Distaste for BTS or racism against Asians?

In our times, names are taken to generate clout. But very often, this clout results in heinous remarks that transcend the obligations of being human.

An example for the same was set when a German radio host, Matthias Matuschik, released cascading racist remarks for the K-pop boy band BTS, 'enraged' by their cover of Coldplay’s "Fix You" during their recent MTV Unplugged performance.

BTS is inarguably a global phenomenon. And yet, they face the malevolence of racism just like all people of colour do. The host's disdain surrounding BTS is, in its simplest form, racism against Asians. He called a group of seven, young Asian artists as an abbreviation of COVID with no remorse. And later, he and his radio station released feigned apologies to defend themselves, brushing off the engagement as 'wrongly perceived'. This doesn't undo the evils of this blatant act as racism is not an opinion.

Enraged by this incident, the group's fandom, known as ARMY, trended hashtags against the injustice as Asians from across the globe joined in to speak about the racism they face daily. The movement further gained momentum as celebrities, namely Halsey, Lauv, etc. took their stand with the septet. We are yet to receive any statement from BTS and wait for a better apology from the culprits. This issue becomes increasingly relevant against a backdrop of rising attacks and racial crimes against Asians during the COVID-19 pandemic. And is much more than just an artist being disrespected - it's an unfortunate reflection of the larger social trends in our present and past.