Volume 01 Issue 03
September 7-13, 2020
BTS HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE! *end of newsletter*
Just kidding, but not even that much. If you’re not even a little bit interested in BTS, you can skip and go to the next section! (You’ll have to scroll a lot.) Otherwise, ~read on~
Baby ARMY
Last week I was on day 3 of my journey into becoming ARMY, and it feels like since then I have done nothing but consume BTS content in my waking hours. I listen to their music during my daily yoga practice and while working, sneak in their shows during meals and before sleeping, and chat with friends all day long about them.
To the friends who read last week’s newsletter and started your own journey, thank you for joining me and also, YOU ARE WELCOME. Hahaha. It’s been so great to connect with old friends in an intense way about BTS. I’m good at staying connected to people over chat, but the specific focus of my BTS chats have brought such happiness.
Another of the greatest joys BTS has given me in the last two weeks is that every day I wake up happy and excited to consume BTS content. I wish somebody had told me in April “Hey, you feel like shit? Here! BTS!” Things have been so bad, I’ve tried to hang on to the littlest joys, and now every day the joy I feel is quite intense at some points. BTS is truly getting me through it.
It’s been helpful for me to have friends acting as guides, giving structure to the vast library of content. Shoutout to Ishy who keeps me clued in to ARMY things (jokes, memes, trending topics) and Christine and Des who share the must-watch clips and strategies to consuming content. I am now passing on their wisdom to you, dear readers! Hopefully next week this section won’t be as long, once we’re done with all this guidance.
To those like me who need the big picture first: this video helped me grasp the scale and economic impact of their success; this video helped me distinguish who’s who (v important - I feel you need to cross a threshold of consumption before you can really tell them apart); this video shows their journey from zero to hero. The videos that really won me over are the behind-the-scenes videos from American award shows, where they’re so kilig to be in the same spaces as their favorite artists, and they try to speak English. It’s so charming, and I hope they dominate the Grammys. Their songs are legit bangers; they’re doing so much more than Western artists right now and just aren’t being recognized for it. I’m looking forward to seeing how they break more barriers.
There are some baby ARMY who start by hopping around Youtube. A quick primer on the types of content: Aside from official music videos, their channel BangtanTV uploads “Bangtan Bombs” which are behind-the-scenes clips. The channel Bangtan Subs is doing the Lord’s work by uploading subtitled versions of what BangtanTV uploads. “Run BTS” is their variety show where they try new things, do skits, play games. I watched the first season of their travel show “Bon Voyage” this week, and last night I started watching their “In the Soop” travel show that they filmed this past May. ITS is currently airing in Korea so I look forward to understanding all the jokes about it with every new episode. Though BTS posts most of their content on an app called Vlive, inevitably those clips make their way to Twitter so I recommend following @bts_twt and @bts_bighit. The translations come from ARMY within minutes so just look at the replies to the new tweet.
There are other baby ARMY who prefer to listen to the music first before getting to know their personas. I recommend this: a compilation of all their music videos with subtitles, making it easy for us to appreciate the meaning of the songs and their killer dance moves at the same time. They upload HD dance practice videos of all their songs on BangtanTV - these are mesmerizing to watch. It’s through this approach that I picked a favorite song (Just One Day) and BONUS FOR ME: the dance practice video is extra joyful because my bias, Taehyung, can barely keep his shit together and likewise, I cannot contain myself while watching it. I love this song so much I even found a video that shows Romanized versions of the Korean lyrics so I can learn to sing along - thank you, ARMY!!
There are so many good videos on Youtube; here are some of my favorites just from this past week, lol:
RM gave a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. I was not prepared for how philosophical and profound his speech would be!! And the behind-the-scenes video is so sweet too, especially Jungkook teaching the UNICEF Secretary General how to make a Korean finger heart. LOLLL
Taehyung (stage name “V”) and Jin getting into an argument is required viewing!! They articulate their frustrations clearly, and reconcile through an honest conversation first in the presence of their other bandmates, but later on, just with each other. Jin refers to his own emotions with “Pridefulness is good for nothing.” Taehyung cries and nobody makes fun of him for it. Both of them are vulnerable and open with each other! I don’t wanna give away too many spoilers because it’s really so good. I am so weak for emotional men. This is a masterpiece of a video; you gain insight into their dynamic as a group and how they deal with conflict. There are many more videos about how fun and chaotic they are (in a good way) but this glimpse at their serious side is so fascinating.
This video about the Wooga Squad - V’s barkada with Park Seo Joon (my #1 Kdrama oppa) and Choi Woo Shik - brought so much joy to my heart.
I appreciated this video of J-Hope being strict about choreography. They are excellent dancers and their routines are so intricate and precise; you know they pour hours and hours of work into that.
