So You Dont Have To Publish This If You Dont Feel Comfortable, But I Kinda Wanted Your Opinion On This.

So you don’t have to publish this if you don’t feel comfortable, but I kinda wanted your opinion on this.

It may sound dramatic, but I haven’t been able to call myself an army since the news of the World Cup came out. I am so incredibly disappointed in bts and bighit.

When I got into bts they brought me so much comfort and helped me through some tough times. I enjoyed their music and was always very proud of the message they tried to share with the world. Yes, some of their older content is uncomfortable to watch for the casual misogyny and homophobia, but as a queer woman I perfectly understand internalized homophobia and misogyny and I wouldn’t want to be judged for what I said or did in 2014. They had shown they had grown and learned. They always spoke up against people in power abusing it and about social justice.

So what happened? Did they became worldwide stars and decided “who cares about our message anymore! Let’s support a tournament that is basically a celebrations of the violation of human rights?”

Supporting the World Cup is basically saying they don’t care that over 6000 people died building the stadiums. They don’t care that lgbtq people die in that country. They don’t care about women and women’s rights.

This is not the bts I thought I knew, and I’m talking about all of them because if the other six were strongly opposed to this, I honestly doubt jungkook would be flying over there right now. But here we are.

I mean I could even understand that it’s a huge honor for a South Korean to sing for the first time at a World Cup opening ceremony, but let’s not forget that SK with Japan hosted the 2002 World Cup (and that was a mess as well, just google about the referee Moreno and bribes about that World Cup).

Idk I think they really fucked up this time. And if they have no qualms to stand up for human rights violations, than I don’t think I can call myself their fan. I’m also disappointed in armies (on twitter mostly) that have been insulting anyone who pointed out how this is a very poor decision that does not reflect well on bts’s character and morals. You may disagree, but you can’t deny the facts.

I read dualipa’s reaction (who I don’t follow and don’t know anything about) about being rumored to sing and the World Cup, and I can’t help but wish that had been bts answer as well.

Hi. So I'm not going to tell you how to feel. Your feelings and concerns are valid and they are your own. What you choose to do based on how you feel is also totally and completely up to you. Your choice/feelings aren't wrong either way you feel about. Nor do i want to dismiss all the issues and valid crisitisms surrounding the world cup and Qatar. So please know that its okay to be upset about it. And I don't want to bring up past controversies either but idk if you were around in 2019 or if you feel like this is any different than the issues surrounding their choice to perform in Saudi Arabia?

For background if you werent aware of the issues they faced for the decison to hold that concert, ill give an overview:

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman took the throne in 2015, and he has since been making efforts to make the country more moderate and less conservative with several reforms. According to Wikipedia, some of those reforms would be: "regulations restricting the powers of the religious police, the removal of the ban on female drivers in June 2018, and weakening the male-guardianship system in August 2019. Other cultural developments under his reign include the first Saudi public concerts by a female singer, the first Saudi sports stadium to admit women, and an increased presence of women in the workforce." Regardless Saudi Arabia is still quite a bit most other countries in terms of human rights. Its bombings and attacks in Yemen have led to mass famines and deaths, and the Saudi government has been criticized for detaining and torturing human rights activists and LGBTQ people. Women also still don’t have most of the rights they should, and still require a male family member’s permission before doing things like traveling or getting a passport among other things. The Prince and the Gov there have also been heavily critized for their actions being more performantive and less about actually pushing forward more human rights. I don't know much more, so I don't want to speak to heavily on either country (SA or Qatar).

In an effort to be more modern and open, they invited many artists to perform. Among those artists were BTS and they accepted. You mentioned Dua Lipa refusing Qatar performance, so I'll also mention Nikki Minaj refused to perform in Saudi Arabia for similar reasons, citing women's treatment in the country as her reason. Regardless of her close friendships with pedophiles and rapists, she was lauded for the decision as a morally righteous one by many people. Dua Lipa's stance on Qatar is just as morally questionable as being performative based on where else she choices to perform. But that's stuff (for both Nikki and Dua Lipa) that you can look up for yourselves if you want.

BTS were questioned about this decision too actually and in an interview stated: “I wouldn’t say the decision it was easy,” Namjoon said. Jimin added: “But we were officially invited. It’s been a while since we’ve performed in the Middle East – I guess the last time was 2015 in Dubai. To put it simply, if there’s a place where people want to see us, we’ll go there. That’s how we feel.”

