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a thread debunking some of the most common misconceptions about ARMY –– from an ARMY to the general public
let’s get a definition of ARMY. an ARMY is a fan of BTS, the band from south korea. ARMY are BTS’s biggest advocates and shield. the relationship is reciprocal, BTS protect ARMY and ARMY protect BTS.
BTS care a lot about their fans. i’ll let their words speak for themselves. this should give you a little bit of a picture into why ARMY stay dedicated to BTS for so long. it isn't a teenage phase.
so, how can you join the ARMY? there is an official fan club membership, but you don’t have to buy anything to be considered an ARMY. if you feel like you fit the definition above, then you can consider yourself an ARMY.
something to remember is that all ARMY came from the general public. we aren’t a different species. we’re normal people all over the world, but also fans of BTS.
firstly, ARMY is apolitical, despite how the media wants to sell it. when you have a fandom that is literally millions-wide, you have to understand that people will have different perspectives. ARMY does not do anything political in the name of BTS.
the BLM donation was not political, it was a matter of human rights. maybe ARMY on an individual level are political, most people have political opinions, but BTS themselves don’t have anything to do with it.
we have been organizing for these kinds of social issues for a long time, but it isn’t politics. pushing ARMY and BTS into a political narrative is something that we don’t want. talk about our donations and us being a force for good, sure, but don’t put a political spin on it.
we are not a monolith. if you had two entirely different ARMY twitter accounts, you would interact with very different people. ARMY groups are also spread across social media (eg. ig ARMYs, facebook ARMYs, etc). the opinion of one ARMY does not reflect all.
we are not a cult, dumb, or brainwashed. we debate and converse with each other all the damn time. ARMY is so large that one bad fan is not reflective of the entire fandom, although people often make it seem that way.
ARMY has no hierarchy or leader. it’s comparable to a grassroots organization in terms of operations. concentrated groups working on some things, others flitting in between, etc. ARMY are many individuals unified by the love of BTS, but we don’t lack different perspectives.
ARMY aren’t ARMY because BTS are conventionally attractive men. i mean yes, they’re hot, anyone with working eyes can tell.
if you asked ARMY why they love BTS so much you would probably hear any or multiple of the following: insightful lyrics, winning personalities, sincerity, humility, musicality, and talent. ARMY finds comfort in BTS for those reasons, not because they’re pretty.
most fans have no romantic interest in any of the members. the dynamic between BTS and ARMY is unique. BTS does not sit on a pedestal and preach to the masses, despite their success, they have always gotten down on the same level to have a genuine connection with their fans.
most ARMYs would describe their relationship with BTS as platonic affection. ARMY are genuinely invested and BTS and care strongly for them, but very few are under the delusion that they ever have a chance with BTS.
sure, there are some, but again the minority does not reflect the majority. they’re pretty guys, yes, but they have more substance than that. they are not people who are one dimensional and shouldn't be reduced to their physical appearance for objectification.
ARMY is different from k-pop stans. ARMY only applies to fans of BTS, and k-pop stans are different than ARMY. the actions that ARMY take are ARMYs alone. ARMY raise for charity without our fandom, that can’t be attributed to k-pop stans.
speaking of charity, we have no ulterior motive in raising money. we have been raising money and doing charity projects around the globe before BTS even had widespread global recognition. https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=14gsXdpztf77Uj91DT1UNq33413iNdwtq&hl=en_US
we often donate through fandom because we have well-established fan groups like @OneInAnARMY that make it easy to concentrate efforts on one objective for maximum effect. however, ARMYs also donate personally too! we are normal people who like to support causes we care about.
we aren’t just young girls (although there is nothing wrong with being a young, female fan of BTS). that narrative is tired, irritating, and misogynistic.
we aren’t mindless or hysterical. how do you think we are able to fund thousands of dollars and have academics publish inter-fandom research? there are a lot of adult professionals in the fandom too, along with plenty of awesome teenage girls (myself included).
there are fans from every demographic under the sun. go to any concert and you’ll see ARMY in action.
we aren’t mean, just defensive of BTS. a lot of people’s criticism of BTS is rooted in racism and xenophobia, which they have faced a lot of over the years. https://docs.google.com/document/d/14RAj4ap81VlpQyTcBmeWWXKYqGUUBRg4JIyW7yGiLxo/edit?usp=sharing
we aren’t bots. bots can’t fill stadiums.
we love BTS, and BTS love us. that’s ARMY.
here is a PDF version of the thread. click on images to expand and the links are live as well. let me know if you have any questions. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BbR3UuX-_2uKDvMhv4XurDmDVm6CciLp/view?usp=sharing
