American DJs Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart recently posted a promo video for Ultra China 2017 on their @TheChainsmokers Twitter account that received massive backlash from fans, especially the ARMYs.
😂😂😂🙈🙈 pic.twitter.com/Aav4X4rlAR
— THE CHAINSMOKERS (@TheChainsmokers) September 11, 2017
The video would just have been like any other promotional video if it weren’t for the unnecessary Asian joke Pall said during the interview. When asked if he would take his dog with him while on tour, Pall answered that he would — “except China.” The duo had to stop themselves from laughing as the interviewer proceeded to the next question. Upon realizing that Pall and Taggart couldn’t help themselves, he stopped mid-sentence and let them continue laughing.
Fans reacted negatively about the comment:
y'all posted this ignorant joke even when u know armys all up in ya mentions rn??? What kind of headassery????? delete this????? pic.twitter.com/e2Nxj4Phpu
— ☆ nala ☆ (@sunrisesNsunset) September 11, 2017
What kind of 12 year olds would make puns like that and laugh at their own jokes? Racist af? pic.twitter.com/EV6t9mJVen
— Dangler (@Yoongis_dangler) September 11, 2017
They need to realize, theyre not in US, they don't have freedom to speak bullshit, I respected them but they need to get their acts tgtr pic.twitter.com/neo1w1Rncv
— Dangler (@Yoongis_dangler) September 11, 2017
The video particularly affected the ARMYs — fans of Korean boy band, BTS. A few hours before the video was put up, it was announced that Andrew Taggart was featured in “Best of Me,” one of the tracks from BTS’s latest mini album, Love Yourself: Her.
i mean cracking an ignorant joke abt asian ppl when they're abt to profit off an asian group….says alot abt them pic.twitter.com/3ZC0MYWN2l
— ☆ nala ☆ (@sunrisesNsunset) September 11, 2017
they announce that they're collaborating w bts and upload a racist asian joke on the same damn day pic.twitter.com/s3EvzFgpo6
— el ⁷ (@minimoniful) September 11, 2017
Honestly, this is not about bts. It's not right for any artists to get a pass at racism.
— SF/BAY AREA ARMYs (@BayAreaARMYs) September 11, 2017
cracking disrespectful jokes about asian cultures but using an asian artist to get spotlight time. imagine being that petty. 👌🏻
— Paula (@sinosijakies) September 11, 2017
News of the possible collaboration between BTS and The Chainsmokers first circulated last May when the two groups were spotted hanging out during the Billboard Music Awards. The possible collaboration received mixed reactions from fans. As for the video post, fans stated they were upset the duo’s joke about Asians.
I haven't got problem with the collaboration with bts, BTS will make it a bop anyways, but rn, this "joke" is really rude and racist. 😑
— BEHIND THE SCENE (@501enigmes) September 11, 2017
I was literally just defending them a second ago…they really played themselves. pic.twitter.com/mE8E4xO3ZD
— 🌜shedrawsthings🌛 (@shedrawsthings) September 11, 2017
i can't believe y'all really did this to yourselves pic.twitter.com/POQE07sa6M
— ㅤ (@silkymyg) September 11, 2017
really. I tried to defend you and this is how you repay me. pic.twitter.com/cNqhHkUA8r
— lil 💖 joon (@astrojoonies) September 11, 2017
Others were simply concerned about how this will affect their idols:
Can we? i'm also worried about how it'll affect their relationship with bts
— LT ⁷ 🧈 (@LlTae17) September 11, 2017
Yikes… lots of armys are looking forward to your BTS collab but this… this just makes things bad for Armys AND BTS pic.twitter.com/Yx2L51Ib2d
— 태싸✧Serendipity✧ (@MiracleMoment_0) September 11, 2017
Please delete this and issue an apology, this is going to cause more harm than good and it isnt funny in the least pic.twitter.com/N95CDaD1Zm
— 태싸✧Serendipity✧ (@MiracleMoment_0) September 11, 2017
BTS’s mini album, Love Yourself: Her, will be released on September 18.
