While the whole world is responding and praising Jungkook's opening at the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony with Dreamers, it seems that some other media outlets want to go against the majority. Typically a French radio station, RTL.
This radio station is currently being heavily criticized online for racist comments against BTS and not only that, but mocking Morgan Freeman. Although this is not an uncommon case, what was broadcast by this radio station has outraged ARMYs and many netizens.
Currently, ARMYs are calling for a boycott and asking this radio station to apologize to Morgan Freeman, Jungkook and BTS.
Specifically, in RTL's latest report on the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022, they reported on the performances that took place in it. While Morgan Freeman started the ceremony with his narration of the opening sequence, titled “The Calling,” Jungkook performed this year's official World Cup soundtrack, "Dreamers."
According to French-speaking ARMYs, one of the hosts, Philip Caveriviere, made crude comments about BTS and Freeman. He referred to BTS as “a group of Korean virgins” and continued to make homophobic comments at them. Later he was also heard calling Freeman “Nelson Mandela” with a mocking tone.
French fans explained that the phrase “virgins” was used to specifically denigrate the gender and sexuality of the BTS members, implying that they are not “real men.”
ARMYs are both in shock and enraged at the blatant racism, homophobia, and outright disrespect the hosts on air have shown to two of the most prominent POC artists at the FIFA opening ceremony:
- Racism is not a f joke I can't believe in 2022 and we still see mf publicly shaming & calling BTS names & have audacity of labeling it as"joke"that French radio dude in there need to get fired from that job,calling BTS names & making racist comments after JK performance & toward the members, I pray that those mf who said those words to get fired & be forever jobless
- Pls keep reporting that radio, that dude was racist toward JK and also Morgan Freeman too called both of them names and racist words
- This is so disgusting I need that mf to get fired him and the other person with him
- I just saw it too now this is seriously making me so f pissed who gave him right to have a show and speak like that
- It makes me so angry. Radio guy needs to be fired.
- I hope he gets sued for his so called “jokes”, these ppl in a supposedly “human right loving” countries get free pass on being openly racist xenophobic, homophobic, name-calling and simply disrespectful in the name of “jokes” but act like the biggest activists of the planet.
- Oh but he was also racist toward black people in his speech, he was joking about Morgan Freeman calling him Nelson Mandela in mockery
Despite the backlash, however, no apology has been issued by the radio station or the hosts who made the comments. In fact, Caveriviere apparently tried to diminish the implications of the remarks while replying to an ARMY who had reached out to talk about the disrespectful comments made by them.
@taesids shared that: "Today , French radio station RTL called BTS named and insulted them. Telling they stck their dcks in each other while being in a homophobic country. Calling them also homophobic stuff . Here is the answer of one of the people during the program.
Basically he isn’t apologizing he is saying he didn’t grow up w BTS and he laughed at his collègues comment ( homophobic one) which shouldn’t be taken as “bad”and that others collègues are sorry if they offended our love for BTS even tho they “ take a lot” from Micheal Jackson."
This is not the first time BTS have had to endure such vicious attacks from racist radio hosts. In 2021, Bayern 3’s DJ Matthias Matuschik attacked BTS for no reason, comparing them to COVID-19. ARMYs were enraged, and even mainstream media got involved in calling out Matuschik’s remarks, but the station still gave him a platform, indeed a much smaller one, as he ended up getting “demoted” to host a podcast about local Bavarian music.
Disgusting and uneducated acts like this need to be eliminated and stopped immediately to eliminate negative stereotypes about race and gender. It remains to be seen if Caveriviere and his co-hosts suffer any consequences for their action or if it will end some other way. But hopefully what ARMYs are reflecting on will gain a lot of sympathy from netizens and he will suffer the consequences he deserves.
