By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
April 20, 2018
☆☆☆☆
When I was growing up, there were certain words we weren’t allowed to use. Swear words were off limits, obviously. We didn’t use the word die in any form, unless it was to refer to an actual death. And we weren’t allowed to joke about people being crazy.
South Korea has been slow to address mental health issues. Earlier this week, the country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that 36 South Koreans commit suicide every day. Mental health issues were cited as the No. 1 reason why its citizens chose to end their lives.
It’s an epidemic that can be curtailed with treatment. But when the stigma is so strong against people suffering from mental health issues — or when depression is viewed as something a person can snap out of at will — who is going to be brave enough to address this in public?
“Mental health issues were cited as the most frequent reasons for suicide” – Mental health still largely stigmatized in S Korea, making it socially difficult for people to get proper help https://t.co/aAKFN1fWh4
— Joseph Kim (@josungkim) April 20, 2018
At the start of this 5th episode of “Burn the Stage,” RM discusses a time when he was suffering from depression. At one point, he was afraid to go back on stage.
“I was unable to enjoy things like I used to,” he said.
The worries carried over to reading comments from netizens. RM said he knew that even in a sea of complimentary comments, he would fixate on the criticism.
The word he actually used was 욕/yok, which refers to an insult or profane language. He would focus on the 욕 left by some anonymous person, who was too much of a coward to use his or her own name to stand behind their comment.
Writing music that reflected the difficult times he went through was his way of working through his pain. But it also was his way of letting their fans know that they weren’t alone. They could get through it together.
I was delighted that Chicago was so beautifully prominent in this episode. I even saw myself walking out of the Chicago Tribune building.
JUST KIDDING! I want to make sure you’re still paying attention. ㅋㅋ
Late one night back at their hotel, they’re trying to figure out how to perform on a tiny stage for their first U.S. television appearance. I used to do a little work for JBTV way back when, and I can tell you that the stage is tiny. It’s fine for most of the bands that pass through Chicago. But most bands aren’t BTS.
When they reached the studio the next day, they had a look of panic in their eyes. The stage must’ve looked like a balance beam to them. Their elaborate choreography and high-powered dance moves had to be severely toned down so that the band members wouldn’t hit each other’s heads as they sang.
📺I saw my building in #BurnTheStageEp5 & many other familiar sites like JBTV, where I did some work. I don’t know how the guys didn’t knock each other out. The stage is about the size of my dining room table.💡Maybe they should skip JBTV this year & play at my house instead?🎉
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) April 19, 2018
On a day off, they got to be tourists. While waiting to get into the Shedd Aquarium, Jin loses a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors and is sent off to fetch hot dogs. It was a cute moment to see him standing in line, mouthing to himself how he would order correctly.
RM and V chose to go on their own outing to take photos outdoors.
Watching a jogger pass by, V says, “He’s exercising.”
RM responds, “He must be cold.”
😂
When RM hears the rest of the gang are waiting in a long line to enter the Shedd, he shows the Sea Life Busan Aquarium some love, saying that it’s a nice attraction, too. (It really is. It’s much smaller than the Shedd, but they have some wonderful exhibits there.)
The footage of their concert at the Allstate Arena (in Rosemont, Ill.) felt like home to me. I went to so many concerts in that 18,500-capacity enormodome, first as a teenager with my high school friends; and then later for work as a rock music critic.
They close this episode in California, where the band marvels at how far they’ve come.
Suga: “I wanted to succeed and make money, but I didn’t necessarily want to become famous.”
RM: “Two years ago, I never thought we’d be playing a venue like this in America. It’s like a foreigner coming to Korea to be evaluated for taekwondo.”
In an interview with fans after a concert, one young woman tells the cameraman, “Sometimes, BTS is the only reason I wake up in the morning.” I thought about what RM said earlier — about wanting to write meaningful songs that tell listeners that it’s OK to feel however you’re feeling.
We all want to be loved. But often, we’re so busy living that we fail to love ourselves.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: If you need help and don’t know where to reach out, call toll-free (800-273-8255) or message their counselors via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr).
Airdates: The eight-episode series premiered on March 28. The finale will air on May 9, 2018, on YouTube Red. Read more of my reviews of “BTS: Burn the Stage” here: Episode 1 & 2. Episode 3. Episode 4. Episode 6. Episode 7. Episode 8. My review of “Burn the Stage: The Movie” is here.
I was happy to see Chicago highlighted so much in #BurnTheStageEp5. More importantly, I was grateful to hear RM candidly discuss his bout w/depression & his fear of 욕. Hopefully these talks’ll help remove the stigma of mental health issues. My review📌https://t.co/KzzAaCvCvL🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/wGVuGEMjw5
— Jae-Ha Kim 김재하 (@GoAwayWithJae) April 20, 2018
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