The HWASA HATE PARADIGM

This is an opinion piece.The first time I was called a coon, was on Twitter. For those unaware, coon is a racist slur dating back to the 19th century U.S, coined by slave masters to depreciate the black masses. It is defined as "an extremely offensive slur for Black people, apparently due to racist comparisons to the appearance or behaviour of raccoons. Coon was popularised by a Blackface minstrel song, “Zip Coon,” published around 1830 and notoriously performed by George Dixon. The song gave rise to Zip Coon as a Blackface character, stereotyping and vilifying the speech, appearance, and behaviour of Black people." according to Dictionary.com.One may wonder what behaviour warranted such a strong response. Perhaps I agreed with the bigoted ideologies of Trump, or I shot a slew of anti-black stereotypes at my people. Perhaps I denied the existence of systematic racism or scoffed at the need for social change. The last thing anyone could have gathered was that I defended four Korean pop idols from online hate.It was the 8th of June, 2019 when screenshots of Mamamoo's youtube channel began to circulate on Kpop Twitter. Fans were trending the hashtag #ProtectMamamoo after trolls changed their MV captions to the likes of "stream kill this love and not this flop made by racists" and "mamamoo handshake emoji" their stans - suicide pact". There was a sense of shock, as trolling on Kpop Twitter rarely breaches the virtual gap between hate and idols to this extent. Right away, there was a backlash, partly due to misunderstanding, and partly due to a desensitised apathy that can only be found on the internet. Conjecture arose that Moos were forcing black Kpop stans to forgive Mamamoo for their past offences, which in turn resulted in the hurling of slurs towards black Kpop stans who felt that they could be forgiven, or at the very least deserved a peaceful existence. Being of the latter demographic, I, naturally, was cooning.Two years prior, on March 3rd, Mamamoo revealed a concert skit in which the foursome recreated the Uptown Funk MV by Bruno Mars. The problem was, they painted their skin tones darker to match the singer and black backup dancers, The Hooligans. Four hours after black Kpop Twitter expressed feelings of hurt, an apology was issued directly toward the black community. Further apologies and a resolve to be educated on black issues were made. It must be noted that Bruno Mars isn't black but of mixed Filipino and Puerto Rican descent, meaning that other communities were left out of the conversation.It is those series of events as well as the resurgence of hate in 2019 that led me to a question; every single time I was called coon, a porch monkey, an ape and much more, over and over again in various arguments, all involving an altercation with a black Kpop stan who believed that the people I supported were completely incompatible with my racial disposition. It was the question prompted, each time I shrugged off an assumption that I lacked a moral compass or enough self-love to prioritise my blackness. It was the question that led me to create a Twitter group chat specifically for black Mamamoo fans, to establish a safe space where we could support the people we liked without our dignity being scrutinised. The question was "How the fuck did we get here?"No matter how much I explained it, I was left with the bitter aftertaste of a reality I didn't agree with and refused to accept. Besides, Mamamoo had apologised for their ignorance, and I, as a black person with my own set of beliefs was at liberty to forgive them. Yet my decision to forgive was not being respected, and instead, misconstrued to fit a Kpop Twitter narrative that did more than enforce justice. Worse, I was dealing with racism at the hands of people who thought they were crusading against anti-blackness when they were just perpetuating the same bigotry we work so hard to dispel.Unlike the N-word which evolved past its derogatory roots through reclamation, the degrading significance of coon has kept on to this day. It describes a self-hating black person that sucks up to the white oppressor, and in instances of contention, is used to reject the credibility of someone's blackness all together. This is not to say that my experience as a black Kpop stan is unique, as it is evident that dehumanising other black people when they differ in opinions is a knee-jerk reaction. This recurring issue is a symptom of a wider problem in the black community, and what happens when internalised anti-blackness festers. Its extreme manifestation on Kpop twitter feels undoubtedly microcosmic and sets a precedent that our humanity is revocable in front of non-black onlookers.In tandem, many pre-existing prejudices give way to the disparaging view of Mamamoo and their black fans/fans of colour. Misogyny and racism are largely culpable, but make up a portion of what determines an individual's standing on the redeemability scale of "wokeness". On Kpop Twitter, having a big fanbase or looks that conform to the Kpop beauty standard can ensure that your mistakes are mishaps, your ignorance, an inaccuracy. Consequently, it is no surprise that one of the biggest catalysts for the incessant hatred Mamamoo receive is Hwasa.The desire to achieve cultural sensitivity within the melting pot of the Kpop Twitter social sphere is overridden by a refusal to acknowledge ingrained biases that dictate who is reproached and how. Such is the case with Hwasa of Mamamoo who is disproportionately attacked for an act of ignorance that was collectively perpetuated by the entire group. To many Western Kpop stans, allusions to Hwasa's darker skin tone and curvier attributes may appear to be a deflection built on victimisation. However, if male or fairer skinned counterparts such as G-dragon, Bomi, Kikwang or even the rest of the Mamamoo members aren't associated with blackface to that degree, then there seems to be cognitive dissonance.Body shaming, colourist insults like "stinky" or "dirty" and defamation of character are commonplace with Hwasa. Rumours and misinformation circulate regularly, solidifying as widely believed travesties. One incident of blackface becomes two. Phrases she never before uttered like "I'm a black mama" and "I'm African American" are cited as Hwasa's by a white american K-pop fan on TikTok, no questions asked.Any positive mention of Hwasa by a Western celebrity is met with distorted reports of the blackface incident, by blue-faced Kpop stans, who are protesting the endorsement of an alleged racist, in the name of justice and equality, of course. Contrastingly, attempts to correct disinformation invokes more resistance and scrutiny, as people are convinced that it automatically equates to excusing their past.For real controversies that followed 2017, confirmation bias amplified the gravity of Hwasa's mistakes in comparison to other idol cases. Hwasa wearing a durag affirmed her "blackaboo" behaviour, while an NCT or Ateez member