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Putting the K-Pop Boy Band BTS and its Fandom into Historical
Context

Presentation · June 2019

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.23493.70882

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Michael Furmanovsky

Ryukoku University, Faculty of Intercultural Communication



“Putting the K-Pop Boy Band BTS and its
Fandom into Historical Context”



michael@world.ryukoku.ac.jp



ASCJ at Saitama University June 29-30, 2019

BoyBand Chart
A Timeline of Music Fandom in the USA/UK
1920s Rudolph Valentino- first actor with female fans
1930s Babe Ruth (baseball player) Superman Comics
1930s Benny Goodman Fans at the Palomar, 1935
1940s Frank Sinatra and the Bobby Soxers , Superman on the Radio
1950s: Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson (first TV idol)
1960s: The Beatles (Beatlemania and fanclub) THE MONKEES
1970s M.A.S.H TV show (watched by 100 million) fans. TV: Star Trek
Idol groups with TV shows: Jackson 5, Osmonds, David Cassidy
1980s Rock Acts with huge fan base Grateful Dead, Springsteen
Boybands: NYOTB, NSYNC and BACKSTREET BOYS
Madonna, Michael Jackson
1990s: Spice Girls Britney Spears Boyband: TAKE THAT
2000s: Harry Potter, Taylor Swift, Game of Thrones, Twilight, NBA
Basketball stars Chicago Cubs,
2010s: ONE DIRECTION, Virtual Idols, Bieber, Chainsmokers,

Kpop TVXQ Big Bang, Super Junior, GG, Kara , BTS



Some Basic Questions about Contemporary Fandom 



1. Is it just studying what fans do? Definition issues.



2.What academic “field” it belong to? (Popular Culture? Media
Studies? Cultural Studies? Other?)



3. How is East Asian Fandom different from western fandom? What
are the common points? 



4. Why is it associated so closely with anime, games and manga
rather than music and sports? The latter might well be more
numerous, depending on how it is measured. Consider the
audience for the Football World Cup



 Four Questions about Boybands in Pop Culture



1. Which, if any, boybands since the 1960s can be considered
a popular culture phenomenon?



2. On what basis, or following what theory/criteria can they be
deemed to be or assessed as, popular culture?



3. How important is the fandom, as opposed to the groups’
objective achievements in making this assessment? 



4. How important is transnational appeal that includes both
eastern & western cultural centers in assessing the (pop culture)
status of a boy band today?

 Key Fandom Texts
General study

Fandom in 1992!

Participatory Culture and Fan Community

Henry Jenkins:

Collecting things
Television Theory

Theory Cultural Studies

Criteria for evaluating the extent to which boybands
from the 1960s-2000s (pre Web 2.0 Era) should be
considered “popular culture (Q 1-2)

A: BAND FORMATION/CHARACTERISTIC/ ACHIEVEMENT

1. Was the group assembled through auditions and then shaped to
create a product that would appeal primarily to teenage girls in the
USA/UK? If so did it transcend this demographic or reach an
international audience as a result of some unexpected connection
made overseas?

2. Assuming that outside professionals played a large role in creating

the group’s musical and visual product as well as its media and stage
persona, did the group make the most of this assistance and go on to
create an enduring popular music contribution as well as innovations
in the area of musical performance or youth culture?
Questions Continued (Q 3-4)

FORMATION/CHARACTERISTIC/ ACHIEVEMENT
3. Assuming that the individual personalities of the group’s
members were chosen and shaped to appeal to a teenage (or pre-
teen fan base, did the individual members go on to develop their
own persona and image that went beyond this formula and
succeed in creating a bond with fans that had a non-commercial or
authentic dimension?

4. Has the group achieved a status that has allowed them to have
a have revival tour in which they play to a mass and transnational
audience of former and new fans? Are their performances and
new/old songs consumed by a contemporary audience?
 FAN ACTIVITY and BEHAVIOR Q 1-4

Did the fans:

1. make their own fan culture-type organizations (with internal rules)

OR reshape any official fan club in a manner that might be considered
akin to today’s SNS-based fandom (see Henry Jenkins work)?

2. focus attention and organize fan activities based on their

identification with members of the group in ways that were not
anticipated or shaped by the management or official fanclub?

3. try to gain access to information about (or actual physical proximity

to) the group members in ways which suggest that the band’s
existence/music/ performance was/is an important part of their identity
or daily life as teens?

