On the Impetus Behind ARMY Charitable Giving
In a recent article by a magazine, a popular journalist who regularly contributes to KPOP-related pieces stated the following about fandoms doing charity:
“Donations exist in K-pop fandoms for a reason. K-pop fans will try to outdo each other… they will even call up charities to see which other fandoms have donated, and try to one-up the latest efforts in the name of their favorites.”
The structuring of the article, wherein the ARMY campaign #MatchAMillion has been mentioned alongside the above statement, might result in a false correlation between this subjective opinion shared on charity within KPOP fandoms and the work of OIAA and ARMY. So, we want to point out the following:
We do not, nor have we ever, inquired of any nonprofit organization with which we have worked about whether any other fandom has donated to them, or how much was donated. We do not, nor have we ever, sought to know what another fandom was doing as charity in an attempt to best them. We have had absolutely no interest in any other fandoms or their charity projects, for curiosity, competition, or any other reason. Our primary concern is ARMY — our fellow fans of BTS — and how we can all make a difference in this world in their names.
The statement quoted in the article generalizes the work of ARMY and OIAA under the category of “KPOP Fans” and implies several attributes which we do not identify with. These include working on charity projects to give publicity to the artist we follow, and working on charity projects to fuel competition. We, as ARMY, can clearly see many issues with this narrative. By making competition a key driver behind organizing charity campaigns, the statement in the article takes away humanity and empathy from the projects by not considering them as key reasons these projects exist in the first place. Not only is the correlation and generalization inherently problematic, but it also nullifies the years of hard work ARMY and OIAA have invested to create an ecosystem of support and positivity in the fandom.
We and our fellow ARMY started following BTS because of the comfort and purpose we found in their messages and charitable efforts — their mission, their message, their music, the sentiments and ideals they express in their art, and the hopes and aspirations they share with their fans, to put something positive and helpful into the world in the hopes of making it better. The vision behind OIAA is driven by our belief that the comfort which we get from BTS can be given back to the world in abundance. It also aligns with our personal objective, as individuals, to work on making this world a better place. BTS has given us a source of motivation and a medium to connect with people who share this objective and want to manifest it into reality — the reason why a platform like OIAA exists.
We aim to motivate ARMY and impart the message that each of us is capable of changing the world. Each project that we have run in the past or will run in the future focuses on channeling this energy, enthusiasm, and action-driven behaviour into social good. ARMY, in return, has time and again shown that when we come together and make efforts — big or small — we can make a tangible impact on many people’s lives. The reports produced after all our campaigns are available on our website, www.oneinanarmy.org.
When we, a team of volunteers from across the globe, come together despite all the challenges involved (work, school, family, varying time zones, and more) to plan and execute a project, competition between fandoms or publicity for BTS does not even cross our minds. Yes, who wouldn’t want the artist they follow to be known for the impact their fans are making in the world? But saying that this positive press is the sole objective of running charity campaigns, rather than helping the people, communities, animals etc. in need, does a complete disservice to our work. We are offended by the statement because it takes our agency away from us and speaks for us.
Our research process is publicly available on our website, and we have always been open about answering any questions directed at us. If the conclusions stated were to be drawn, it wouldn’t have taken much time or effort for the publication or the expert journalist to check this information, and reach out to us with any questions they might have had regarding our motives.
The constant attempt of the media to define ARMY as a non-thinking and obsessive collective contributes to a larger problem: the press’ inability to fathom the extent of the influence ARMY has, without adhering to the generalizations which are commonly attributed to us. For the self-declared experts, who draw their conclusions out of genre-bound behaviour, it will always be difficult to comprehend and accept the unique relation ARMY shares with BTS. On one hand we do not expect them to understand it, but on the other hand this lack of research into ARMY culture, and the resulting ignorant statements, are contributing to the narratives that we as a fan collective do not comply with.
What makes it more problematic is that, if not corrected, these experts will be regarded as an authority and will have the final word on ARMY, rather than ARMY ourselves. We do not intend to surrender our agency to the press. Therefore, we are releasing this article to clarify that the statements given by the journalist in the magazine’s piece lack any research or fact-checking, and serve to completely devalue OIAA’s and ARMY’s work through generalizing. We advise readers to proceed with caution and, as always, conduct their own research. Our website and social media accounts are always open for questions.
Thank you for your support and understanding,
OIAA Team
