VIDEO Australian TV show causes stir over offensive BTS comments

An Australian television program has sparked controversy after its hosts and panelists made offensive remarks about K-pop boy band BTS. Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment, capture from YouTube account of “Eloise Lastname”

By Dong Sun-hwa

An Australian television show has ignited controversy after its hosts and panelists made derogatory comments about K-pop titan BTS Wednesday.

Australian broadcaster Channel 9 aired an episode about the seven-piece boy band on its pop culture program “20 to One.” Australian TV personality Erin Molan and comedian Nick Cody co-hosted the show, with stars including U.K. comedian Jimmy Carr appearing as panelists.

The program introduced BTS as “the biggest band you've never heard of.” Molan said the team's wins at the Billboard Music Awards (BBMA) in 2018 and 2019 were surprising because “only one member actually speaks English.” She was presumably referring to RM, the band's leader.

Watch the show:

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As the show discussed the band's vocal abilities, it highlighted a video clip featuring member Jimin's rare underperformance ― the K-pop star belted out the group's flagship song “Fake Love” with a voice that cracked.

One panelist also asked if the band's 2018 speech at the U.N headquarters in New York was about “hair products,” although it actually centered on diversity.

“I asked if any of them were gay,” Hollywood blogger Perez Hilton said on the show. “And just even asking that question upset these fans so much … it's just mad.”

The offensive remarks infuriated the group's fandom ARMY.

“I hadn't really scrolled through Twitter much for a while and I came back on only to discover all the disgusting, xenophobic comments made about BTS,” a fan wrote on Twitter.

“As a light-hearted entertainment program, it is our belief that last night's episode of '20 to One,' which highlighted the 'Greatest Global Crazes,' did not breach any broadcast regulations and was intended to humorously highlight the popularity of the group,” a Channel 9 spokesperson told Australia's SBS network's PopAsia program. “We apologize to any who may have been offended by last night's episode.”