Many stars have faced backlash for their stage outfits, either because they were inappropriate or depicted something controversial. Recently, G-Dragon (지드래곤) sparked outrage after wearing a shirt emblazoned with a racial slur.
Over the weekend, the BIGBANG member performed at the K-SPARK in Macau joint concert. While the performance went smoothly, G-Dragon’s shirt during the show unfortunately caused major controversy. The shirt, designed by German designer Bernhard Willhelm, features a Dutch racial slur equivalent to the n-word at the back of the garment. The phrase reportedly comes from the novel “From Innumerable Millions” by Dutch writer Willem Frederik Hermans.
It’s worth noting there’s context behind the phrase. Regardless, the shirt sparked a slew of criticism towards G-Dragon and his team. Many netizens argued the singer and his stylists should’ve double-checked the meaning of the word, especially if they don’t understand the language. While some fans defended the star, many agreed that he should still take accountability, especially given the offensiveness of the word.
G-Dragon’s agency, Galaxy Corporation, would later release a statement to address the issue. In the statement published on 3rd May (Sunday), the company apologised for the stage outfit, adding that the incident has brought up the importance of cultural sensitivity and responsible review. Galaxy also mentioned that it will reassess and strengthen its internal review and verification processes, including styling, to avoid a recurrence of this issue.
Galaxy Corporation ends its statement, writing, “We remain committed to approaching all artist-related activities with greater thoughtfulness and accountability, while ensuring that the diverse cultural backgrounds and values of our global fans will always be respected. Once again, we sincerely apologise to everyone who was hurt or disappointed by this incident.” Fans have reacted to the statement, thanking the company for its quick response.
Given the sensitive nature of the whole ordeal, it’s good that G-Dragon and Galaxy Corporation were quick to acknowledge their mistake and take accountability. Let’s hope they’ll continue to be more careful in the future.
Sources: Gdragon.ai, Twitter
