When it comes to under-the-radar memes, South Korean pop group BTS doesn’t even have a website.
So when the “self-described ‘death metal’” got wind of Late Late Show host James Corden making jokes about the band and its fans on national television, things got really weird.
“This thing called BTS, I think you guys may be under-represented in Hollywood,” Corden said on Tuesday’s show. “They’re inescapable.”
On Twitter, however, BTS’ fans quickly rose up in support.
“Well I would like to read this lyric out loud for every single one of our music video views,” one person said.
One fan tweeted Corden to inform him that an abusive Korean, “pisses me off and he lives at my house,” and to contact “a lawyer” about the situation.
Ouch.
Corden tried to brush off the concerns, and then teased the fans even more.
“I know I will be accused of going off script or what have you, but someone told me they hope I die today,” he said. “But I hope I die of natural causes.”
No word if the Tweet was on.
Another song lyric?
“Let’s not burn this place down.”
Not helpful.
Corden’s BTS joke came the day after he covered the band’s fifth studio album, “Love Yourself: Her,” and followed the same “kill or be killed” star-power joke he teased earlier in the show about Def Jam’s new artist Chief Keef.
That time, though, the host directly called out Keef, who has tweeted threats to burn the show “down” with fans.
Corden’s BTS joke was all pretty tame compared to Keef’s threats.
Corden later apologized to fans for being “awkward,” but fans are still steamed.
BTS’ manager Johnny Yang criticized Corden for “shamefully referring to [his] company with derogatory comments,” according to E! News.
“The fact that James had it out for BTS, defaming the BTS Army with harsh and humiliating words, not only disgusts us but also serves as a blatant example of the unacceptable type of treatment that Asian artists are entitled to receive as a direct result of their ethnicity,” he said.