Genuine Question: Why Is the Reaction to Cultural Appropriation So Inconsistent in K-pop?
I recently came across a TikTok talking about Martin and his use of blaccent. Before I continue, I want to make it clear that this is not an attack on him at all. I actually like Martin, and this post is not meant to drag him or excuse anyone else. The creator of the video pointed it out but said she personally did not mind it, and most of the comments seemed to agree. A lot of people were calling him cute, saying it was harmless, and overall the reaction was very positive.
But it genuinely got me thinking : why are some idols heavily criticized, dragged, and even dehumanized for certain behaviors, while others do very similar things and receive little to no backlash for it?
The biggest example that comes to mind is Tarzzan from ADP. And before people misunderstand me, this is NOT a defense post trying to claim he has never done anything wrong or that people are not allowed to feel uncomfortable. I just genuinely want to understand the difference in reactions because the inconsistency is hard to ignore.
To this day, Tarzzan gets bullied constantly online. Not just criticized, but genuinely dehumanized. People call him all kinds of names, mock his appearance, mock the way he talks, and attack him even when he is literally not doing anything. A lot of people say he “wants to be Black so bad,” and when I ask what exactly they mean by that, the answers are usually:
* his blaccent,
* the way he dresses,
* his mannerisms,
* the way he carries himself.
But if we’re being honest, those same things could be applied to other idols too, including Martin and even Lngshot in some ways. Yet one gets called cute while the other gets bullied daily. Why?
Then people bring up the N-word situation. Personally, I never clearly heard it in the clip, but that’s just me and I understand why others may feel differently. My point is more that there are idols who have VERY clearly said the word before, used braids for hip-hop concepts, leaned heavily into Black aesthetics, and they eventually moved on from it. But with Tarzzan, it feels like people decided he would permanently be the face of everything wrong with cultural appropriation in K-pop.
What makes it even more confusing to me is that, out of many idols who borrow from Black culture aesthetically, he actually seems engaged with Black creatives and communities outside of company arranged interactions. I hate to play the "he has Black friends card" but I think it applies in this case. His friend group includes a lot of Black creatives. He actively supports small Black owned brands, and those brands openly appreciate and shout him out in return. Again, this does not automatically erase criticism or mean people have to be okay with everything he does. But I do think it complicates the way people throw around the word “racist" because personally, I think there is a difference between: ignorance, cultural appropriation, admiration, influence, and outright racism.
At this point, some of the hate toward him honestly feels less like accountability and more like people enjoying having someone to dogpile. The reaction to him being seen with Anok was genuinely insane to me because the bullying completely overshadowed whatever point people were originally trying to make. If the issue is truly the behavior itself, then why are standards applied so differently depending on the idol? Why are some idols forgiven, defended, or seen as “inspired by Black culture,” while others are permanently branded as culture vultures or racists no matter what they do afterward?
I also want to make it clear that I absolutely believe racism and cultural appropriation are real issues in K-pop. Black fans have every right to speak about discomfort, disrespect, or harmful behavior. I am not dismissing that at all. I just think there should also be room for nuance and consistency in these conversations instead of reducing everything to “good person vs bad person.”
And before anyone twists my words, I’m a Black girl myself. I’m genuinely just trying to understand the difference in reactions, so please keep it respectful.