I trekked through Bangtan's interviews when they were in London as a way to mend my soul from not being able to get tickets to their London concerts.
I still stand by my wariness when it comes to Western validation of Asian idols or famous stars but since they've already been to the West and dominated the morning shows and big venues, I have to watch and keep track here and there to show as much support as possible. Casting away those Westerners (and Asians who follow their lead) that still fill their minds with the Western stereotyping of how Asian men should be portrayed or the odd criticism because Kpop music is foreign and not English, there have been some decent interviews popping up during the group's short visit to London.
I think what made some of the interviews less odd was the fact RM/Namjoon had to help out with the translating in-between questions which makes a difference so the guys would be more comfortable speaking in their native Korean as well as attempt to speak as much English where needed. Of course if there was another interpreter to help out it may have made things a little easier for the leader.
Dan Wootton interviewed BTS on Lorraine and aside from the random choice of using Corrie's Rover's Return Inn as a British landmark for the guys to guess (no it's not Hagrid's House, bless you) this interview wasn't so bad. You can't really expect them to know about British soap operas though. They weren't the first pioneers to introduce Kpop to the West as many of their Sunbae have done that already, but BTS may be the first ones to actually present it in a way that the general public may not be able to shake off as easily.
Noisey interview was short but funny. The Pokemon VS Digimon VS Yu-Gi-Oh debate made me laugh. I feel the Pokemon VS Digimon battle will be endless and it is a classic question for those familiar with both franchises. As for the Anime one, I suspect the researchers went for the series that were most popular among the youth and possibly in Korea. It seems every idol I follow talks about One Piece and Naruto as well as Dragonball. Namjoon's response to three words to describe his fashion style was sharp and creative. I approve. Also...can we take note of his random British/British RP accent there when he mentioned about charging batteries?
NME interview included questions sent in by the fans. I'm surprised they even got a chance to interview BTS but I guess since it's a Kpop group who are in London and have sold out big arenas they had to get the opportunity. I'm used to NME as a magazine that only dabbles with indie/alternative rock.
Their appearance on The Graham Norton Show was debatable to many ARMY and the typical haters who didn't understand the hype - it varies from the older British to younger ones but the main crux behind the negativity from non-fans was that they were foreign. Yes, the screaming from ARMY was OTT and it didn't help the impression people have about boy group fans only being teenagers. Something for you to refer to Graham Norton researchers and the like - there is no age limit according to Western standards when it comes to the likes of Hallyu and Japanese pop culture. Hello? Do you see me? I'm almost more than a decade older than all my faves. I've been into Bangtan since 2014 and Kpop came back into my mind in 2012. I needed my escapism from prejudice and I needed some fellow Asians to show me you can be amazing. Yes I do wish I had Bangtan in MY youth thank you very much.
I'm simply shocked with how negative the fandom reacted with Graham Norton's interview segment. Let's be real it was the first time his show even invited a Korean/Asian group from overseas. It seems to be a case of not understanding how Graham's show works and the idea of British humour - saying this as someone who has no humour in their blood and barely enjoys comedy when it gets stupid to the point of stereotyping races and other topics. On the rare occasion yes I do indeed enjoy British comedy when done effectively without being utterly controversial.
I felt bad for Jimin not being able to take part. Hopefully he'll be able to meet Graham next time if BTS come back to London and they get invited to Graham's show again. Let's not forget Jungkook's injuries prior to the London concerts. That's bad luck and not something to blame on the country or city. Shame on those non-local fans for commenting in that manner.
Anyway this is the IDOL performance. There were chairs used but the guys did stand up now and then to show the IDOL choreography to compensate for Jungkook's injury.
The short interview segment after IDOL performance. Whoopi Goldberg giving her shirt to the guys was epic. I do appreciate her being a little open-minded since she said her younger family members were fans.
These interviews were decent and Bangtan did incredibly well on their first visit to London. I honestly wish I could meet them and say they did great, even high five them. That being said, I really do like the Jimmy Fallon interview. It was just delightful and my favourite so far from the US. He was welcoming and clearly liked Jimin (similarity in their names haha). That's what I want to see. None of these questions on dating or ideal types. Ask about the music, the message they want to get across and their charitable projects.
