V shared a collection of vintage photos on Instagram on July 21, KST, one of which featured a McDonald’s fry bag.
Someone wrote, Your fans have retrieved your photocards from under the rubble, and you go ahead and post Mcdonald’s, which supports and funds the occupation army that bombs and kills your fans. This is so so wrong and immoral, and it will leave a permanent mark on your humanity.” Another added, “This is just haunting.”
“so mcdonalds is on the bds list, it is one of the main companies we’re boycotting and seeing tae post that pic, while the next post was a beheaded child made me stop in my tracks. im so speechless and dissappointed idk what to do.” Someone added, “Being disappointed and then Holding them accountable and calling them out on their ignorance and wanting them to do better, bcoz you KNOW they’re better than this, all of that comes from a place of love btw. Hope u know that. I wouldn’t gaf if I didn’t love them!.”
A user wrote, “This whole “they don’t know” excuse is ridiculous because whose fault is that??? no one expects them to know everything hence why those of us who have knowledge should share it with them so they can learn. but who keeps reporting ANY form of communicating this to bts?” Another posted, “Armys have been getting pulled out from underneath the rubble and yet your only concern is people trying to educate a grown adult about an ethnic cleansing that mcd has shown support for. ok.”
Others countered that the members have sufficient internet access to be aware of the current events taking place in the world. Many even brought up the fact that V, in contrast to his fellow band members, is stationed in Seoul, where weekly pro-Palestinian marches have taken place. Therefore, the likelihood that he is unaware of the problem may be even lower.
A user tweeted, “These men are grown ups and there are constantly protests in the middle of seoul. you would think that someone in the special forces, literally stationed in seoul, wouldn’t have heard about these protests? at this point it’s inexcusable.”
A fan wrote, “I need you to understand that these idols, including BTS, do not do free endorsements. They hide labels whenever possible. They hide what type of phone they use if it isn’t a Samsung. This is product endorsement.”
A fan wrote, “Counterpoint: the bds movement has said that mcdonalds is STILL complicit in genocide even if the first statement is in reference to mcdonalds malaysia filing lawsuits of defamation against bds malaysia, the mcdonald’s brand ITSELF is a symbol of human rights violations”
Some fans said that the images he shared were all from the past and did not necessarily show that he was a fan of the company. Others, however, retorted, claiming that celebrities take extra care to avoid endorsing brands on social media and that when they do, it is unquestionably an endorsement.
By pointing out that some nearby McDonald’s locations have made donations to support the Gazan people, some fans attempted to counter the criticism. However, others promptly corrected them, pointing out that, similar to Starbucks, these eateries must pay the fast-food chain a certain amount in order to use their branding, inextricably linking them to the parent company.