Many fans stuck up for BTS during this and said that this performance was for their fans, not for the Saudi government. Which is what their reasoning was. They weren't promoting the governments actions or laws or decisions. They weren't supporting it. They were going to see their fans and share love and music with the world. Both BTS and their staff was also praised for being very considerate of Saudi Arabia's cultural customs and giving space to them and following them when they could (such as not wearing gold jewelry, not showing skin during performances they otherwise do, like Serendipity, pausing rehearsals for muslism prayer times, etc)

Similarly again, just more recently in 2022, BTS were invited by the President of the United States to speak at the White House. And they accepted and went, with little criticism in that aspect. Regardless of the fact that the US is steadily stripping human rights away from people more and more, with endless human rights violations and imperialism over the past few years. With children being taken from parents at the border and put in cages, with POC being murdered by the policing force constantly, with LGBTQ people in fear of their basic human rights being taken away, with women's rights to their own bodily autonomy being argued over daily and taken away in many places in the country. They came to speak specifically about one issue, one problem, that they and many of their fans relate to and face. Anti Asian hate crimes. So they accepted. That's not them promoting and accepting and being okay with everything else.

And yes, BTS are known for talking about controversial topics about their own country in their lyrics. Standing up for people and being willing to criticize their Gov and laws at times, this does not make them politicians or responsible for making a statement over everything. That hasn't changed. Their stance on things or how they feel about it. At least, not that I can tell. I don't know Jungkook's or BTS' motivations behind accepting to do a performance at the World Cup or to do a song for them (because they did release a new verison of Yet To Come specifically for Qatar World Cup promotions). Maybe they will make a statement at some point. Maybe they won't unless asked about it. Maybe they just wanted to do something extra for their fans and found this to be a big opportunity to do so. Maybe they are bigger fans of Soccer/Football then we thought and so they were excited about that portion of this as well. We know they like Messi they've said so. They've had multiple good interactions with Son Heungmin, who is a soccer player for South Korea. We also know Korea will be playing in the World Cup to, so maybe they were asked to represent their country more at the World Cup. And they accepted. Similarly to how they accepted to support Busan's bid to host the World Expo with their free Yet To Come concert held in Busan. Despite the issues with that and with South Koreas own issues with government and laws that are heavily conservative against LGBTQ people and woman as well.

So I guess, my point is, we don't know why they accepted. Even if it's as simple as it's a huge opportunity and they just wanted to... I don't think it changes how they've made it clear that they stand in support of queer people, of women, of love. How they really value their fans and people and want the world to be a better place. They just spoke about all these values at the UN recently as well. So no, I don't think world wide fame changed that for them.

BTS are human. They are not perfect. They will make mistakes and will and can grow from the choices they make. You also, as a fan, do not have to like or agree with everything they do. You aren't even necessarily SUPPOSED to. They aren't God's. They shouldn't be placed on a pedestal of beings who can do no wrong. You will then be disappointed. You are allowed to not like this choice or to think it's a bad one. But I don't think this choice means they are supporting the fucked up violations of human rights that are present there nor do i think this choice is indicative of them not being or no longer being good people. And I think saying that this is them supporting those policies is not fact, as anon stated, but opinion. And you are entitled to your opinion and to your feelings over the matter as well. But these are mine and if you are upset solely about one thing with one place they've traveled to, but not the others, that's something that might be cause for some inner reflection as well.

This is a long ass post, but it would be really great if you all took the time to read it and to understand this song a bit better. Pretty please with sugar on top

UGH

disclaimer: these are my thoughts and mine alone, I am sharing my views on this song, and do not put these thoughts and perceptions unto BTS. Nor am I trying to convince people of anything.

What makes you angry?. For me, social injustice, social inequality, bigotry, racism, homophobia, prejudice of any kind, classist behavior, and ableism are some of the things that have personal weight and are important to me. And because most of the time my feelings are intense, whether those feelings fall under affection, loyalty, and devotion, anger seems to be the emotion that people seem to say I strongly exhibit. And it's funny to me because at most I feel annoyed, it takes A LOT for me to get angry but because my feelings and thoughts are so intense my "annoyance" is dramatized. This is my face most of the time TBH.

