Guest says, "The fans probably did not even properly finish elementary school"
ARMY criticizes, asking, "Is this jealousy toward a global artist?"
On a Mexican TV show, a guest made remarks that appeared to disparage group BTS and its fandom, sparking controversy.
According to the official YouTube channel and other platforms of Mexican broadcaster Multimedios "Channel 6" (Canal 6) on the 4th (local time), the entertainment program "Chismorreo" (Spanish for gossip or backbiting), which aired late last month, took up as its main topic the controversy over unfairness in ticket sales for the BTS world tour concert in Mexico City. On the program, the panel raised issues such as the non-disclosure of the seating chart, an unclear fee structure, and indications of pre-arranged ticket resales.
The panelists argued in this context that rising ticket prices for popular concerts are inevitable. However, during the discussion, one of the guests, TV personality Luisa Fernanda, said, "For example, the Shakira concert (the famous Colombian singer) being held in February is also sold out," adding, "People feel they are being exploited by the high ticket prices, yet this is the limit of their judgment."
Another guest, Fabian Lavalle, then commented, "If I had a 17-year-old daughter, I would just make her do her homework," and added, "This is not the time to be crying and screaming over some unknown singer's concert." While these remarks were being made, photos and videos of BTS were shown on the TV screen. The host quickly tried to rein him in by saying, "For many children, it is a dream to see BTS in person," but Fernanda instead continued her unfounded criticism, saying, "I guarantee that half of the fans probably did not even properly finish elementary school, yet they are going to try to attend the concert."
On the 22nd of last month, foreign tourists on the steps of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, were taking commemorative photos of promotional materials announcing the comeback of the group Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), which will return as a complete group this March after 3 years and 9 months. Photo by Yonhap News
The program is scheduled in a weekday afternoon time slot and is known for covering entertainment news in a somewhat sensational manner. However, even taking the nature of the show into account, many viewers are reacting that the remarks directed at BTS and its fans have gone too far.
In fact, among Mexican ARMY (the name of the BTS fandom), there has been a series of comments criticizing the guests' remarks. On social media (SNS), reactions such as "I would a thousand times rather have my daughter listen to BTS than to songs that hurl abuse at women or songs about women crying over men," "A textbook example of jealousy toward a global artist," and "A pure gossip show that makes no positive contribution to society whatsoever" have been posted. Many posts also disclosed fans' educational backgrounds and professions, describing themselves as "holder of a master's degree in tax law," "surgeon," and "biotechnologist," among others.
Meanwhile, BTS is scheduled to perform at GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City (formerly Foro Sol) on May 7 and 9-10. GNP Seguros Stadium, which can accommodate approximately 50,000 to 60,000 spectators, has hosted world-renowned artists such as Blackpink and Twice, as well as Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, and Metallica.
In particular, ticket sales for the BTS Mexico concerts began at 9 a.m. on January 24, and all seats for the three shows sold out in 37 minutes. Ticketing agency Ticketmaster described this as "one of the most intense ticket-buying competitions in Mexico's recent concert history."
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