My reward after a long day at work this week: this 17-minute video explaining why Jungkook is the golden maknae (baby) who is good at everything. Truly mindboggling that he was still in high school when BTS started.
They gave an interview with GQ Japan this week where they discuss their style idols. Again, so impressed by how profound they are. There are a lot of stilted English-language interviews on Youtube; the interviews where they can speak Korean are so much better and more insightful. (Also, this is the perfect hair for V.)
I am honestly not even touching 1% of the content available. The most comprehensive resource is a site called Kweendeoks, but it’s password-protected so that only ARMY can access. Try “chicken” / “hoodbyair” / “yes” (the questions rotate). If that seems too complex, I highly recommend this Excel file that’s a masterlist, easy for even the babiest of baby ARMY to navigate. Someone actually made this and shared it for free! Long live ARMY!!
I would be thrilled to hear if any of this was helpful to you. Or if you’re already ARMY - send me your fave clips! I will watch them! Tell me who’s your bias and why! I will gobble it aaaall up.
Shop Small, Love Local
Candid Clothing is one of my favorite local social enterprises. What I appreciate the most is that all the garments are ethically and sustainably produced. The owner, Sam Dizon, has a heart of gold and put up a Youtube channel where she shares videos to help people set up their own businesses. I have tried and loved so many of the clothes she offers: culottes, skorts, shorts, easy knot dress, shift dress, bamboo t-shirt, reversible camisole. I have all of these in multiple colors! Some friends have already picked up on how much I talk about this brand on Instagram and have tried it out and sent me messages that they love Candid Clothing, too. If you want to try, Sam offered me a discount code -- use pinkyslinkies and get 10% off on all apparel (not applicable to PPEs and masks).
Currently…
Listening to Michelle Obama’s podcast episode with Conan O’Brien about marriage. Required listening whether you are married or not.
Sewing ties for my face masks so I can wear them comfortably and not have them pinch me behind the ears!
Eating Jake Aycardo’s gyudon; so good that it was compared to Matsuya, one of our favorite restaurants in Japan! Order via Instagram DM at @jakeaycardo. You will not regret it.
Making our staple quarantine family brunch - soufflé pancakes by my sister-in-law and maple candied bacon by me.
Decorating with fresh eucalyptus in my shower, and a little pine tree in my home office!
Longreads
How ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ Changed Everything -- The Styles Desk, New York Times.
I loved this show so much in the early years and have stuck by them! If you think they’re still famous for being famous, they’re extremely shrewd businesswomen - Kris Jenner especially.
‘My Cheating Boyfriend Kept Cheating’ -- Heather Havrilesky, Ask Polly.
“The longer you manage it, the more you’ll recognize how strong you are, how resilient you are, how flexible and brilliant you can be, when you let the whole world in and STAY VULNERABLE. Make that your religion. Even when it’s impossibly hard, it will lead you back to joy.” Always read Ask Polly!!
The pandemic reminded me life is short and the best thing to do is live it -- Maggie Smith, The Guardian.
“What I want to remember of this time – and what I want my kids to remember – is unselfconscious joy, tenderness and togetherness.” Maggie Smith’s “Keep moving” series on her Instagram kept me afloat during dark days a few years ago.
A Dentist Sees More Cracked Teeth. What’s Going On? -- Tammy Chen, D.D.S., New York Times.
“Are your teeth currently touching? Even as you read this article? If so, that’s a sure sign that you’re doing some damage — your teeth shouldn’t actually touch throughout the day at all unless you’re actively eating and chewing your food.” ?????? WHAT. My teeth are always touching…!
Coronavirus, Charity, and the Trolley Problem -- Sarah Lazarus, Crooked Media.
“How should we measure the suffering of the people we want to help against the harm we risk causing to unseen others in the process? That quandary leads to another awful question that most people should never have to confront: When does human life become too risky to save?”
I’ve been too suicidal to start this newsletter -- Anna Borges, Still Treading.
Around a year ago, Anna Borges published an essay about chronic, passive suicidal ideation that started with “I am not always very attached to being alive.” Though it didn’t resonate with me as much back then, it did give me the framework to process the despair I’ve been feeling these past few months re: COVID-19, the state of the world, our dismal response - when the lows were truly low and it felt like nothing mattered. She started a newsletter called Still Treading this week and I clicked ‘Subscribe’ so fast.
Until next week! Feel free to share this newsletter, it’s open to the public. I always get excited any time people engage with me about things that I post, so please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. Unless it’s mean or mansplainy: in that case, no thank you. <3 If this is your first time reading this, you can subscribe via the button below and then the next issues will land in your inbox.
Yours from afar,
Pinky