And that's not anyone else's fault except my own, and you know I'm a grown up, I can take that self reflection and awareness, but I have been trying to express myself more so that nothing is misconstrued or assumed. I also think it has to do A LOT with the fact that I curse, that seems to attach a certain level of aggression, but I really do just love cursy words.

So anyways ANGER, how does this all tie to BTS and UGH, and you see, there's a misconception when it comes to UGH, at first sound, because of the beat, aggression at most times and the way it is rapped, people do often mistake it for a diss song, and although it is a little bit of a diss song, it's actually more than that. So let's get to analyzing!. Weeee

doolset lyrics

욱 (UGH!)

Produced by Supreme Boi Written by Supreme Boi, SUGA, RM, Hiss noise, j-hope, icecream drum Spotify | Apple Music   Note: The Korean title 욱

Let's start get this started off with Yoongi

One of the things I love about Yoongi is that he's a no holds-bard kind of person, I resonate a lot with that, and I think at times, a lot of people take a lot of his "anger" and categorize him as someone who is cold, when that's simply not the truth, as a pisces I get my fellow pisceans. The misconception about his words are often lost in their meaning because people don't really go past the surface to understand his word play and his message. And although he is a badass, I do think he's more perceptive about people and his environment than what some are willing to credit him for.

His take on UGH, and the way he starts off the song with "Spark, those embers flaring up again, Before getting touched by the oil, they are swallowed" is a message about how people are so quick to express outrage and anger over the things that don't warrant that level of overreaction over the smallest of details. Comparing anger to embers of a fire, and how if we add fuel to the flame, we could get swallowed by it, anger can consume us if we use it so disparedenly, to the point where we don’t even know why we were angry in the first place. “Here comes the player of today, Once he starts latching onto a prey, yeah, Doongdoongdoong, it becomes everyone’s punching bag, doongdoongdoong", actually yeah I'm not going to lie, this bit was pretty fucking funny to me. Yoongi's level of sarcasm and how he calls things out are so subtle that it makes me laugh when others miss what he's saying. In that portion, Yoongi is poking fun at the people - you know what, no I'm just going to call them what they are, antis/haters/miserable, he's poking fun at those people who always seem to have the least bit of knowledge and once they find something they dislike about someone, they stick to that one small issue and refuse to let it go to the point where they look for every single little thing they dislike about someone, they pick apart everything, even the stupidest things, and thus making that person their emotional punching bag. It reminds me of this meme

When people dislike/hate someone they tend to find any little thing to nitpick at them, like looking for validation in everything so that they can continue to be little fucking haters. Like when Yoongi said something a long the lines of “we didnt have anyone else to talk about to when we got to this level of fame because there wasn't anyone else who had experienced this", and people will took that and said “he forgets the people before him".... and it's like, wtf? No, he just meant that it was hard to talk about their doubts, feelings of being overwhelmed and their concerns with someone in their industry and how lonely they felt. People say the most outrageous things just to victimize their faves and hate on BTS. But I DIGRESS. "Tooktook, poking around for no reason, tooktook, yeah, When there’s no reaction, he just kills the prey, pookpook, yeah", this to me, basically explain the way people get even more angry when the person they're trying to attack keeps on ignoring them, not giving them the satisfaction of a response. "Even truth becomes lies, Even lie becomes truth, In this place, everyone becomes someone with perfect moral thinking and judgment, How funny", I don't even have to explain that portion because it's so much in your face about its meaning, but let's give this a whirl. Remember when I mentioned performative activism? Apply that to every time you've seen people stand up about an issue or express outrage when it's just to attack someone else simply because they dislike them. The best example I have is how some people attacked JK recently. Were there points that we needed to discuss about that? Yes, of course, but it was in the manner that people held him accountable for an event he had nothing to do with except to perform. We saw the negative things people were saying about him, but HE was the only one getting that much negative attention, I don't even wonder why, I just know its because people hate BTS, and they will cling onto anything to bring them down. People like to talk about morals and ethical issues but it's selective, because if people cared about human rights issues, we would be talking about it as a whole instead of just selectively.

