Oreo just dropped a collab with BTS (image courtesy Mondelez International)
LOS ANGELES - Fans of the Korean supergroup BTS are blasting a Texas TV news anchor after his bizarre off-the-cuff comment about the group’s new limited-edition Oreo flavor.
James Eppler, an anchor at Gray Media-owned KJTV in Lubbock, was reading a story about the band’s cookie collab this week when things presumably went off-script.
What he said:
"The cookie’s wafer is the band’s signature color, purple," Eppler said, according to a copy of the segment posted to X. "The wafers are also engraved with one of 13 designs, which spell out a message to fans when put together – and that is ‘death to America,’ which I think is really strange."
Eppler, who is also a journalism professor at Texas Tech, quickly admitted the last part was a joke as his astonished co-anchors jumped on the odd comment.
"Why would you say that?" one asked.
"Somebody could just be tuning in," another offered.
BTS fans react
What they're saying:
Fans of the group began reacting to the clip, some calling for Eppler to apologize or resign.
"This is not funny in any way shape or form, it’s completely unprofessional and disrespectful," one user wrote on X.
"A harmless cookie collab got twisted into conspiracy nonsense because the artists are Korean. That’s xenophobic, plain and simple," another offered.
With Epperson’s Instagram account apparently set to private, BTS fans were also commenting on his Facebook page with memes and GIFs. Even TMZ and the New York Post took note of the controversy.
The other side:
FOX Television Stations has reached out to Gray Media for comment.
Who is BTS?
This browser does not support the Video element.
BTS final night: Soft "pop power" diplomacy
The popularity of the K-Pop phenomenon BTS had a third night of sold-out concerts at Stanford Stadium's 54,000-seat venue, also showing the "soft power" of pop diplomacy raising interest and awareness about Korean language and culture.
Big picture view:
BTS is a seven-member South Korean pop group that debuted in 2013. RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook rose from a local hip-hop act to become one of the best-selling artists in music history. They are known for chart-topping albums, sold-out stadium tours and a massive global following.
That fan base, BTS ARMY, is considered one of the most powerful and organized fandoms in pop culture. Fans regularly coordinate online campaigns to promote BTS music, break streaming records and dominate social media trends worldwide. Concert tickets often sell out within minutes, and the band’s every move can spark international attention.
BTS is an acronym of Bangtan Sonyeondan or "Beyond the Scene."
PREVIOUS: BTS meets with President Biden to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes
The BTS-Oreo collab
As BTS celebrates its 13th anniversary, the BTS Oreo cookies feature 13 unique designs, seen in this image from a press release (Mondelez International).
Dig deeper:
Cookie-maker Oreo recently announced a collaboration with BTS: A limited-edition purple version of the iconic cookie with purple wafers and cream that tastes like hotteok, which is described by Oreo as "a warm, brown sugar–stuffed pancake popular in Korean street food markets."
"BTS has fond childhood memories of eating not just hotteok but also OREO cookies, making this a deeply meaningful collaboration that places a piece of their Korean heritage inside an iconic cookie they've always loved," explained a press release about the cookies.
The Source: Information in this story came from a KJTV-TV clip posted on X, user comments on X and Facebook, a Mondelez International press release, and previous FOX Television Stations reporting.