Jisoo of Blackpink gets backing of K-pop fans after Jimmy Kimmel’s test of her English on his US TV show angers some
- On Jimmy Kimmel Live, the talk show host asked the K-pop star what her favourite English word was, prompting Jisoo to reply: ‘It’s a pity’
- Viewers took offence at the question to the only group member not fluent in English and took to social media to voice anger at how US media treat Asian stars
Blackpink lit up American talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live with a performance of their new hit single Lovesick Girls on October 20, but one element of their interview sparked controversy on social media about how K-pop stars are treated by American television hosts in regards to the use of English.
The first K-pop girl group to appear on the show, Blackpink’s four members spoke to Kimmel about subjects such as the recent release of their debut full-length release The Album, performing at US festival Coachella, and their opinions of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s raunchy rap track WAP.
Kimmel, who opened the interview with an attempt at speaking Korean, asked Jisoo, the only Blackpink member who’s not fluent in English, about her favourite word in the language.
“It’s a pity,” she responded, prompting Kimmel to respond that his favourite Spanish phrase is “que lastima”, which has the same meaning.
While only a brief moment in the segment, some viewers took offence at the question. “‘What’s your favourite word in English’ said no other country ever,” Jihye Lee, an editor at Bloomberg TV Asia, tweeted on October 21.