I happened to be on Twitter when I came across a Journalist & YouTube Creator named Brian Patrick Bryne that created a really powerful video that really hit me.
If you're a BTS fan you've heard the claim at some point. "All BTS Fans Are Teenage Girls". I know I've heard it a lot in the 3 years I've been a fan of the group and it makes me so angry everytime I hear it because I know it couldn't be farther from the truth. For those who are unaware I'm NOT a teenage girl. I know that's probably shocking to some of you. My daughter is 19 years old now and she's a BTS fan (also an adult). I've also had the privilege of getting to know so many BTS fans here in the Oklahoma City area ever since we started playing their music 3 years ago. Guess what? I would say 75% of the fans I've met who are local to the OKC area and chatted with at events or on Social Media are over 18. We've even had several of them come into the KJ103 studios to help host World Premieres when we've played their new singles all day on release day. In fact, most of the fans I've met are actually over 18 and adults themselves.
That's why when I saw this video today from Brian I was like "Yes, THIS THIS THIS x1000"
I reached out to Brian to get a little backstory about why he made the video and what his inpsiration was and here's what he said:
"I made this video to counter the narrative that suggests BTS fans are solely teenage girls. There are lots of teenage girls in the fandom, and that’s great! But the BTS ARMY is highly diverse, and also consists of many people across every age, gender, race, and ethnicity.
Ultimately, my video is designed to show the reason why BTS reaches such a broad audience. BTS’ music is catchy, that’s for sure, but it’s also incredibly meaningful, addressing topics that all humans can relate to—societal pressures, self-love, friendship, and more.
I hope that by watching the video, people who aren’t familiar with BTS—and even those who may have dismissed their music already—will decide to give BTS a chance."
So the next time someone tells you that all BTS fans are "little girls" or "teenage girls" feel free to show them this.
Watch The Full Video Below:
Photo Credit: Brian Patrick Byrne