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Stray Kids’ Bang Chan shared his honest opinions about fanwars to STAYs in a recent TikTok Live on October 21, 2022.
The leader talked about fanwars, albeit not mentioning it explicitly, and how they end up destroying not only the fandom but also the group's reputation. He stated that he understands fans' desire to protect themselves at all costs, but "downgrading others" for the same is not a solution. He said:
“You’re going to ruin your own image, you’re going to ruin our image too… let’s keep our Stray Kids and STAY image as nice as it can be. So yeah, protecting us is good, downgrading others is not good. Because that’s not going to fix anything, that’s not going to do anything good.”
The 25-year-old leader is known for his pep talks, wise thinking, and lame but funny humor, among other things. The 10th most-credited KOMCA artist often gives his fans an insight into the K-pop industry and its mechanics, which is also why every week thousands of fans tune in for Chan’s Room, his weekly live stream series.
Stray Kids’ Bang Chan talks about the futility of fanwars, asks fans to restrain
K-pop fans rarely come across idols talking about fanwars, but the Stray Kids’ leader, Bang Chan, always does something unheard of in the industry on his Chan’s Room weekly series. The leader seems to be trying out different platforms before fixing on YouTube for the livestream series as V LIVE is merging with Weverse soon.
Bang Chan used the October 21 TikTok live to spend quality time together while conversing in English with global fans. The leader was praised for being open with his fans and addressing the issue of fanwars directly. The conversation stemmed from a comment that read:
“We must protect Stray Kids”
Reading the comment out loud, Bang Chan shared his opinion on how fans “protect” them and that they are grateful for it. However, he mentioned the elephant in the room, which frequently rises and disguises itself as protection, i.e., insulting and degrading other idols.
He also hinted that they have seen some of the past fanwars, and though the group is thankful for the love, they do not encourage putting others down. He added:
“I’m actually really glad that we have STAYs beside us. We have STAYs watching out for us and stuff, but sometimes after watching the stuff that you guys do, I wanted to say that it’s always good… we’re grateful for you guys trying to protect us, right? But protecting us should be the only thing that you do, but downgrading others is something you should not do.”
Bang Chan then gave fans an example stating that fueling such arguments would only make fans stoop to the other’s level. He continued:
“Even if something really, really agitates you and you’re like, ‘oh my gosh, how could you say this? I am going to say so much bad stuff.’ Just don’t do that. I know it’s annoying, I know it’s really, really agitating… but, for the long-run, if you start something, if you fight back you’re becoming the same person. It’s not going to make you any different.”
The STAY fandom has been a part of some of the ugliest fanwars and Stray Kids’ lurking on Twitter is an open secret. However, it appears that the leader's words are final, even for fans, who began praising him and encouraging one another to follow him.
Meanwhile, the recently announced Lotte Duty Free (LDF) Original Series starring all eight Stray Kids members is edging closer to completing their Step Out 2022. It is expected to be released sometime in the week of October 24. The exact release date for the same will be announced soon.