Time to talk about our prophet & lyrical poet

"Anger? Sure, it’s necessary, When something burns, it’s with purpose, Perhaps that’s our history, Sometimes that changes the world", Joon validates reasonable anger, and that is needed at times. We as humans have the right to be angry at things that have to do with us and our experiences. Going back to the things that make me mad, those things to me are valid reasons to let my rage known because they are things I have experienced and because injustice is something I honestly cannot stand for. I'm not saying it is my sole job to stand against bigots, but because I know what it's like to be a minority and be treated as such, if I didn't stand up for such injustices, the world wouldn't change, we wouldn't be able to change perspectives and call out ignorant rhetorics so that we may create safe spaces for people. A certain level of Anger IS needed to change the world. "But, this is human waste, not anger, What’s actual anger, you know? You kill, pretending it’s out of anger, driving me real angry, Countlessly many people who became numb" oooooh when I tell you how much I love that whole section.... So the hate BTS get, it's stupid; we all know that, right, yes sometimes we do need to hold our artists accountable so that they not only can grow but be able to see different perspectives; BTS are humans, they are flawed just like us, and they will make mistakes, BUT, mistakes are not what makes a person, the way they behave afterward is the TRUE MARK of a person. Namjoon calls out performative anger and calling it shit, but also states that because we use anger so casually and on things that DO NOT warrant anger, it is not only shit (human waste); we don't take anger seriously as we used to and that so many people are becoming numb and tired of that because anger is slowly becoming meaningless. "You’re not just killing me, For us, we’re used to stepping on shit, But look at those people who became desensitized, Human waste and indifference, you’re a team" This was my face when I read that part

I'm just going to leave this post here, come on click on it, it won't hurt you. If I was a BTS hater and I saw Namjoon say Human waste and indifference was synonymous to antis and what they deserve, you would NEVER see me ever again. I'd leave everything behind and live in a cave, I'd go off the grid and you'd never find me.

Now for Hobi's section, which BTW is the most important imo

(when I tell you Dior hobi changed my entire life, I mean it)

Foreword: This entire section TBH, is one of the main reasons why I don't get angry, I dont take a lot seriously esp whatever that discourse was over that shit post, because it wasn't genuine to me. The supposed "anger" that was shown by the other person was performative to me, and that's honestly why I responded in a troll manner, because I took none of that "anger" seriously. UNLESS an issue is of importance, I don't treat a lot of things seriously.

"I get outraged at the malicious anger, I get outraged at that anger that had to be put down" Hobi is sick of that fake shit, in short lol. No but seriously, IF anger was rightfully used in situations that warranted anger then we would actually make significant changes that could essentially make the world for the better. Use your anger for good, don't just throw it over every random little thing, like arguing with people about stuff that doesnt fucking matter, and actually put importance on the things that we need to be angry about. Anger governs this world, It’s like no one can live without anger. "They get angry, angry, and angry, and just like that, get crazy, UGH UGH UGH UGH", Hobi called people miserable, plain and simple, this blog is done, thank you all for coming to my Ted Talk…… Sorry that was a lame joke, but IDC I stand by it, lmfao. Ok he did call people miserable but its because people literally get angry over the most minor things. And I'm not going to lie, I know UGH came out before covid, but god, this portion of this verse is the best way that I can truly express what it has been like these past few years, especially on social media. Because we stayed home, and we had nothing but time, we consumed social media in a more aggressive way than ever before, and because A LOT of us experienced cabin fever, everything we saw made us angry, everything. Even if it was something to be annoyed at, we exponentially made it bigger than it was. "Tens of thousands of reasons to get angry, Good-intent, ill-intent, they are all the same, Sure, you can get angry, But if it causes harm to someone’s life, I don’t like it, Stop that ayy" I think for me, this part is the most important out of this whole song, it is to me the heart of what the rap group is trying to say to us, it's what Yoongi and Namjoon said but in a nutshell. Hobi out of the 3 always has a way to express things in a more direct way that carries emotion and intention, the rap group needed him because he is both parts of Yoongi and Joon, but also is himself. I dont know if that makes any sense to everyone else, but to me Hobi is the member that brings the most emotion to his raps and he simplifies it. Hobi is telling us that anger is ok, that its justified, and that we need anger in our lives, BUT that he doesn't like the anger that harms other people (can you see why I love that verse now). Honest question, do some of you read their lyrics?. Because if you did you'd know what BTS stands for and what their message means. Hobi and I don't like it when your "ANGER" hurts others, we don't like it when you use that anger to stir shit and drama, and we certainly don't like it when people dogpile and "cancel" someone over performative anger. So stop that shit.

