Why Do Critics Love Bong Joon-Ho and Dismiss BTS?
MTV News interviewed me for this piece on how differently “Parasite” director Bong Joon-Ho and BTS are viewed by critics.
Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
MTV News interviewed me for this piece on how differently “Parasite” director Bong Joon-Ho and BTS are viewed by critics.
BTS’ admiration of “Parasite” director Bong Joon-Ho is no secret. In their song “Spring Day,” they reference the filmmaker’s 2013 movie “Snowpiercer.” They’ve all praised “Parasite,” which V and Jungkook saw at a Busan theater prior to their fanmeet there.
There are just a few days left in 2019. And you know what that means, right? South Korea is getting ready to air some of its most popular awards shows. For the first time ever, international K-pop and K-drama fans (in North and South America) can watch these ceremonies LIVE at the same time as viewers are watching in Korea.
From the giant stages of a sold-out stadium tour — including two nights at London’s 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium — to the intimacy of a “Saturday Night Live” performance, BTS was everywhere in 2019. Consistently reaching the top of the U.S. charts singing in their native Korean, BTS made pop culture history on their own terms. For all this, the septet has earned the honor of being named Variety’s Group of the Year.
The American Music Awards sweep was a vindication for BTS’ fans, who were shocked the group was shutout at the People’s Choice Awards earlier this month, where the band was nominated for Music Video, Favorite Group and Concert Tour.
BTS topped the Jonas Brothers, Panic! At the Disco, Pink and Ariana Grande at Sunday’s American Music Awards to win all three of the categories in which they were nominated: Favorite Duo or Group (the first time an Asian group has received the honor), Tour of the Year and Favorite Social Artist (for the second consecutive year).
Advocates for promoting the awareness of mental health – especially in young people – BTS obliquely addresses this issue with the music video for their reworked version of “Make It Right.” It includes concert footage along with an animated story line. The animation gives off a strong “Le Petit Prince” vibe. Like the imagery depicted in the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novel, the video delves into the delicate nature of human behavior.
One of the minor complaints that international fans have is they don’t like waiting to see their favorite Korean shows. Seeing overseas content in real-time can be a rarity for any regular series, regardless of what country it originates. But KOCOWA has a new feature to unveil and it should make international K-pop fans very happy: K-pop LIVE. Viewers can watch three of South Korea’s most popular music shows (“Music Bank K-Chart,” “Show! Music Core” and “SBS Inkigayo”) at the exact same time as their Korean counterparts in Korea!
The finale of “Bring the Soul” coincides with the end of the European leg of BTS’ 2018 “Love Yourself” world tour. Each member is given his moment in the spotlight, but this episode was almost a coming-of-age tribute to Jungkook (who had just turned 21 on tour).
Just days after they ended their brief vacation, BTS is back at it. Early Wednesday morning, the Korean pop group’s management company — Big Hit Entertainment — simply tweeted: “#BTS TikTok Channel Open!” That was all it took for ARMY (BTS’ loyal fans) to follow suit.