The power of ARMY fandom during COVID-19
We are strengthened and united through fandom during this unprecedented global pandemic
To say 2020 has been a lot is a definite understatement. Since the World Health Organization officially declared an international health crisis in late January, our world has seen massive changes in all sectors, ranging from health to economic, due to the international COVID-19 outbreak. From lockdowns to quarantines, almost all corners of our world have felt the waves of COVID-19’s force, and the severity of the situation has impacted the global community in a multitude of ways. For some of us, those we love have been affected by this virus. For others, maintaining the safety of those around us has been paramount, and we have begun to distance ourselves in order to protect others. The world has inevitably seen the implications of this health crisis test our ability to empathize and care, indicating that these truly are unprecedented times.
Finding ways to cope with the anxiety and fear that has no doubt manifested from this situation has been a thing of difficulty. One of the common motifs woven throughout the media these last few months has been the idea of connection; while we cannot be together physically, we must find ways to maintain those crucial emotional connections. Keeping in contact and staying informed has now more than ever become imperative, whether it’s through a phone call, a Zoom session, or even just a simple DM.
While this may pose a difficult task to some, to the global powerhouse BTS’ fans, ARMY, this was a call to action. Connection is nothing new for the international fandom; we’ve always been interconnected across continents and cultures, and our transnational identity has allowed us to form bonds beyond physical borders. We have always found ways to stay informed, stay close to one another within a virtual space of online platforms, and connect through the plethora of events that happen within this fandom on a daily basis. It’s a significant feat, being able to maintain these strong ties to a network of individuals that span across time and space, occupying different identities, views, and experiences that make up the mosaic of ARMY’s transnational culture. We strive for it. Every day, each one of us, though our online interactions within the community, participate in a collective consciousness. This idea has been used time and time again when we think of ARMY and the closeness we share with one another, and it’s crucial to the concept of what our community looks like. For all intents and purposes, we are a community, and the COVID-19 crisis did nothing but exemplify that.
Now community is a funny term, especially in the realm of social sciences. Many academics have routinely questioned what it means to be one, and what that term implies in relation to ideas of collective action, resistance, and productivity. One such scholar was Benedict Anderson, who proposed the concept of “imagined communities”, viewing the active participation and connection people feel with those within their community as nothing but socially constructed ties. Specifically, Anderson was concerned with how national identity could be marketed as a “community” in order to leverage nationalism as a tool of power within the political arena. Anderson looked at the ways in which we connect with fellow citizens of our countries and see ourselves as the same, and how several of those traits are nothing but perpetuated stereotypes by the media. What it means to identify with a nation based on interests, symbols, or ideas — all of these, through this lens, are merely fictional, orchestrated notions that allow us to feel connected to others within a specific geographical space.
While this tool is used to analyze the false sense of community formed through nationalism, what does that mean for entities that transcend borders? If a nation can’t even be considered a community, how can a large group of individuals across the world? This calls into question the idea of community itself. Fundamentally, how can communities be imagined? How can this beautiful constellation of individuals, who help one another and connect through their values, be seen as something unsubstantial? How can connection be equated to myth?
These questions ultimately warrant a little search into the term itself. Ultimately, what is a community? Looking at the etymology, the word “community” stems from the Latin word “communis”, meaning “common, public, and shared by many”. According to the trusty Merriam-Webster, “community” can mean a variety of things, but mainly refers to a unified body of individuals, brought together based on common interests and values, or those who share a common history. Community is a space that can be virtually made up of anyone who shares these traits, and in this way, communities are real spaces based on ties of interest, care, and understanding. Communities are networks where realizations, creations, and stories are shared. The content or ideas that allow individuals to connect on these levels are not important; rather, it is the presence of a connection based on these traits that makes communities anything but a figment of our imagination. While the connections may not be visible to the naked eye, the outcomes of a community’s impact are substantial, visible entities that change the lives of those involved.
But again — how can this be imagined?
Looking at fandom, other scholars have viewed fan spaces through this lens of an imagined community, and it’s in these instances that it begins to make a bit more sense. The idea of “imagined” does not eradicate the fact that it does exist. Imagination, at its essence, is a pillar of fandom, and I don’t think anyone would argue against the fact that ARMY is overflowing with imaginative creativities. In “Reimagining the Imagined Community” scholars Lori Hitchcock Morimoto and Bertha Chin rethink the Andersonian notion of imagined communities, specifically in reference to fandoms. Both scholars take up the issue of the imagined by looking at how rules and regulations of fandom are the imagined portion (socially constructed within the group), and not the community itself as an entity. This brings to light an important point about the ARMY community — how the imagined parts of our fandom actually factor into real, tangible concepts. Online congregation and participation can lead to offline interactions, manifesting at birthday events, movie screenings, or even ARMY-organized get-togethers. And while we cannot congregate now, those same tactile experiences have cultivated in the online sphere in tenfold, blurring the lines between physical and virtual space. The imagined, through the participation of our group members online, transcends into the real present community.
