The girls of BLACKPINK are currently under fire after photos of them not wearing masks while taking photos with their dancers were resurfaced online. Keep on reading to learn more.
Why is BLACKPINK Being Criticized?
Following the highly successful run of their first online concert, "THE SHOW," the girls of BLACKPINK each took to Instagram to thank the staff and dancers that helped the concert come to fruition.
However, numerous domestic fans were quick to notice that not one dancer nor BLACKPINK member was seen wearing a mask.
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BLACKPINK posed with different groups of their dancers, both male and female, but no one was seen masked as well. They were also seen standing less than six feet apart, which would mean they were not practicing proper social distancing.
As South Korea is currently seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases, many have accused BLACKPINK and YG Entertainment of failing to comply with the country's new COVID-19 pandemic guidelines.
People believe that these small actions could easily lead to a risk of the spread of the virus. If just one person in the photo is asymptomatic, they could risk spreading the COVID-19 virus to others - even the BLACKPINK members themselves.
Concerned netizens also brought up the recent controversy with the "True Beauty" cast, as they were recently under fire after ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo posted then quickly deleted a photo of the staff members and actors without masks on and not properly social distancing.
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Why are Some Defending BLACKPINK?
Still, many people jumped to BLACKPINK's defense, and pointed out that it would be pointless for them to wear masks for just the photos when the girls of BLACKPINK performed with their dancers without masks. People also noted that "THE SHOW" was originally slated to be live-streamed on Dec. 2020 but was postponed to Jan. 31, 2021, due to new COVID-19 guidelines. The quartet and YG Entertainment were also extremely cautious concerning the virus, to the point that they did not attend any year-end award shows.
It was also noted that during rehearsals, the staff and dancers were all seen wearing masks. The dancers were also said to have been tested for COVID-19 prior to the concert.
In BLACKPINK member Jennie's second Instagram account, the idol shared photos of the behind-the-scenes of the concert, and they were all wearing masks. It is also stated that the dancers are from YG Entertainment, meaning they did not hire external talents, making it easier to manage.
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BLACKPINK Held Their First-Ever Online Concert "THE SHOW"
Back in Dec. 2, YG Entertainment announced that they were collaborating with YouTube Music for BLACKPINK's first live stream concert, which they titled "THE SHOW." The live online concert was originally set to take take place on Dec. 27, 2020. However, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, South Korea introduced new COVID-19 pandemic guidelines, leading YG Entertainment to postpone "THE SHOW" to later date.
The online concert ultimately took place on Jan. 31, 2021, and was streamed on YouTube Music. It is now available for purchase on the platform.
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Written by Alexa Lewis