"Someone’s action drives someone else into pain, Someone’s words make someone else hopeless, Someone’s split-second becomes someone else’s memory, Someone’s anger costs someone else’s life" If your anger causes someone else to get hurt and your words can cause someone to gain hate, a lot of you don't seem to understand the how much our words have weight to them. When you don't think about the way you say things, or the way you express "your anger" it can lead to serious problems. Let's say if you write a scathing post about someone and even though YOUR feelings are valid, it doesnt erase the fact that THAT person is now getting hate because of what they said. AND YES sometimes we do need to call it out, but when you don't include that person in the conversation and instead dogpile on them, you are leaving them open to get harassment. People are capable of having honest conversations and to talk things through, but it's the fact that on social media it's more about the drama than actually using common sense. You can critique people without being a fucking asshole, and it's the fact that harassment online DOES cause trauma, and can effect people negatively, and "Someone’s anger costs someone else’s life" is so important. Because yes anger is needed but when your anger is harmful it can cause serious damage. Like when that account wrote to me the following

BTW that account kept that post on their blog for MONTHS; it was even there a few days ago, last I checked, and suddenly today, it was gone, so come out of the woodwork and stand by your words. If I wasn't the strong person I am, and someone else had received that message, you bet your ass that would have caused some actual trauma. And I'm not saying that I'm a better person than someone else who would have been affected by that; what I'm saying is that I know myself, and I'm not ashamed of my mental health journey, and I won't let others try to shame me because there is NOTHING wrong with taking medication or seeking therapy. But the fact that the internet has allowed us to send people shit like that IS what's wrong with the world. You can be angry and disagree with someone, but the moment your words cause harm to someone else, it's time to take a step back and figure YOUR SHIT OUT, take your advice and reassess why you think that's ok.

"What’s wrong with you getting some hate, You make bank, why are you whining again, You should be willing to put up with that bit, ahem, If you made me do it, I would endure it all, If you made me do it, ahem, bihem, ahem" So this portion is really just the narrative we see all the time, esp towards BTS. Because they're wealthy and because they are famous, anti's and just people in general think they can sit there and judge them and hate on them and say it's because this is what "they signed up for". And if they would switch spots those that are sending hate towards BTS, would be able to endure it. The fact that we think that BTS deserve to get hate because it comes with the fame, is not only stupid but it's an opinion that is not based on reality. IF anyone received the amount of hate they do, IT WOULD affect their mental health, but the belief that famous people should get hate just because they're rich is such a terrible take. A take that we need to really address and discuss how toxic it is. I mean if you think about it, this verse is a sarcastic way of addressing this issue, BTS is pointing out that the public/antis/haters are also capable of getting critiqued. (NGL that last line might not make sense because it's late AF and I'm actually getting tired now)

TO CLOSE IT UP, LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS LAST LINE

Let's close this post up because I'm tired.

"I get outraged at the malicious anger" I think we need to focus on the first part, malicious anger. It ties it all together, and address what BTS is trying to convey to us in this whole song, if your anger, is malicious, and it hurts others and leads to nothing but harm, then your anger is for not, it's wasted on shit that doesnt matter. Instead of focusing on the things we should focus on and getting angry at the things we should get angry, what we're doing instead is causing pain unto others.

UGH, is a diss song but not for the reasons we think it is, and I want to mention something about the expo because this post has been on my mind since then. Everything that led up to that concert, and the anger that BTS received was performative, and the fact that BTS performed this in front of not just the fans, but in front of their government was a direct message to them. And I'm too tired rn to tie it all together so I might come back and edit this, but the way BTS was treated and the way things were handled, it did not surprise me that this song was performed, BTS's anger is justified, but the latter was not.

As always

BTS FOREVER

excuse the typos and ill formed paragraphs. thanks!

#just_how_fast_the_night_changes 🐰

some things jungkook taught us: his life hacks (insp) for bwinkook ♡

I saw a picture of a cat online and felt compelled to do this 

This man is so beautiful, simple, sophisticated. Ethereal. I love seeing this side of Joon, his Instagram account have been a blessing to me as a fan because I feel like I know a little more about him.

Namjoon since he immersed himself in the art world seems like a work of art himself, not necessarily because of the beauty but because of the way he makes you think, how you can look at him for hours and find 1000 meanings or interpretations. How it makes you say over and over again that it doesn't seem real. That he doesn’t seem real.

I love seeing this Namjoon. Free, complicatedly uncomplicated.