Many fans are canceling their Netflix subscription following the streaming giant’s controversial joke towards BTS.
It’s been 2 weeks since BTS announced a temporary break from group activities, and ARMYs are still constantly fighting back against anyone who thinks the group will disband, most recently Netflix. On June 28, the official Twitter account of Netflix posted a scene from its original series “Umbrella Academy” in which a character says, “The only thing we have in common is childhood trauma.”
What sparked controversy is Netflix’s caption for the photo. Netflix wrote, “Millennials going through Destiny’s Child ‘hiatus’. Gen Z going through the One Direction ‘hiatus’. Generation Alpha going through the BTS through the BTS ‘hiatus’.“
Immediately, the post became swept up in criticism from BTS’s fandom ARMY with thousands of comments and shares. After announcing to temporarily going on a hiatus from group promotions to focus on solo careers, BTS members themselves and HYBE already confirmed that the group would not disband to avoid misunderstandings and misinformation. BTS’s hiatus is not the same as the case of One Direction, so Netflix’s comparison has angered the fans.
In addition, fans were outraged as Netflix implied that BTS fans were all kids by referring to them as Generation Alpha. Alpha is the next generation after Gen Z and includes those who were born in 2010 or later. This means the oldest of Generation Alpha is only 12 years old. ARMYs pointed out that Gen Alpha fans make up only a small part and most of BTS’s fanbase are older than what Netflix said in their joke.
In response to Netflix’s distasteful joke, many ARMYs have decided to cancel their Netflix subscriptions, even posting screenshots to prove it. Currently, Netflix has not made any response to ARMY’s anger. Meanwhile, One Direction announced their hiatus in 2015 and there has been no reunion since then.
