a note for BTS fans
lately i’ve been seeing a lot of people, BTS fans and non-fans alike, saying “I hate ARMY.” if you ask them why, the response is mostly that “ARMY is annoying/obnoxious/etc.” tbh all of the BTS fans I know are really chill and nice people, and you probably feel the same way. yes, there are annoying comments on twitter and youtube, but those things are more of a nuisance than something that’s actually harming the boys (e.g. sasaeng behavior), and i could cherry pick “bad fans” from every fandom. (btw, when have youtube comments ever been a good representation of anything?)
what IS harming bangtan is when their own fans refuse to call themselves fans. if there is a negative stereotype about ARMY, isn’t it our job to fight that and make our fandom’s image better, instead of distancing ourselves from it and validating that stereotype? when BTS fans THEMSELVES say that they “hate ARMY,” they’re making it okay for non-fans to say the same thing. i’m sure most of you reading this are those “chill” fans who do not like the negative image that ARMY has. if that’s you, then please, do not hesitate to call yourself ARMY, because we are the only people who can improve our own image.
i’ve seen countless people say that the only reason they won’t give BTS a chance is because of the negative image that ARMY has. by perpetuating this image, we’re actively hurting bangtan. so be proud of what you are, show everyone that ARMY are not all annoying children, but a very diverse and welcoming fandom. if you do come across some of those annoying fans, please educate them or ignore them, because those types of people exist in every fandom.
i’m tired of letting a small group of people ruin a name that bangtan gave us.
