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.
https://twitter.com/TheChainsmokers/status/907053767761285123
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:
https://twitter.com/sunrisesNsunset/status/907068864764301312
https://twitter.com/Yoongis_dangler/status/907080687513038848
https://twitter.com/Yoongis_dangler/status/907085435855179777
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.
https://twitter.com/sunrisesNsunset/status/907086697065787402
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
https://twitter.com/BayAreaARMYs/status/907093149545148417
https://twitter.com/sinosijakies/status/907070863215874048
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.
https://twitter.com/501enigmes/status/907068960520142848
https://twitter.com/shedrawsthings/status/907082809998680064
https://twitter.com/silkymyg/status/907075806337396736
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
https://twitter.com/MiracleMoment_0/status/907076134285836293
https://twitter.com/MiracleMoment_0/status/907076280558002176
BTS’s mini album, Love Yourself: Her, will be released on September 18.
