Be kind, people! How many times does Halsey have to say it?
The pop artist and mama to be has no tolerance for hate. She's spoken out for LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, and racial equality - even starting her own fund for Black creators. Now she's speaking up for the K-Pop superstars/fashion icons BTS. Here's what she has to say.
Halsey Called Out an 'Irresponsible' Joke
Halsey and BTS got close when they collabed on 'Boy With Luv,' so it isn't surprising that she took offense to some criticism the boys got from a popular German media personality this week. 'Bayern 3' radio host Matthias Matuschik compared BTS to COVID-19, calling them "some [expletive] virus that hopefully there will be a vaccine for soon as well."
He went on to talk about how they should be forced to go "vacationing in North Korea," and defended his comments as innocent jokes. Halsey disagreed.
She posted a statement to her IG Stories this morning (pictured above) wherein she explains exactly why this kind of humor is uncool:
"Racism and xenophobia cannot be thinly veiled as 'on air humor,'" she wrote. "Irresponsible and disgusting statements in a time where hate speech and violent behaviour towards Asian communities are skyrocketing. This is unacceptable..."
Other Artists Agree
Halsey wasn't the only one to take notice and take action against the German radio host. Fellow musicians Lauv and MAX both tweeted their criticism, too:
Their Tweets supported BTS as pop stars in their own right. They also bolstered Halsey's claim that Asian communities deserve better right now.
Anti-Asian Hate Crimes ARE On the Rise
Discrimination and xenophobia targeted at Asian people is a widespread problem recognized by more than just celebs.
News outlets like the BBC say the FBI flagged anti-Asian hate crimes as a likely result of pandemic panic right at the start of the outbreak, and they were right. National Geographic reports that we're now facing "a wave of anti-Asian racism."
On socials, the pop stars pulling their followers' focus onto this issue are getting lots of love. Asian fans of Halsey say they feel heard, and are calling her and Lauv/MAX "true allies." They're also using their own feeds to share instances of anti-Asian hate crimes that they feel are being underreported.
Let's hope more attention on this issue gets people inspired to stand up for Asian communities, or at least to quit making COVID-19 jokes about them! In Lauv's words, "together we must stand up and stop it."