The hosts of The Woody Show, an iHeartRadio show broadcast on over 30 stations nationwide, have come under fire for mocking Jungkook’s name on air and making derogatory remarks about BTS fans.
BTS took the stage on consecutive nights at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, with BTS returning to the event after six year.
BTS closed the festival’s first night Friday at T-Mobile Arena, leaning heavily on large visuals and special effects for a cinematic feel. The group framed the performance around what it called “BTS 2.0,” a concept tied to its latest album and the group’s current phase.
BTS opened with ‘Swim,’ the lead track from its fifth LP, Arirang, as wave imagery filled the screens behind the members. The group followed with ‘2.0,’ another track from the album that echoed the theme of the set, as well as its 2017 hit ‘Mic Drop’ and ‘Fya.’
“Thank you so much, iHeart, for having us tonight,” RM told the crowd after the opening performances. “We’re having such a great and honorable time.” Addressing fans in the arena, he added, “Vegas always feels good thanks to you guys. Thank you so much.”
Despite the successful return, there was some criticism from fans towards the organization of the event, with some believing BTS’s setlist was cut short or that they weren’t given as many songs as other performers, despite their popularity.
Amid the discourse, the hosts at The Woody Show addressed the criticism, but sparked major fury after being accused of racism. While speaking about the issues, the hosts mispronounced Jungkook’s name, without attempting to even try to say it correctly, alongside hitting back at ARMYs.
During the broadcast, host Menace mocked the artist, stating: “You could tell on Jang Jook’s face, whatever the F his name is. I don’t even know what his name is, there’s a Juk something. Jin Cook?”
When Sebastian Davis asked, “Is that the name?”, Menace doubled down: “I don’t know. Anyway, you could tell he felt… they’re making up all this stuff.”
The conversation quickly escalated into direct attacks on the fandom. After Davis chimed in with, “What social media account should we tell the BTS Army to go to to suck it?”, Menace targeted the supporters directly:
“Yes, the BTS Army: losers, losers, losers. There you go. And you know what I’m basing that on? I’m basing that on everything that I read online.”
white people messing up Asian names purposefully and making jokes around it is so racist.
It is really unprofessional to drag BTS into this to make fun of them for no reason . I’m so tired pic.twitter.com/MUec7rMJwj
— kat (@kookyun) September 22, 2026
the fact that bts, the absolute BIGGEST music act on the entire planet, is still dealing with blatant racism from irrelevant nobodies in the big year of 2026 is actually insane to me
— nissa (@mninissaa) September 22, 2026
I’ll be honest, I don’t really care about them making fun of some dumb army comments. But this whole bit with them pretending they can’t pronounce JK’s name is straightforward racism.
Still doing this to BTS in 2026, can you imagine how tired we are. pic.twitter.com/jmhS3eXI2R
— Shan saw Outro: Tear Live in 2026 HOLY SHIT 🪭 (@readonlyshan) September 22, 2026
Social media platforms immediately lit up with backlash. Fans expressed sheer disbelief over the segment, with one user writing:
“I’ll be honest, I don’t really care about them making fun of some dumb army comments. But this whole bit with them pretending they can’t pronounce JK’s name is straightforward racism. Still doing this to BTS in 2026, can you imagine how tired we are.”
Others echoed the sentiment, highlighting the global status of the group: “The fact that BTS, the absolute BIGGEST music act on the entire planet, is still dealing with blatant racism from irrelevant nobodies in the big year of 2026 is actually insane to me.”
Another listener added: “White people messing up Asian names purposefully and making jokes around it is so racist. It is really unprofessional to drag BTS into this to make fun of them for no reason. I’m so tired.”