wearing cornrows did not carry the same implications. There was always the privilege of ignorance afforded to male idols and a lesser but still prevalent privilege afforded to pale female idols. The hate train does not stop there, as her scandals erupt based on guilt by association. A set with dubiously presented Korean Reggae duo, RPR, reflected on Hwasa's notoriety. Chungha sporting a black hairstyle meant that she was under Hwasa's influence.When Hwasa came under fire for the appropriative styles of her backup dancers, but BTS' appropriating backup dancers of late 2018 did not invoke the same reaction towards them, it became clear that the Hwasa Hate Paradigm had developed beyond rationality, to the point that anything could be twisted to serve the agendas of Kpop stans who didn't care about social issues at all. Of those who did, they were unwilling to profess that their Hwasa-focused criticisms were driven by double standards.More recently, a clip where Hwasa is clad in "African looking" attire went viral, unleashing a commotion of misinformed outrage, spurred by rumours that she wore a Gele to "frighten" her Korean co-stars. Most interesting was that the demographics proposing it was CA were not necessarily African but part of the broader black diaspora. Nigerian opinions on the clothes were bashed or embraced depending on which narrative their stances pushed, whilst South East Asian and Korean Kpop stans were dismissed in claims of her outfit resembling their daily garb. Once her garment turned out to be a Kaftan/Abaya made from Korean Nida paired with a patterned headwrap, like clockwork, came accusations of CA anyways. As an East African, I found it bewildering since Kaftans and Abayas are assimilated into so many cultures, including mine. They don't belong to any in particular.This demonstrated that despite the necessity of CA discourse, conversations can spiral into something more divisive than helpful if left unmoderated - especially if different sociopolitical contexts are imposed on each other. The role of white Kpop stans as saviours championing a cause, without the awareness to respect nuances between overlapping communities and diasporas, also fans the flames of conflict. However, it also unveils the lengths people go to incriminate an idol they just don't like.Equally pressing is the trivialisation of South Asian, South-East Asian, Latino and Native American religious/cultural beliefs. My brief account of insensitivity entangled with black culture does not even begin to scratch the surface. Unfortunately, the voices of the aforementioned groups, including many others, are neglected in the ongoing bid to be heard.One has to implore... what is the end goal of it all? And why does it matter?If you zoom out from the complexities, it is just Kpop and Kpop on one social media site at that. Even so, it would be irresponsible to disregard the importance of critiquing the multicultural space that Kpop allows to flourish. At its core, acceptance and inclusiveness are fundamental to enjoying entertainment. Kpop, an export of a non-western, non-white country has attracted various demographics, luring in people of all ages, races and religions. In essence, that is a truckload of social dynamics waiting to boil over.Notwithstanding, as minorities appeal for consideration, many fail to expand their world view upon entering a place that centres public figures of a racially homogenous country. Ignorance is interpreted as a revelation of the individual idol's character and not a blunder caused by pop-cultural broadcasting of racial stereotypes, combined with a lack of knowledge about racist implications. Thus emphasis is put on which idols are problematic, as opposed to addressing the root of the problem.Moreover, this is one piece of a larger puzzle. Fixing the repercussions of a neocolonialist influence that implanted "othering" stereotypes rooted in white supremacy, into entire continents, takes time.Just to reiterate, Koreans aren't a monolith and like all societies, people vary on a scale of cultivated to bigoted. But when a Kpop idol catches more heat than a Western celebrity for exhibiting said ignorance, one has to step back and inspect the objectives of our mission. One has to deconstruct the imperialist mentality that Westerners are better informed, as it can lead to unnecessary strife. An example out of many humbling moments would be Solar's traditional Yeonji Gonji makeup being mistaken for CA in 2019. Despite clarifications, the allegation remains - a reminder that a significant portion of those contributing to the CA discussion, are well versed at performative outrage, but not so good at admitting mistakes themselves.It is in the best interests of Korean labels targeting foreign markets to take preventative measures, by educating themselves outside of bound-to-happen CA controversies. It is in the best interests of certain personalities on Kpop Twitter to understand that the world is in the dark about our immediate realities. There will never be a full consensus on what constitutes as CA or what anti-black action is forgivable, and it would be ridiculous to expect that such vast bodies of thought within one diaspora can arrive at one giant conclusion. Correspondingly ridiculous is the presumption that we, in our insular, post-colonial bubbles, raised in the aftermath of a specific history that guides our reference points, are always right.There is no one solution, but maybe conscious efforts to reach a middle ground of differing and accepting can work. I can only hope that Kpop stans stop exacerbating the exhaustion of dealing with ignorance, by actually listening to what affected minorities have to say, and not just one demographic from a corner of the globe. I can only dream that Kpop groups start to address the communities they've hurt without relying on curated company statements. Rather than get caught up in the superficial competition of "growth" that is easily set back by one mistake, we should always demand a level of sensitivity. After all, for every on-screen affront, hundreds more are happening off-camera without our knowledge.With that in mind, RBW, please check your emails.*A 2021 note:To whoever finds this,
I want to say that my opinions have changed alot over the course of the past year as I worked on deconstructing my own biases. Imperialism is a deeply rooted ideology that sneaks up on you unabated, when discussing cultural interactions and boundaries - which is really what the debate on Twitter is about - People discovering new worlds, the inevitability of clashes and a blindness to what really makes a culture - perspective. All this to say that I disagree with incessant email-sending and the "mission of education", as a Westerner, as someone who is aware of the condescension with which we approach people from countries that are not part of the "Western world". All in all I don't think that we spend nearly enough time scrutinising ourselves. Maybe we should.