G-Dragon's Camp Says K-Pop Star Wasn't Wearing Blackface

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

Says Trayvon Martin-like Instagram photo was both "HUGE misunderstanding" and reference to cover art from Big Bang mastermind's next solo effort



An Instagram photo of South Korean pop idol G-Dragon wearing what appears to be a hoodie and dark coloring over his skin was not meant as a comment on race or politics, according to a rep for the Big Bang leader.

"GD was simply wearing different facepaint colors and this is a HUGE misunderstanding," the spokesperson said in an email to SPIN. "The facepaint is only a color variation for his album cover which includes black, white, and red. It is in no way meant to be a political or racial statement."

The rep further clarified, "It’s being derived by a simple photo shoot where GD was using different facepaint colors for his upcoming album."

G-Dragon's spokesperson also said SPIN's article reporting on the image "is completely wrong and taken out of context."

The response comes after we reported on the photo, noting its resemblance to an iconic image of slain Florida youth Trayvon Martin and pointing out that it had drawn criticism online. Though the singer's Instagram account made no mention of Martin, the image bears an eerie similiarity to a meme that had Frank Ocean, Diddy, the-Dream, and others posting photos of themselves in a hoodie last year. (Rap-Up has a good collection of these Martin-inspired images.) Online forums Oh No They Didn't! and One Asian World previously pointed out an alleged connection to the Martin tributes.

G-Dragon is set to appear at KCON 2013, a K-pop convention in Los Angeles on August 24 and 25, and he is readying a new solo album. G-Dragon's 2012 "Crayon" was SPIN's No. 1 K-pop song of the year. His group Big Bang's "Bad Boy" was one of SPIN's 21 Greatest K-Pop Songs of All Time. Check out our coverage of a Big Bang concert in New Jersey here.

The original Instagram photo is below:

That's some Justin Bieber level of PR...

EDIT:
the official omona twitter has shared our open letter with authors from spin and the la times who wrote articles about GD.

Spin

Comments

[soramai.livejournal.com]

Sohee is so cute.

Re: He said it during a Music Core broadcast

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Wow...

Re: That Black in Asia tumblr post on GD though

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Wtf does black acting White mean? What is acting White? How the fuck says this stuff? Good god get an education.

[soramai.livejournal.com]

ia

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Some people just have no clue about how offensive they can be. Sorry bb:/

[soramai.livejournal.com]

like most korean unfortunaly. :(

Re: He said it during a Music Core broadcast

[soramai.livejournal.com]

oh my! they were so young! it's so weird to see this in 2013.

[soramai.livejournal.com]

ia, and I remember that they were talking about it on the radio too (RTL).

[dubukat.livejournal.com]

thanks :) That Onew is a cutie

[atenais-pala.livejournal.com]

Yes, we're just telling that, we cannot assume people's intentions when culture is so different everywhere.

In my country they posted about this news, but they didn't mention about the "blackface" thing, because nobody would understand it without a large explanation about its meaning.

Re: He said it during a Music Core broadcast

[miwa201.livejournal.com]

yeah i know that. and clearly top is okay with it.

Re: That Black in Asia tumblr post on GD though

[miwa201.livejournal.com]

late but i remember that seoulbeats letter and the comments on that post were so damn embarrassing. i don't even like seoulbeats but that post just showed how ignorant kpop fans really are (and the tiger jk post too).

[lilykt7.livejournal.com]

word, although it was never an excuse to begin with. If I saw anyone throw on yellow paint and squint their eyes on snl or some shit, it wouldn't matter that theres no major history behind making fun of asians in that context. It's still rude and hurtful and plain dumb. Like WHY? why do u need to do that. Omg so much side eyeing. It's such a backwards peasant level of entertainment.

[bolingi-aii.livejournal.com]

<3 I know exactly how you feel, its gonna be alright boo. One day this is gonna change.

[u-niverse.livejournal.com]

this whole issue is just so emotionally draining. so much hate coming from all directions

[bolingi-aii.livejournal.com]

The point is literally flying over their heads because they've condensed it to being an "american only" thing and take it into a larger context in order to justify the fact that they either dont or are unwilling to understand and sympathize. Whatver, as much as I want to end this line of thinking these people are truly stubborn. Its the same ones over and over again.

