music video yes, its choreography is very interesting but yes, and then you do a little jump oh yes, do a little jump and then you do one one two three four and then you do like this, you gotta move your arms, oh shoot man, no body parts, yeah you do it.

Oh my part of the army now, yes you are, yes. In fact, I have a parting gift for you, the best interviewer t-shirts you can get. Padilha buy calmly and you know what I think this would look great at your next meeting. Yeah, fan pic, well you know what they'll say if I ever interview them. I'll be sure to subscribe to Antony Padilla. Love yourself like BTS. I would like you to be purple, you're fine, five seconds, greetings to promote what you want directly on a camera, go high, you can follow me on Instagram and Youtube at bps fashionista, greetings to mr.

Jones in 6th period history class and follow me on Instagram in the right generation, follow me on Meg stresses Allen, register to vote, and read Edward Syed's 1978 book, Orientalism. Thank you very much Megan. I feel like I completely understand the wonderful world of the BTS army, happy to help after spending the day with these BTS fans, I have come to understand how strong of a positive impact BTS has had on their lives when music and art have always cultivated such strong emotional responses in people that it is us to judge a fan base like BTS Army for finding ways to unite and create a community where love and acceptance are at the forefront oftheir values.

See you later, bye guys, okay, she was dating a guy we had broken up with and, but you know, three months later, hey. Lee, how have you been? I'm like, well, I mean: BTS, oh, but they don't kiss you, so I'll hug you and, well, they kiss and hug my soul more than you exactly did.