Netizens question language used surrounding Wallen’s 2021 controversy.
Koreaboo
Weverse Magazine was created as a companion site to Weverse, a fan community app created by HYBE Corporation, and currently hosts a collection of exclusive interviews, features, playlists, and music reviews for K-Pop’s hottest artists and global music stars.
One of Weverse Magazine‘s most recent features is under fire from fans for spotlighting controversial American country music artist Morgan Wallen.
Many fans felt that the language in the article downplayed the severity of the artist using a racial slur in 2021. In the 2021 video filmed from Wallen’s neighbor’s home, Wallen was seen and heard yelling at his friends, speaking about someone while using multiple profanities and the N-word, a racial slur used against Black people that the country singer admitted in a resulting interview he used “around a certain group of friends and didn’t realize the implications it could have.”
Wallen’s actions resulted in his label suspending his contract, his music being pulled from airplay on radio stations across America and multiple streaming services, and a ban from the 2021 American Music Awards.
He believes he can “playfully” use the N word according to 7/23/2021 @EW article.
There is no playful use of a racist slur. https://t.co/JbT3LkXvLR
— Yoon Gi’s Partner 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️~⟭⟬⁷ (@nomadnoor) May 25, 2023
After the Weverse Magazine article listed the consequences of Wallen’s use of the racial slur, it acknowledged the fact that Wallen seemed to become more popular after his 2021 video was released.
But after this rocky period, Wallen won the hearts and streams of listeners. People who had grown tired of the finger-pointing and backlash of “cancel culture” started listening to his music more and more… As controversy surrounding the singer grew, his popularity only soared.
— Weverse Magazine
The article refers to Wallen as a “troublemaker” and “a breath of fresh air in a genre that hasn’t seen any new superstars since Taylor Swift, in that he’s putting out enjoyable music while disrupting the game with huge commercial success along the way,” which many feel is a flippant disregard of the harmfulness of Wallen’s casual use of the racial slur when Weverse strives to connect artists to a proud and diverse group of fans.
Describing this man’s racism and his resulting rise in popularity among bigots as him just being a bit of a “troublemaker” is a harmful and gross misrepresentation of reality, this article needs to get taken down, like right now, i don’t even understand how it’s still up
— Aleinaki⁷ 🫂💜 (@Aleinaki) May 25, 2023
Not reading this. Support of a racist white supremist is not a good look weverse. 👎🏽🙅🏽♀️ Thought you might have learned from when you cut out a major demographic in another article..😡 Genuine concern over @weverseofficial ‘s direction.
— Arie⁷ 💜🥢🐱 (@hey_arie) May 25, 2023
Biggest troublemaker?? he didn’t get caught playing dumb tricks on his friends, the guy is a racist straight up, and this is who you decide to profile? Absolutely no @weverseofficial, I will not read this nor support you in anyway. What were you thinking?
— SUGA’S WHISPER 🥢UBS D1 DDAY IS HERE!! (@SugasWhisper1) May 25, 2023
Netizens are overwhelmingly disappointed in the direction Weverse Magazine is taking and are calling on the virtual magazine and HYBE to thoughtfully consider the artists they promote on their platform and the message it sends to its diverse global audience.
hey @BIGHIT_MUSIC Is this the way to push your artists under the bus? putting artists and their art against each other and setting others apart in the process. your artists.
this isn’t billboard, variety. this is weverse your business partner. FIX THAT— shrifa⁷ 🥢sban 🔍⍤⃝🔎FAN of ᴮᴱ ⁷ ⟭⟬ ⟬⟭ (@elhichri0) May 25, 2023
@weverseofficial what has happened to the wonderful articles you all have been writing- insightful, informed, sometimes controversial, from diverse persons. This article, however, exalts his racist nature, his lack of respect for diversity and others. So disappointed.
— JK’s Right Foot⁷ OT7 for life. (@KarenBr5662) May 25, 2023
that’s a good example why a diverse staff is necessary in order to tackle certain topics. troublemaker is not a synonym for racist. in his case he is the latter and calling him the former is a disservice to every other artist he is compared to.
— Laira⁷ (@BEmoonchild13) May 25, 2023
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