IVE member Rei is going viral on X (former Twitter) for her controversial plushie.
A clip of Rei from one of her recent livestreams is making the rounds on the platform, where she showed off her tan Hello Kitty plushie. Though the doll is supposed to be Hawaiian, Rei dressed it up with a camouflage-printed bottom to give it a “hip-hop style.” She then proceeded to throw around popular rap music catchphrases like “gang gang” and “skrrt” to put her point forward more clearly.
So one else finds it a bit weird that #REI from #IVE gets a tanning kitty and decides to give it camo boxers to look “hip hop” and then says “gang gang skrtt” or should we let this slight ignorance pass bc she said it in a cute way? #kpop pic.twitter.com/vz4MNSzULK
— nobodyyy (@ooooaaaaooaa1) July 29, 2024
The clip, however, has not set well with international fans, especially the Black community. Fans have pointed out that despite Rei’s intentions not being so, her actions constituted racist micro-aggression against their community. Her associating a tanned doll with hip-hop, using AAVE (African American Vernacular English) to re-emphasize her point, and implying that certain kinds of fashion alone are enough to make something appear “hip-hop” were all actions that perpetuated the racist stereotypes about Black people and their culture presented through the lens of pop culture.
Idk why… But I’m sure that if the plushie was all white (like the original Hello kitty) Rei wouldn’t have started doing all these gangs noises and all… 🧍🏾♀️ https://t.co/SHHKsikgJM
— 🍓||Anemie꩜ ⥉❣️ (@AnemieBS) July 29, 2024
rei is one of my ult biases and it was… questionable already seeing her put that camo “hip hop” boxers on her tanned hello kitty but to make things worse, she said … gang gang… skrt😭….. https://t.co/zWsIFFp8Zk
— ken ·˚ ༘ (@knifes2heart) July 29, 2024
Many fans expressed their disappointment in the lack of systematic education of idols about racial sensitivity, especially given how heavily K-Pop relies on Black culture and music as its foundation.
can we talk about how kpop idols need to stop referring to every single thing as hip hop.. like camo is not exclusive to hip hop culture at all.
wearing shades is not hip hop.
wearing neck jewelry is NOT hip hop.COSPLAYING BLACK PEOPLE IS NOT HIP HOP.
fuck. https://t.co/kOL6QHr4F9
— kj 𖧵×𖧵 (@choibeomkj) July 30, 2024
The kitty is Hawaiian… not trying to “cancel” her but using “black stereotypes” on this plushie you can’t deny the implications. Sure she didn’t mean it but its a micro aggression & tiring to see ignorant perception idols have of Black ppl even in 2024 pic.twitter.com/bQJ7dgLwzD
— nobodyyy (@ooooaaaaooaa1) July 29, 2024
instances like this just show how much stereotypes like this are normalized in their culture and it fucking sucks. we all know she didn’t have malicious intent but you have to acknowledge it’s still harmful and anyone offended has every right to be so don’t go trying to defend it https://t.co/aGZtcXSsYF
— ☆z 🫐 IVE SWITCH (@lionheartyujin) July 29, 2024
Whats crazy is shes friend with park jenny and she saw jenny and the tanning hello kitty phone case, she didnt say it was hiphop blah blah blah in her face but what possessed her to say that on live, go out her way to put pants on it? And say gang gang skrr skrr??? https://t.co/0jQBKIjSzI pic.twitter.com/tElJTAIlXK
— •-• (@yejoxx) July 29, 2024
rei might as well name the hello kitty niggaquantavious like this is so 😭 pic.twitter.com/czz7nH5taB
— dr. workgeddon 🍉 (@atzwapt) July 29, 2024
this is why kpop idols getting inspired by hiphop always feels inauthentic, the first thing that comes to their mind is either harmful stereotypes or surface level clichés pic.twitter.com/sBBGeTdhmo
— mr yaoi (@bamkkue) July 29, 2024
While K-Pop is replete with accusations of anti-Black racism and Black cultural appropriation, Rei’s actions, as many agree, show the bigger issue at hand, which is the lack of any insightful education about such issues among K-Pop idols. With K-Pop going global, there is a common sentiment among international fan communities that idols need to be better prepared to respectfully interact with other cultures.
