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

[uledy.livejournal.com]

You're contradicting yourself. If you agree that White people have a clear advantage in all of these issues that affect poor communities, clearly White privilege is more than "rich White privilege".

You're poor and it sucks. But you're also White and that comes with a world of advantages. I don't understand why you just can't acknowledge that you personally have privilege and may be at a greater advantage than POC in your economic class. To harp on how equally disadvantaged you are as POC and to note historical changes of Black and White class mobility is incredibly reductive and demonstrates that you are unwilling to own up to your own privilege.

[enpantoufles.livejournal.com]

Yeah I am so confused as to what they are trying to argue right now

[uledy.livejournal.com]

Regardless of your lineage, your initial statement that White privilege is simply "rich person privilege" is still fucked up and reductive. That's not going change no matter how mixed your parentage is. That's what I know about you.

[uledy.livejournal.com]

It's really more appropriate to say 'rich person privilege' but it's easier to pin it on all whites because a lot of them had a head start historically.

O.K.

I don't think you know what you said or even what you want to say, tbh.

And trust, son, this is me being calm in the face of foolishness but I appreciate your attempts to police my attitude.

This thread is done.

[umbrella-smile.livejournal.com]

You IMPLIED you were white with your very first sentence. "I have as little opportunities as the POC around me".

Sounds like you are trying to back-pedal tbh.

[uledy.livejournal.com]

yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup.

[enpantoufles.livejournal.com]

So what you're saying is you have no idea what white privilege is, can't be bothered to look up anything when you're on the internet and have any knowledge at your fingertips, can't be bothered to read anything people have been telling you

[shineebambi.livejournal.com]

Omg you are white living in America try actually opening your eyes to the world around you seriously read this article before you comment any more here http://www.nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf seriously read it

[enpantoufles.livejournal.com]

We've already explained that isn't what it means but continue to whine and be manipulative or whatever while claiming you don't have something when you don't even know what it is

[enpantoufles.livejournal.com]

I can like hear the points whoosh past you

It's like an ear-splitting sound

[uledy.livejournal.com]

OMG, you are fascinating. A rare gem indeed. Never have I encountered someone who so vehemently denies the existence of their own White privilege. Please carry on. I beg you.

[shineebambi.livejournal.com]

Omg no one said white people don't have shit and trouble of there own but guess what THEY ARE NOT RACISM OR RACISM RELATED

[hisjulliet.livejournal.com]

you think every white person living in america has some super natural wonderful life full of privilege simply because they're white

ding ding ding

news flash

BECAUSE THEY DO by the sole fact that they are WHITE

[enpantoufles.livejournal.com]

You can still have terrible things happen to you or a sucky life and not be oppressed for your race it's perfectly possible

Having white privilege doesn't mean you may not oppressed for other things or that your life will be full of riches and no troubles

[umbrella-smile.livejournal.com]

None of what you said in the comment you baleeted takes away the fact that if you are white you have white privilege. Being discriminated against for being athiest and being poor doesn't cancel out white privilege.

[umbrella-smile.livejournal.com]

it wasn't you, apologies