I still stand by my wariness when it comes to Western validation of Asian idols or famous stars but since they've already been to the West and dominated the morning shows and big venues, I have to watch and keep track here and there to show as much support as possible. Casting away those Westerners (and Asians who follow their lead) that still fill their minds with the Western stereotyping of how Asian men should be portrayed or the odd criticism because Kpop music is foreign and not English, there have been some decent interviews popping up during the group's short visit to London.
I think what made some of the interviews less odd was the fact RM/Namjoon had to help out with the translating in-between questions which makes a difference so the guys would be more comfortable speaking in their native Korean as well as attempt to speak as much English where needed. Of course if there was another interpreter to help out it may have made things a little easier for the leader.
Dan Wootton interviewed BTS on Lorraine and aside from the random choice of using Corrie's Rover's Return Inn as a British landmark for the guys to guess (no it's not Hagrid's House, bless you) this interview wasn't so bad. You can't really expect them to know about British soap operas though. They weren't the first pioneers to introduce Kpop to the West as many of their Sunbae have done that already, but BTS may be the first ones to actually present it in a way that the general public may not be able to shake off as easily.
Noisey interview was short but funny. The Pokemon VS Digimon VS Yu-Gi-Oh debate made me laugh. I feel the Pokemon VS Digimon battle will be endless and it is a classic question for those familiar with both franchises. As for the Anime one, I suspect the researchers went for the series that were most popular among the youth and possibly in Korea. It seems every idol I follow talks about One Piece and Naruto as well as Dragonball. Namjoon's response to three words to describe his fashion style was sharp and creative. I approve. Also...can we take note of his random British/British RP accent there when he mentioned about charging batteries?
NME interview included questions sent in by the fans. I'm surprised they even got a chance to interview BTS but I guess since it's a Kpop group who are in London and have sold out big arenas they had to get the opportunity. I'm used to NME as a magazine that only dabbles with indie/alternative rock.
Their appearance on The Graham Norton Show was debatable to many ARMY and the typical haters who didn't understand the hype - it varies from the older British to younger ones but the main crux behind the negativity from non-fans was that they were foreign. Yes, the screaming from ARMY was OTT and it didn't help the impression people have about boy group fans only being teenagers. Something for you to refer to Graham Norton researchers and the like - there is no age limit according to Western standards when it comes to the likes of Hallyu and Japanese pop culture. Hello? Do you see me? I'm almost more than a decade older than all my faves. I've been into Bangtan since 2014 and Kpop came back into my mind in 2012. I needed my escapism from prejudice and I needed some fellow Asians to show me you can be amazing. Yes I do wish I had Bangtan in MY youth thank you very much.
I'm simply shocked with how negative the fandom reacted with Graham Norton's interview segment. Let's be real it was the first time his show even invited a Korean/Asian group from overseas. It seems to be a case of not understanding how Graham's show works and the idea of British humour - saying this as someone who has no humour in their blood and barely enjoys comedy when it gets stupid to the point of stereotyping races and other topics. On the rare occasion yes I do indeed enjoy British comedy when done effectively without being utterly controversial.
I felt bad for Jimin not being able to take part. Hopefully he'll be able to meet Graham next time if BTS come back to London and they get invited to Graham's show again. Let's not forget Jungkook's injuries prior to the London concerts. That's bad luck and not something to blame on the country or city. Shame on those non-local fans for commenting in that manner.
Anyway this is the IDOL performance. There were chairs used but the guys did stand up now and then to show the IDOL choreography to compensate for Jungkook's injury.
The short interview segment after IDOL performance. Whoopi Goldberg giving her shirt to the guys was epic. I do appreciate her being a little open-minded since she said her younger family members were fans.
These interviews were decent and Bangtan did incredibly well on their first visit to London. I honestly wish I could meet them and say they did great, even high five them. That being said, I really do like the Jimmy Fallon interview. It was just delightful and my favourite so far from the US. He was welcoming and clearly liked Jimin (similarity in their names haha). That's what I want to see. None of these questions on dating or ideal types. Ask about the music, the message they want to get across and their charitable projects.