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South Korean music channel Mnet is under fire once again, after fans of ATEEZ accused the channel of mistreating the group. With scores of issues like mislabeling between singer and dancer, unhospitable work conditions, exclusion of group member and various other glaring problems, it seems like fans are getting more and more frustrated.
Now, fans of ATEEZ have taken offense, with #RESPECTATEEZ, #RESPECT FOR ATEEZ and #DISBAND_MNET are trending worldwide.
MAMAs 2021 has made several ATEEZ fans angry with Mnet
According to fans of the group, Mnet mistreated ATEEZ on various occasions, even before the 2021 MAMAs. The MAMAs incident, however, was the nail in the coffin.
At the 2021 MAMAs, which happen to be one of the biggest music award shows in the country, several fans claimed that the cameramen did not capture the band’s power packed performance adequately. Some even accused Mnet of handing ATEEZ a faulty microphone during the performance, which resulted in a minor snag.
Apart from the MAMAs, during the channel’s survival show, Kingdom: Legendary War, where ATEEZ made an appearance, the group were reportedly harassed on set, on multiple occasions.
According to a fan's account, the K-pop group was often screamed at, and was not informed about changes in the schedules or shoot locations. The rhythm of ATEEZ’s performances were also allegedly changed without any prior intimation.
Furthermore, the members' names, ages, and positions appear to have been mislabeled throughout the broadcast. San, for example, was labeled 'main dancer' instead of 'singer,' as is his role. Most surprisingly of all, ATEEZ itself was incorrectly identified as a different K-pop group altogether- THE BOYZ.
Fans also pointed out that a caption on a Mnet broadcast of the band's Fireworks comeback earlier this year incorrectly said that the group has seven members, while in fact there are eight—rapper Mingi was on a hiatus at the time but was still very much a part of the group. This led to several people flooding Twitter with “ATEEZ is 8”.
With the MAMAs 2021 bringing Mnet’s alleged mistreatment back into focus, fans are calling out the channel on social media, with the hashtags #RESPECT FOR ATEEZ and #DISBAND_MNET trending globally.
Fans of other groups are also chiming in with their two cents, and things don’t look very good for Mnet, who is having to face the wrath of passionate K-Pop fans.
Mnet's varied mistreatments towards other K-pop groups
In the past few months, Mnet has been struggling under the weight of various controversies. Its idol audition show, Girls Planet 999, received criticism for alleged unfair treatment of contestants, especially those who did not hail from South Korea. The recent Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMAs) too have upset several fans of various artists.
Several had pointed out the subpar camerawork during TXT’s performance at the event. TXT’s leader Soobin’s speech was also cut off midway, as the group was accepting their award for Worldwide Fans’ Choice Top 10. Mnet was also called out for allegedly using a beauty filter on My Name star Ahn Bo Hyun, among others, in images of 2021 MAMAs posted on their social media accounts.
While ATEEZ pulled through the MAMAs performances unfazed, despite the hurdles, the anger of the fans has given rise to some uncomfortable questions that Mnet must answer at the earliest.
