It's very common for ARMYs to be teased about the level of so-called "fanaticism" we display towards BTS and their art. It's a frequently used piece of "evidence" to prove that ARMY really is just like all of those other fangirls out there. Contempt and predetermined opinions about young people and fandoms seem to color every interaction between ARMY and the general public, regardless of who that ARMY is.
In a recent interview between Stephanie Rosenthal - the Director of The Gropius Bau - and a woman in the employ of Showcase - a Turkish public broadcasting service - the woman questioning Rosenthal showed all of the typical biases against BTS, as well as questioning the legitimacy of BTS as artists.
Rosenthal intelligently and swiftly blocked the other woman's inane questions from gaining any momentum, citing that CONNECT BTS is an opportunity to share their, The Gropius Bau's, message and vision with an audience who may not be otherwise targeted for viewership. Rosenthal also fired back "So, you're thinking you shouldn't take it seriously because it's sponsored by a pop band."
Heedless, the questioner bigoted on, asking Rosenthal to "convince" her, for why she, as a self-proclaimed "contemporary art follower," should take this project seriously, calling BTS' message "naive" while accusing the 22 artists involved from across the globe for only participating for the promise of a paycheck.
Out of all this, the largest issue one can pinpoint is the fact that she felt that she had to be "convinced" at all.
Krystal Young, a previous employee at The Getty Museum, says in her blog about her experience interviewing museum staff on the importance of engaging millennials, that the younger generations are losing interest in the experience because they feel as though it doesn’t pertain to them.
But, as Young goes on to say and as the questioner for Showcase seems to fail to grasp, it’s not about the numbers; it’s “about operating as a good culture center in the social ecosystem.” After all, what’s the point of creating beautiful and wonderful things if no one goes to see it? If new generations don't learn to appreciate it?
It seems to be, in this day and age, when a young person is passionate about something, that something is swiftly declared as somehow lesser. Nevermind the fact that Martha Graham, the mother of contemporary dance, began her career as a performer when she was in her early twenties. Or that Picasso was in his teens when he first began experimenting with art. Or that Mozart was FIVE when he first began composing.
And who are these strangers to tell anyone, but especially young people, that a thing is made inferior for no other reason than that they were a part of it?
Is it so odd, then, that the tired, dispirited members of my generation rally behind a group that tells them they, themselves, are inherently enough? That they don't have to find a dream right now, but just keep living and searching for your passion. That it is enough to be happy in the moment. To take a deep breath, hold on, and smile.
So many ARMYs, young and old, local and international, from every background imaginable, have suffered from pain and darkness in their pasts, in the present. Everyone, at some point, is going to have to soldier on through times of turmoil. There are countless people who've gone through or are going through tragedies. More than that, according to the British Charity Mind, more than 1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness year-to-year - and this isn't anything new. This isn't some strange phenomenon that's arisen because of millennials.
These illnesses just previously went undiagnosed.
But it's these people who've struggled who resonate the most with BTS' music, who need that extra support that comes from being a part of the ARMY.
Harvard Mental Health Publishing states that music you connect to has a plethora of benefits, including easing anxiety and even pain relief, both mental and physical. Therefore, it's only logical to assume that at least a good percentage of ARMYs fall into the category of "passionate out of gratitude for the art that heals me, and the community that lifts me up."
Myself included.
So, what makes ARMY so different from other fandoms? At the pure, emotional core - nothing. Because you know what? Maybe they're right. If you put aside the charity, the online involvement, the projects, and just look at how the music has touched hearts and healed spirits I would argue that perhaps ARMY and "typical fangirls" - fandoms in general - aren’t so different.
After all, who's to say that someone is not genuinely touched by art, by music, simply because they are young, or because the artist is young? Or because you don’t understand why you should take it “seriously.”
So, Madam News Lady here is my attempt at "convincing" you: BTS are artists to be taken seriously because they are artists who are taken seriously by tens of millions of people from every demographic all across the world, and it’s in this way that they’ve connected cultures and generations together into a single ARMY. They’ve taken their platform and turned the spotlight onto contemporary art in all its forms. They’re connecting the entire world, across borders, across languages, across ages, and across art disciplines.
It’s as President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has said. “BTS has power like magic which turns sorrow into hope, and difference into commonality.”
That, my friend, is why you should take CONNECT BTS seriously.
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Written By: Aury
Edit By: Caitlin