During COVID-19, I’ve seen ARMY do exactly this — allow the community to make a meaningful impact through our networked connections, and benefit from those links we have with one another. Communities, at their core, possess traits of support, compassion, understanding, and aid. They keep each other informed, and create a bond between members that allows us to feel accepted. Community can be an extension of family, and in crisis, they are the spaces we turn to. ARMY is all of the aforementioned qualities and more on any given day, but when faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, we truly stepped up for one another. The innate international nature of our fandom made it imperative to relay information about our different situations, and ARMY did just that. Every day there were updates within the community from all over the world, informing us of quarantine measures, the daily cases, and individuals’ own personal experiences. ARMY who were caring for sick family members put a call out for support, and were met with an overwhelming amount of love and encouragement. The virtual framework of our fandom acted as an important feat, as ARMY were used to sending comfort through tweets, retweets, likes, and comments. We utilized our virtual resources, extending our hands through the internet to members of the community in parts of the world where the virus was severely impacting daily life. Our ability to participate was crucial, as it kept us from being disconnected and isolated.
This act of participation within the community is something ARMY thrives on, and to keep spirits high, the fandom constructed various fan events to get members involved. From the #30DayBTSChallenge where individual ARMY showcased a different BTS song per day, to a radio-style streaming party playlist, #0613ARMYFM, a fun take on Suga’s recent #0613FM broadcasts — there were countless on-platform opportunities for ARMY to participate and stay engaged while staying safe at home. This only added to the countless Vlives we received from BTS themselves, with fun and energetic broadcasts like arts and crafts with V and Jung Kook, and the JinKiMin Just Dance stream. There were also moments of comfort through cathartic live streams like Suga’s YouTube painting sessions, and the members uploading the process of them creating their next album. In this way, BTS continued to be part of the fandom alongside us, reaching out in one of the few ways they could, checking in on us like we did with each other, and providing a source of comfort through their broadcasts. The group truly are a part of this fandom alongside ARMY, as shown through their frequent activity on Weverse and Vlives, but they emphasized this even more so during these times of isolation and fear.
BTS and ARMY, like a true community, support one another in this way. ARMY individually wielded their power in order to raise awareness about the COVID-19 crisis, also utilizing their creativity in order to raise funds for the cause. Many fan creators within the community began fundraising for COVID-19 efforts through selling pins, prints, and offering commissions. In that same vein, support came in the form of monetary and emotional efforts when it was announced that the Seoul kick-off of the Map of The Soul Tour was officially cancelled. Instead of outrage, K-ARMY responded with kindness and understanding, expressing that despite missing the boys, safety came first. To emphasize this, thousands of K-ARMY donated their refunded ticket money to the Korea Disaster Relief Fund Association’s COVID-19 relief efforts. The webpage, in true ARMY fashion, crashed for the first 10 minutes, as fans flooded to the site in order to contribute. In total, over half a billion KRW was raised under the name of BTS and ARMY.
Similarly, international ARMY also banned together to raise funds to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in South Korea, recognizing that BTS’ home country was initially one of the hardest hit in the first wave of the virus outbreak. International concert postponements were also inevitable, and so to mitigate the feelings of disconnect and loss, the fandom connected through our shared experiences. Some took this opportunity to share memes, such as the “I can’t wait to walk down the aisle” tweets or the Suga as the Rosebowl lemonade guy edits. Some of us took it even one step further, editing photos to act as if we were at the MOTS concerts, standing in line for merch or engaging in giving out fan gifts while in line. Others took a more personal stance, revelling in the memories of the past tour and sharing insights, stories, or videos. Each form of experiential expression took on the feeling of intimacy, allowing us to connect on a more personal level that instilled comfort and familiarity. It felt good to laugh at the mental image of Suga screaming “lemonade, lemonade, lemonade!” or be in awe over someone’s oh-so-close fancam of RM smiling. It felt great to, even for a minute while scrolling the timeline, pause and escape into the collective consciousness that ARMY so intricately constructs.
