FILE: Members of K-pop boy band BTS pose for photographs during a photo opportunity promoting their new single ‘Butter’ in Seoul, South Korea, May 21, 2021.
REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” is facing backlash after fans claimed they were left emotionally distressed following a Wednesday morning taping with K-pop superstars BTS, with some alleging they felt excluded based on their appearance.
BTS’ long-awaited return as a full group of seven has been widely celebrated as a historic comeback. After four years, members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook traveled to New York City to celebrate their studio album “Arirang.” As part of their promotional tour, the group appeared on a taping of The Tonight Show, scheduled to air on March 26.
amNewYork spoke with one participant, requesting anonymity, who traveled from Georgia after being selected through 1iota to attend the taping. She said the official call time was set for 5:45 a.m., but eager fans, including herself, arrived as early as 1 a.m. to secure their place. They made that decision because of earlier events, like the SpotifyXSwimside performance, in which entry was granted on a first-come, first-served basis despite it also being ticketed.
Jimmy Fallon poses at the red carpet of the 44th Kennedy Center Honors, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, U.S, December 5, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Brenner
After entering the studio Wednesday morning, attendees were told they would be transported to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, where BTS would perform songs from their new album. Fans were divided into groups marked by different-colored wristbands before arriving at the venue.
“We lined the winding walkways within the rotunda,” she said. “BTS performed from the ground floor, and we were cheering from above.”
While she described feeling privileged to watch the group live, she said the experience shifted afterward, turning what had been a once-in-a-lifetime moment into something far more troubling.
Attendees were later moved into an auditorium, where she noticed that those wearing blue wristbands were being taken to a separate location. She believed those individuals may have been pre-selected, noting that 1iota allows applicants to submit physical attributes such as photos of themselves, race, weight, and height.
At that point, she said, concerns began to grow, adding that throughout the experience, they were not allowed to access their phones.
“A staff member came into the auditorium and started looking at each of us, pulling some people out,” she said. “It felt like we were children being picked for a team, judged by our looks. I felt so insecure.”
Additional allegations surfaced on X, including claims that a staff member had asked which BTS member was from North Korea.
According to @sopehug, who wrote about it on X, the racist joke was heard by multiple attendees.
“I heard the racist joke when I was in the theater room. It was extremely distasteful, and everyone was shocked. They came back and chose me and my friend at the very last minute to go in for the ‘SWIM’ performance. I truly don’t know how they picked—first to go were blue wristbands,” a user identified as @sopehug wrote on X.
amNewYork has reached out to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for comment and is awaiting a response.
Those ultimately selected were seated on rows of pillows for a more intimate session with BTS, during which the group sang, danced with fans, and gave high-fives.
Meanwhile, those not chosen remained behind, watching the experience unfold from a screen, something several described as emotionally distressing and potentially biased.
“Girls were hysterically crying, and some were begging for a chance, since there were multiple performances, and we could have been switched out. I gave up,” the attendee said, defeated. “I’m still processing. I’m numb. BTS is about inclusivity, and the show tainted that.”
Other fans echoed similar sentiments online.
“The way I was legitimately psychologically tortured by the Fallon show today… I can’t describe what it’s like to be in a room with people crying while someone else is living your dream down the hall and you are locked away watching it, with no sense of time,” @nimnooy913 wrote on X. “I can’t listen to ‘SWIM’ anymore. I’m traumatized. I waited six years for this—wtf.”
BTS has long been celebrated for music that promotes self-love and inclusivity, frequently encouraging their fanbase, known as ARMY, to embrace themselves fully. However, some fans say this experience left them emotionally shaken, blaming the show for placing them in what they described as a “pick me” situation.
Adding insult to injury, some attendees shared that, while they were bused to the museum for the tapping, they were left stranded when they were not given transportation back to the studio.
“The Tonight Show” is under fire after audiences for the BTS performance called out the staff’s behavior on X.Photo by Amanda Moses
