Topps, an American collectible card manufacturing company, apologized for a newly launched product that shows a Grammy Awards trophy ready to hurt members of the K-pop BTS group. The item is one of the stickers in Topps’ “Shammy Awards” sticker collection, which was released after the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on March 14, according to Billboard. The sticker, called “Bopping K-pop”, features a caricature of injured BTS members in a Whac-A-Mole game.
K-pop fans and members of the Asian community have denounced the company for including violence in the sticker, especially considering that hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans are on the rise. Social media users argue that the BTS sticker is racist, according to The Free Press Journal.
Are you portraying the ONLY Koreans named in a wac-a-mole (a hate term often used when referring to sending immigrants back where they came from) during a time when ASAIN’S HATE CRIME is on the rise? it’s so racist that i can’t even believe it was done .. it’s 2021 FOR CHRIST SAKE https://t.co/nGQNtgoFUx
– ᴮᴱkp⁷ (@bulletproofkp) March 17, 2021
Read the room and what’s going on in the world in the past year, @Topps. Portraying violence only against an Asian artist is fueling growing anti-Asian sentiments that have directly impacted tonight’s tragedies in Atlanta. We know you parody, but this is not a joke. https://t.co/Yj6W6jUkPo
– Jeff Benjamin (@Jeff__Benjamin) March 17, 2021
In light of the recent painful events of hate crimes against Asians, @Topps released a drawing of 875 injured and beaten. This is not only insensitive, but it fuels even more hatred and violence against the Asian community. This cannot be tolerated. Email template⬇️#RacismIsNotComedy pic.twitter.com/AiYI9u6BAY
– ㄱ 노미 팬 달콤 뀨 (slow) (@lovemazejikook) March 17, 2021
His description of an Asian artist was with a soft wac, being beaten by him at a time when anti-Asian hatred has grown tremendously. And why are they the only ones shown like that? Is this xenophobia and racism clouding their fucking minds?#StopAsianHate#AsiansAreHuman https://t.co/IRNQx1Gnf9
– 이서연 ⁷ // busy reviewing for CETs (@Seoyeonnaaahh) March 17, 2021
Topps apologized in a statement on Wednesday, adding that it will no longer make the BTS sticker available for purchase.
“We heard and understood our consumers who are upset about BTS’s representation in our GPK Shammy Awards product and we apologize for including it,” the company wrote. “We removed the BTS sticker card from the set, we did not print any sticker card and it will not be available.” However, countless fans were not satisfied with the apology, claiming that Topps was unable to resolve the real underlying problem.
Did you fail to recognize the part that people are upset about ?????? This is not an apology. I apologize to BTS and the Asian community.
– j-hope daily ™ (@jhopestudio) March 17, 2021
Why was that disturbing? Clarify this to the audience and then apologize appropriately to the Asian community.
You described an Asian public figure seriously injured and dejected, knowing that the growing hatred against Asians is happening in your country. You are allowing hate. https://t.co/jzSywlOChJ – Dita ᴮᴱ⁷ (@almostdita) March 17, 2021
“I’m sorry you were upset” is not an apology @Topps. Take real responsibility. Recognize the insensitivity and racism implicit in your description of BTS. Lack of responsibility and deflection of guilt only invalidate the feelings of injured people and contribute to hatred against Asians.
– ᴮᴱ BTS Press⁷ (@BTSPressData) March 17, 2021
On Tuesday, Stop AAPI Hate revealed that it had received 3,795 reports of anti-Asian hate crimes in California between March 2020 and February 28, 2021. Featured image via Topps (left), Entertainment Tonight (right)
Do you like this content? Read more at NextShark!
Detective Santa Rosa dies for lack of COVID-19 tests
Coronavirus outbreak leads to big drop in air pollution in China
Fashion designer Kenzo Takada dies at 81 years of COVID-19
Vietnamese church set on fire after fatal Walter Wallace Jr. murder by police