Of course, one cannot talk of shared experiences without mentioning BangBangCon. A two-part live stream consisting of 8 different BTS’ concerts and fan meetings, all for free and broadcasted within the comfort of our own homes. It was just what we needed. The excitement building to the two-day event was like nothing I had ever witnessed before, for in the face of cancelled or postponed concerts, ARMY pulled out all the stops. Fan creators across the world designed “tickets’’ that ARMY could print out at home, holding a tangible piece of their collective identity. Some showcased their decorated ARMY bombs, inspiring others to do the same before the weekend approached. Some even posted photos of their concert-viewing setups, decorated rooms adorned with pillow forts, snacks, lights, and BT21 pillows. On a personal note, it was some of these photos that inspired me to create my own blanket fort in the middle of my living room, and through doing this, I felt even more connected to those within the community. Settled neatly in my little cove, wrapped up in my Jimin blanket with my Chimmy pillow beside me, it felt utterly magical as I scrolled through Twitter and saw other members of the fandom with similar spaces.
The concerts themselves were like the icing on the cake. Seeing my Twitter feed bursting with energy, screaming over seeing the “Ma City” stage or losing their minds over Jimin’s “Lie” performance was rejuvenating for the soul. In the midst of a global crisis, where anxiety and uncertainty have plagued the day-to-day, having those 24 hours of respite, of clarity and joy alongside the community I so love being a part of, was inconceivably fulfilling. I felt new again. I felt supported. I felt heard. I felt reassured that even in the face of crisis, ARMY will band together and project out into the world what we know best: the idea of connection. Whether it was sobbing with the boys during “Born Singer”, or keyboard smashing over “No More Dream”, participating in the experience of BangBangCon on Twitter allowed me to once again feel the strength of ARMY’s unity.
So what does this all point to? In my mind, this elucidates how ARMY are a community because we help each other cope. During this period of isolation, anxiety, fear, and loss, we’ve come together to use the foundation of our community to support and to be that blanket of comfort for everyone involved. Though this extends beyond the current situation, the COVID-19 crisis illuminated those foundational parts of our fandom that have always existed. The attributes of our fan community that could be viewed as imagined (the invisible ties and values that keep our fandom alive) during the period of COVID-19 were the parts that made us even more of a community than ever. And imagination, if anything, is what keeps our fandom going. It’s the imaginative parts of our community, the creativity that shines even in the darkest of times, that makes us what we are. But it’s also our ability to imagine possibilities beyond our current situation — imagining better times, with our community members. Whether it’s at a concert, at a fan event, or even just the ability to visit a friend’s living room — having the potential for imagination is what allows us to persevere.
And there’s just something so beautiful about being in a network that cares in the way that we do, both about each other and about BTS. Perhaps this transcends the idea of community. Perhaps this, dare I say, branches into the realm of the familiar — the arena of family. And perhaps, in this time of crisis and (I’m sure you’re sick of this word) uncertainty, the one thing I have realized is that we are, in a way, a family. So maybe it’s that possibility, the ability to imagine a collective, to imagine the impossible, that makes us this way. Maybe, just maybe, it is that distinct imagined quality that makes us closer than ever.
References:
Anderson, B. (2016). Imagined communities: reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. London: Verso.
Bate, E. (1970, January 19). BTS Fans Have Donated Over $300,000 To Coronavirus Relief Efforts After The Band Cancelled Their Seoul Tour Dates. Retrieved from https://www.buzzfeed.com/eleanorbate/bts-army-donated-coronavirus-relief-tour-cancelled
btschartdata. (2020, May 12). #0613ARMYFM [Tweet].
https://twitter.com/btschartdata/status/1260240423508983811?s=20
BTS fans keep fervour alive, donate for coronavirus fight. (2020, March 18). Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3075795/coronavirus-bts-fans-keep-fervour-alive-donate-covid-19-fight
Community. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=community&ref=searchbar_searchhint
Community. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) — events as they happen. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen
doolsetbangtan. (2020, February 28). Join us in supporting the fight against COVID-19 in Korea! CC: @BTSARMY_Salon @agirlinthepark @realmyystik 1/7 [Tweet].
https://twitter.com/doolsetbangtan/status/1233648103665930242?s=20
Morimoto, L., & Chin, B. (2017). Reimagining the Imagined Community: Online Media Fandoms in the Age of Global Convergence. In Gray J., Sandvoss C., & Harrington C. (Eds.), Fandom, Second Edition: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World (pp. 174–188). New York: NYU Press.