4. create physical products to show their own or group identification or

fandom in ways that eschewed or bypassed the official fanclub.
Proposed Minimal Qualifications for “Pop Culture Status”

1. The group must be very popular in a measurable sustained way.

However being very popular at a given moment does not mean pop
culture status is attained. (It cannot be a fad)

2. The group must have a large number of active and enthusiastic

fans in more than one cultural center. However this alone is
insufficient. These fans must be creative in an organized, interactive
manner that fits the standard definition of fandom.

3. The group must produce music/songs of a quality, generational

resonance and enduring popularity that is comparable to the best
self-assembled rock/pop bands. The group should play some role in
creating their songs and persona and have an evolving appeal
independent of producers/songwriters/managers.
A group CANNOT be said to be “pop culture” if they:

1. play a minimal role in building and/refining/developing their on

and off stage persona or do not respond in a non-commercial
manner to their fans’ fandom activity

2. play no significant role in the overall musical output & media

persona that is associated with their name or can be replaced
easily by the management for any reason.

3. produce little or no music that subsequent generations want to

hear or become a purely oldies or revival act.

4. Are unable to achieve some degree of transnational success in

countries with markedly different socio-sexual mores and a
different first language.
What are some undeniable historic
fandoms that meet all or most of the
criteria suggested by the presenter?
Fandom in the 1920s- Valentino and his funeral
Sports Fandom in the 1930s: Babe Ruth/Dodgers
Fandom in the 1930s: Benny Goodman at the
Palomar, Los Angeles 1936
Fandom in the 1940s: Frank Sinatra Bobbysoxers 1
Fandom in the 1940s: Frank Sinatra Bobbysoxers 2
Fandom in the 1950s: Elvis Presley
Fandom in the 1960s- The Beatles
Boybands in the 1960s-The Monkees
The Monkees and Boy Band Fandom
The Monkees in Japan:Singles Record Sleeves
The Monkees in Japan: Mass Media
The Backstreet Boys: Boyband as Cute Homeboys
The Backstreet “Boys”: Nostalgia for Teenagehood
(American & Japanese Women 35-40)
Take That: UK Boyband: Edgy Cheeky Boy Next Door
Take That Today: Nostalgia /Mother & Daughter Live
Take That Today: Nostalgia /Musical 2018
One Direction: Updating The Monkees & More
One Directions Fans: The Pre-Teen Credibility Issue
One Direction in Japan: Updating Monkees in Asia
One Direction Connecting with the Asian Teen
Japan and the Philippines
Taking the Boy Band into new realms of pop
culture with a transnational fandom?
Who really makes BTS’s melodies & sound?

Bang Si Hyuk -CEO of BigHit

Entertainment
Pdogg (Kang Hyo Won), age 36
Some articles claim that members of BTS are closely involved in
the making of their sound. However, while they obviously are largely
responsible for their own rap lyrics and partly for their dance style, there is
no evidence at all that they are capable of making the highly sophisticated
computer arranged music that is a feature of their albums. A look at their
touring schedule would preclude such involvement. As such they do in fact
resemble past boy bands.
BTS: Colorful Pretty Boys bonding in a manga style
boyslove-fantasy mode with synchronized post-hip
hop dance and top-level EDM beats
Songs: ““Blood Sweat & Tears,” “DNA” “Spring Day”
“Fake Love” Average Youtube views 200 million

2016 307m
“DNA” 2017 Youtube 400m +
“Spring Day” 2017 Yutube Views: 180m
“Fake Love” 2018 Youtube Views: 545m
Album Love Yourself contains melancholy rap; quirky hip-hop; neo-soul
ballads; powerhouse pop and electro-dance, numerous producers and
composers, including some western ones.
BTS at Wembley Stadium June UK, 2019
BTS in UK Media 2018-2019
BTS at Wembley Stadium June UK, 2019
BTS (Army) Fandom Activity
 Some Characteristics of BTS Fandom
Massive Use of Twitter and Social Media (but
coordinated by Big Hit Entertainment)

Trans National Fan Base; Brazil, Turkey, Thailand

Philippines, UK; Asian-Americans in US

Monkees-like division of fans based on identification

with a single member- matches the group’s careful
division of vocal duties and raps
Fan Chants of “BTS” and phrases or a single word
in a given Song
High degree of protectiveness and pride in “BTS”
accomplishments and behavior
BTS “Army” Fans Top 10 Countries
Towards an socio-psychological explanation of BTS’ western
(but non Asian-American) fandom based on (a) observation of
their media presence, (b) examination of their online fan
discourse and (c) my understanding of past boybands’ appeal.