[bolingi-aii.livejournal.com]

he couldnt even be bothered to explain himself personally? >.>

but good on Spin getting the open letter. Someone has to learn something.

[mjspice.livejournal.com]

Bollocks really!!

Re: He said it during a Music Core broadcast

[opd-top.livejournal.com]

Oh bother GD.

Well since this is old, I'm praying TOP has gotten a lot more smarter than him.

[opd-top.livejournal.com]

Yeah I think the fact that most of those commenters that probably were rejected or were banned for trolling in our community went into ONTD (& Arama too) & started spreading around that this community was bad or that Kpop is so over etc.

[itskimbitches.livejournal.com]

They're ignorant in the most disgusting way. They don't give a shit about the constant mistreatment of black ppl but whatever when the day is done I will die for my own over anyone else. Shit is getting more transparent each and everyday, I'm tired of it tbh I'm putting black ppl before any other race at this point because if I don't who will care for us?

[bolingi-aii.livejournal.com]

Sadly, this is exactly how white supremacy works against us. This is how they want minorities to think, that you're in it alone and no one will stand beside you. Divide and conquer, anti-blackness was used to do exactly that. Unfortunate our black asses are at the very bottom and we bear the grunt of this LITERALLY EVERY FUCKING WHERE. This isn't the right thinking to have bb, its hard as fuck to get rid of and I battle saying -fuck everyone who isnt black because we only got each other- everyday but if we do that, we all fucking lose. Black people have a strong and proud history of bringing ALL oppressed people together. We can't let the tactics of white supremacy take us away from that. Don't focus on those who don't want to learn. They are victims of white supremacy, they are either benefactors or want so badly to believe they are, theyre brainwashed and one day they will come to their senses. You do as much as you can to help break it down for them, don't waste your energy on fools. They don't even understand what you're talking about that's why its so easy for them to open their mouths and say that bullshit. I'm not gonna sit here and lie like I dont know exactly how you feel, because I do. I feel it all the fucking time, like no one will ride for us the way we ride for other people. Buts that alright, keep doing whats honest to you. White supremacy is so psychologically damaging and people DONT get how deep and real it is. But I know that not all other minorities or whites are like this, I know it and I have seen it thats the only thing that keeps me holding on. Thats why solidarity is so important, no one can do it alone. But you have me because I understand your pain. Did you come to the wake yesterday? lol there is a good strong black presence here that can provide support <3

[0ddie13.livejournal.com]

my brain is just not poisoned with racism.

[itskimbitches.livejournal.com]

I'm not ignoring every other race, I'm saying if I had to pick between a black person and anyone else I would choose the black person. I bend over backwards to save friendships. Ppl love to say "you're different from them" and I educate them on how fucking offensive that is. When they see a group of black teens they get scared or say "oh no our school is getting ghetto" like wtf?? We cant even go to school without being judged on our appearence lie we're a cancer. Ot comes from the kindest sweetest well educated ppl too who who go through a good amout of prejudice. Like how are u going to complain about the unfairness that whites push on minorities then two seconds later put down black ppl??

After all this time and with my experience I realize that black ppl can only help other black ppl, but others can be supportive. BUT when it comes down to it when against a black person they put themselves first race wise without even judging the context of their character.

[bolingi-aii.livejournal.com]

The fact that we even have to have thoughts like this (WHEN RACE ISNT EVEN A BIOLOGICAL REALITY) just shows how anti-blackness needs to be talked about more by other minorities because then maybe they would get hip to white supremacy and stop doing Ls laced with whiteness.

UGH tell me about it, thats why I can no longer be the good negro. I see it here ALLLLLL the time, passive ass ignorant nonblack folks will tell other ones " thank for having a CIVIL conversation with me, being all angry only makes the problem worse" bc those black/nonwhites probably have a different manner in articulating or present their opinions in a way that makes the racist ignorant ass comfortable and so THAT gets validated. I'm sick of this shit, its the covert racism that goes on here that makes me dislike this place sometimes. I feel you to my core about that. In my hs the teacher used to stop black students from standing in groups, but not a foot away white kids were blocking the damn passage ways just chilling. Its horrible and its WIDESPREAD. Its not JUST an american thing like people like to fool themselves into believing so they can ignore the reality.

Black people ain't shit to nobody, and thats the truth. Hell they'll put any another race in front of a black person when it comes down to it. Thats how anti-black racism works.