When even the official merch confirms your beliefs
Out of pure masochism, I turned on a gossip channel about BTS today. Because, well, I am a masochist.
One of the main topics of the episode — which I clicked on because it claimed to discuss the recent threats against Jimin — was, of course, Taehyung.
And just to be clear, I’ll repeat it again: I’m not a hater.
I’m not saying “Tae is bad” or throwing random negativity with no factual ground. I don’t comment on someone’s looks, behavior, or art through my personal dislike. I’m just sharing an observation — a thought — because I can, and because I have the same right to speak as everyone else. Also, I don’t play the “silence game” that so many jikook accounts accuse so-called OT7s of… while doing the exact same thing about a different topic.
So. The video — which doesn’t even pretend to be unbiased — pointed out that Taehyung’s fan interactions lately seem to be heavily filtered through “Taekook goggles.”
Now let’s all pretend to be shocked.
It honestly made me laugh. In a weird, perverse, slightly inappropriate way, sure — but still, I laughed. Because I’m human. I know what confirmation bias is, and as long as I can recognize it and detach from it, I consider the issue neutralized.
But because I’m me — a creature wandering the internet with a brain that connects dots no one asked it to — my thoughts drifted straight to BT21.
Did anyone see that coming? Yeah, me neither. xD
I like their official channels for the same reason I liked that video: they have a long, funny history of highlighting Chimmy and Cooky’s… let’s say, deep emotional bond. Nothing revolutionary, but it always makes me giggle. Especially when I remember that in one official setup, Chimmy has a framed photo of Cooky’s tail on his shelf. A photo he apparently took himself — back when Cooky was flexing his imaginary muscles in front of a mirror.
Come on. That’s hilarious.
Anyway, you might be wondering how one topic connects to the other. Let’s get to the point.
Something’s up when the official BT21 account chooses this kind of illustration for Jimin’s birthday post.
You see where I’m going with this? No? Okay, let me spell it out.
In this image, Chimmy is celebrating his birthday — blushing, tongue out, holding a colorful cake while the other BT21 members snap pictures of him. We see their little paws and phone screens from different angles. Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate that Cooky’s screen seems to be zoomed in on Chimmy’s adorable little nose. Let’s all cherish that, because it’s cute. Cooky doesn’t care about the context — only the nose matters. Adorable, right?
But wait… one of the phones is showing something different! Instead of Chimmy, its camera — supposedly pointed at him — actually shows Tata. Oh my—
Okay, I know, it’s just a random cute drawing from the internet. Except… no.
First of all, BT21 has an official, very direct connection with BTS. The members didn’t just design the characters — they based them on their own personalities. Which makes the whole Chimmy–Cooky dynamic funny enough already, but in this context… it feels a bit like a spicy little commentary on real life, doesn’t it?
And here’s why I bring it up:
Almost nobody talks about BT21 through the lens of jikook. Which is a shame, because it’s hilarious.
The timing — it’s Jimin’s month, and he seems to be going through a rough patch. The image itself draws attention to something many of us notice but don’t quite know how to put into words (or don’t dare to). Even though Jimin looks like the golden boy of the media, it comes with a heavy dose of hate. People have been pointing out that in some recent fan interactions, he seemed distant, even tired. I’m not talking about his birthday live — awkward lives are just so Jimin. He’s not built for solo livestreams. I mean the sadness in his eyes during Fashion Week or that beach video with the others. Even the photos posted before the whole mess started didn’t show the usual sunshine he used to be — there was something quieter there, more inward. Like he was carrying too much, even while smiling.
And, well… it kind of confirms my theory that we’re looking at someone who’s a little jealous of attention.
Sure, you can call it coincidence. But I’m an artist — or at least I used to be before switching fields — and I know how these things are made.
Ideas like this illustration aren’t born fully formed in one sitting. It’s a process. You have a rough concept, you sketch, you add elements where intuition (or well-trained visual instinct) tells you something’s missing. Those choices come from deep-rooted associations, subconscious symbolism. Even if it’s just cute art of cartoon animals, someone still had to think: “Hey, what if one of them takes a selfie instead of a photo?” Then, “Let’s make it Tata.” And then they added it.
That same someone also knew that Tata’s bright red face would stand out in this color scheme — draw attention, just enough to become a visual focal point.
Following that line of thought, I didn’t come here to say, “Tae is bad and even BT21 knows it.” What I am saying is that a certain pattern of behavior — one that’s been repeating for weeks, even years — can absolutely be interpreted this way. And it says something when even BT21 seems to acknowledge it, intentionally or not.
And look, even with all my reservations, I’m not going to claim it’s about “malicious intent.” To me, it’s just another piece of evidence pointing to a simple lack of respect for boundaries.
Because even if Taekook were real — which I seriously doubt — Tae’s ongoing exhibitionism about it, especially when we know the reasons behind Jimin’s struggles and can name them clearly, feels less like love and more like a lack of empathy. Or at the very least, a lack of understanding of the entire situation.
But hey. What do I know. 😌