1. Underdog status among peers in school-Identity comes from being

teased by others as “Koreaboos.” No boyband rivals in USA- BTS fill
a gap.

2. Feelings of being part of a cross-cultural global phenomena at a

time of racial and ethnic division. Korean lyrics are no barrier.

3. Redefined masculinity built around a colorful high fashion

prettiness, but one that avoids “effeminate” aspects due to dancing
power and use of rap.
Towards an socio-psychological explanation [continued]

4. Pride/protective feelings for respectful, wholesome but

vulnerable idols.

5. Pride in the disciplined, collective behavior of the ARMY

(e.g chants and large scale online sharing). Self-Love/
acceptance message in lyrics

6. Freedom given to non-whites, especially African American

teenage girls to behave like other teenagers and not be
teased for liking a white artist.
BTS’ Multi-Racial Fandom-Mostly USA
To be a BTS fan right now in the West means feeling
like an underdog and a world champion at the same
time. You can be teased by your peers, but still watch
your boys play on one of the biggest stages in North
America. There isn’t a better Cinderella story in K-pop
than BTS, because if these seven kids from various
corners of the Korean peninsula can make
it against all odds, then why not you?

Alex Chung “40,000 BTS Fans Can‘t be Wrong”

[Vulture Oct 10, 2018]
 Additional or Alternative appeal for BTS’ East Asian Fandom

1. Professional Playfulness: Asian perfectionism (dance, clothes) but

fun and with elements of rebelliousness (lyrics )

2. Strong identification of the COLLECTIVE effort-school team or

extended family combined with freedom to express an INDIVIDUAL
choice through idolization of one member

3. Pride in Asian culture and skill and technology. Lyrics sung in

Korean. No embarrassment at lack of English fluency.

4. Pan-Asian Barriers reduced: Break down of Korea-Japan- vs.

China vs. Singapore-Hong Kong-Taiwan -Malaysia- Indonesia-
Vietnam-Philippine regional fan cultures.

5. BHE understand that today’s generations’ need to SEE not just

HEAR their songs. This goes back to glamrock/VisualK
 Assessment of BTS’s FANDOM Q 1-4.
Did the fans:
1. make their own fan culture-type organizations (with internal rules)
OR reshape any official fan club in a manner that might be considered
fandom (as defined by Henry Jenkins et al?) Grade: A

2. focus attention and organize fan activities based on their

identification with members of the group in ways that were not shaped
by the management or official fanclub? Grade: A-

3. try to gain access to information about (or actual physical proximity)

to group members in ways which suggest that the band’s existence/
music/ performance is an important part of their identity or daily life as
adolescents/teenagers? Grade: A

4. create physical products to show their own or group identification or

fandom in ways that bypassed the official fanclub. Grade: B
Areas in which boys band might not be given the status of “pop
culture” and BTS’s grade.

1. play a relatively small role in building and/refining/developing their

on-and-off stage persona or do not respond in a non-commercial
manner to their fans’ fandom activity. Grade: Low Pass

2. play a relatively small role in making their overall musical output &
media persona or could be replaced by the management for any
reason. Grade:Pass

3. produce little or no music that subsequent generations want to

hear or become a purely oldies or revival act. Grade: Likely to Pass

4. Are unable to achieve some degree of transnational success in

countries with markedly different socio-sexual mores and a different
first language. Grade: High Pass
Criteria for Pop Culture Status and BTS’ Grade
1. The group must be very popular in a measurable sustained way.
However being very popular at a given moment does not mean pop
culture status is attained. (It cannot be a fad) Grade: Pass

2. The group must have a very large number of enthusiastic fans in

several cultural centers. However this alone is insufficient. These fans
must be creative in an organized, interactive manner that fits the
standard definition of fandom. Grade: A-

3. The group must produce music/songs of a quality, generational

resonance and enduring popularity that is comparable to the best
self-assembled rock/pop bands. The group should play some role in
creating their songs and persona and have an evolving appeal
independent of producers and songwriters and managers. Grade: B

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