Some things are better kept to yourself and not shared publicly on Twitter, and Mat Zo learned that yesterday when he began tweeting out criticisms of massive Korean pop band, BTS. After calling the band “niche in the west,” despite having a hefty fan base in the US, he continued to say that the fans on social media seemed “suspicious” and he said there was a “fake vibe” to it all.
Many fans and supporters of the band took offense to his statements, calling them racist and he issued a bland apology. He gave the usual “while I never intended to hurt or offend anyone” spiel, and said he would be “stepping away from social media” in order to reflect on his actions.
pic.twitter.com/1mF2SOV1eG
— Mat Zo (@Mat_Zo) August 7, 2021
The original tweets have been deleted but you can see what he said below.
Boy you deluded, I’m in med school and even some of my teachers are BTS army, not to mention every other person in college …. And about the BTS meal? Lol I couldn’t order it the first night and the very next day IT GOT SOLD OUT!!! Bots????? Lmfaooo DELULU https://t.co/flte8cuxO0 pic.twitter.com/EgQ2rWYXx0
— ✨ (@Ot7Justinbiebzz) August 8, 2021
Of course, it didn’t end there as users began looking up old tweets from Mat Zo and found many more examples of racist, fetishizing, and offensive tweets from the artist.
And this 💀 pic.twitter.com/I5YXyauIRp
— daria•Btslingo⁷ (@Btslingo7) August 7, 2021
Dabin, an Asian-Canadian DJ, offered his own sentiments on the situation, saying it “really sucked seeing a producer I have so much respect for undervalue Korean music like that.”
really sucked seeing a producer I have so much respect for undervalue Korean music like that. Kpop fans aren’t bots, they’re the ones filling out stadiums for acts like BTS. Just because you think it’s “niche” doesn’t mean the fans and support aren’t real https://t.co/ZxGBp4Zr7Q
— DABIN (@iamdabinlee) August 7, 2021
Ultimately, as Mat Zo has apparently “left” social media for a bit, there’s not much more than fans can do on that side to engage or even try to educate him on the matter, but we’ll see what the situation is like whenever he chooses to re-enter the world electronically.
Photo via Rukes.com