When BTS isn’t busy with the agenda of world domination through a record-breaking album at a time, the seven-member boy group can be seen redefining what it means to be “manly”. With their growing popularity `in the west, they are bringing forth an idea of masculinity that isn’t based on stereotyped guidelines and yes, it does run deeper than the way the dress.
The traditional idea of masculinity that is built upon the agenda of portraying men as tough, unemotional, dominant, macho, sex-obsessed, and being termed as feminine, queer or even “beautiful” as an insult to their manhood. And in this web of gender-based stereotypes Asian men have often been showcased as something lesser than masculine by their western counterparts. In movies, Asian men are often showcased as the guy would never steal your girlfriend, he bows and folds hands, wear silk tunics and is polite, submissive, novel and in simpler words, he is feminine.
Though now the game is changing and the new players who are leading the team are Korean boy group BTS. They are fully embracing their Asian masculinity without changing anything about that while also effortlessly bending the boundaries of what is feminine or masculine. The group is often seen wearing makeup, jewellery, pastels and pink, even clothes straight from the latest women fashion weak collections. Even going as far as to wear fishnets, chokers, corsets and skirts various photoshoot.
Often seen on stage wearing smokey eyes and red lips and even posting pics of their skincare routine (somehow having clear and healthy skin is considered as too feminine?) that most of us wish to make a part of our daily lives.
But this masculinity runs more than skin deep, they are also not afraid of showcasing emotions on stage or offstage, not a single award has gone by whereupon winning the award they told their fans and members how grateful they are for each other and how much they love each other, many times with tears running down their faces. In their previous reality show ‘bon voyage’ the members sat down together and wrote heartfelt letters to each other, saying much the other members meant to them. One of the members, Park Jimin has also said the most treasured gifts he ever got was the letters other members wrote to him on his birthday.
Suga the prodigal producer and rapper of the group have his whole mixtape dedicated to his internal struggles, fears, depression and social anxiety. The group have also written several struggles that the society, their parents, the education system have put on them. And many of their songs have such strong messages, one of my personal favourite being ’21st-century girls’ which talk about women empowerment, as to how often you see young male hip hop artists make a song on such topic.
Although eradicating the culture of toxic masculinity is a long fight, one can’t deny the impact of this group, their fans who are referred to as ARMY often talks about BTS have helped them gain confidence in the way they express themselves and live a life that is free of prejudice and stereotype that limits you.
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