The Mask Off trend is frustrating.

I’m honestly just venting. I can’t even begin to describe how frustrating it is to see the reaction to this trend about South Korea. It’s one thing to ask, “Where’s BTS?” (which is already annoying), but it’s another to outright disrespect South Korea and its people by acting like the country is nothing without BTS. Honestly, sometimes I feel like K-pop going global was a mistake when I see comments like these. It blows my mind, and I hate to say it, but I’ve only seen ARMYs doing this.

To be clear, I am an ARMY, but this has been an ongoing issue within the fandom, and I’m starting to feel completely disgusted by it. And I’m so tired of the constant deflection—“ALL fandoms do it” or “It’s no different from other fandoms.” I’m not talking about other fandoms. I’m talking about us and my frustrations as someone who is part of this community.

I don’t know if this qualifies as racism or just plain ignorance, but it’s upsetting to see people celebrate all the incredible things about South Korean culture beyond K-pop, only for the comments to be filled with this kind of nonsense. South Korea is more than just BTS.