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BTS fans trend 'Jimmy Kimmel Racist' as TV host compares more boy bands to Covid

After being called out by ARMYs for his racist remarks towards BTS, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel was caught in another incident which ARMYs are not happy about

With the goal of entertaining their fans and making them laugh, many talk show hosts have found themselves in situations that lead to a lot of negative attention on social media. Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel decided to make an insensitive joke about the ongoing pandemic comparing its power to that of one of the biggest boy bands in the world, BTS.

Since the origin of the Covid-19 virus itself is China, the South Korean boyband being compared to the deadly virus was no short of a Xenophobic remark and not as ‘praiseworthy’ to BTS as Kimmel would like it to be. Now, not so long after that remark, Kimmel has turned into a “second-time offender” as he tried making the same joke again, this time at the expense of other International boybands like Backstreet Boys, N’SYNC, Big Time Rush, and others as he compared the increasing popularity of various boybands over the years with the new mutations of the Covid-19 virus and its increasing health risk with every new mutant.

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Jimmy Kimmel Racist trends on Twitter

With the intention of trying to take the negative attention that Kimmel faced after ARMYs started calling him out on Twitter for his racist remarks towards BTS in an episode of his talk show, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ when he interviewed ‘Emily in Paris’ actress, Ashley Park. On discovering how the actress is a dedicated BTS ARMY, he continued to compare ‘BTS fever’ - a slang term used to describe the love fans have for the seven-member boy group; to the fever and illness caused due to Covid-19.

Fans of BTS called out the xenophobic comments from the talk show host and in an attempt to fizzle out the backlash he is getting online, Jimmy Kimmel compared the new Covid-19 mutations to the growing popularity of boybands since the 2000s. In a clip that is now being circulated online, Jimmy Kimmel is heard saying that Covid-19 seems to be growing stronger with every new mutation just like the increasing popularity of the many boybands that have made their debut since the early 2000s.

In his attempt to take attention away from BTS and save himself from being called out by ARMYs, Jimmy Kimmel is seen trying to make a “joke out of Racism”. Fans of BTS are now drawing attention towards the past xenophobic and racist comments made by the TV personality claiming that Kimmel has always been racist as they trend #JimmyKimmelRacist on Twitter.

‘We can take a joke. But racism isn't funny.’

ARMYs have been known for their chaotic ways of sharing the love they have for BTS all over Twitter but when it comes to protecting the septet, the fandom leaves no stone unturned. Back in 2021 when another talk show host, James Corden made some unfunny remarks about BTS fans, ARMYs took it upon themselves to make it known how much they did not appreciate his actions only for the leader of BTS, RM (Namjoon) to coerce an apology out of James Corden on live television. Now as Jimmy Kimmel turns on the bad side of ARMY, fans are calling him out on his past actions.

One fan said, “Ah a repeat offender. I'm not surprised. #JimmyKimmelRacist.” Another fan said, “Yesterday ARMY twt had a viral tweet about the best jokes in our fandom. We can take a joke. But racism isn't funny. #JimmyKimmelRacist.” Another fan said, “​​There’s something wrong with this man.” One ARMY said, “You’ve repeated your racism, it is now a choice not a mistake, not saying their name and using other boy bands as cover doesn’t hide your racism, we see through it, jimmy kimmel you are a disgrace.”

Another fan said, “We asian people are supposed to be ok with his repeated efforts to associate visible asian people like bts with the coronavirus.” Another fan said, “Let me add these other bands name in so they won’t call me out for being racist- Jimmy Kimmel, 2021.” One more fan pointed out, “Why would you keep on comparing literal humans to a virus that took so MANY lives of people? Is racism comedy? this man literally has no shame, no humanity.”