Video calls give fans the chance to interact with their idols from anywhere in the world. These virtual hangouts can be a positive experience, but sometimes…they’re not. Here are, in no particular order, 6 of the most inappropriate fan call moments of the year, according to fans.
1. ATEEZ’s Yunho
During a fan call, Yunho was wearing a v-neck shirt that revealed some skin. The person speaking to him said that although they were supposed to be looking at his face, their eyes kept straying…elsewhere. Yunho put a hand over his chest and, according to fans, looked embarrassed.
Yunho (ATEEZ)
The double standard is appalling I’m so angry now you have no idea, here’s translation pic.twitter.com/7vTZLVTver
— nina seeing ATEEZ D-35/36 (@ddeonghwanina) January 10, 2023
Fans called out the caller’s behavior, claiming that it could be considered sexual harassment.
THANK YOU THIS FELT SO FUCKING WEIRD AND UNCOMFORTABLE. DO BETTER
— ATEEZ_PRESENT (@atzkIngz1024) January 10, 2023
I’m glad you said it bc I was wondering if i was the only one feeling it was wrong
— ⩜⃝lys 🪶ATEEZ BB200 #7 🥹 (@TinyDD_Alys) January 10, 2023
THANK YOU FOR SAYING THIS BC I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING
— ✦ ┆・Sai (@Lunarsai_) January 10, 2023
Omg WHY, and we know he’s uncomfortable with showing skin, so why would you point that out??? Poor Yunho… I hate how he immediately covers up.
— Iry. (@IryPixar) January 10, 2023
i absolutely hate the concept of “fan calls” bc people who know nothing about respect or boundaries, get to say things like this (or even worse) to idols. imagine having to deal constantly with such people, i’m sure it’s mentally draining.
— ana (@phrogoowoo) January 10, 2023
2. Stray Kids’ Felix
Felix has, unfortunately, been at the receiving end of more than one uncomfortable video call this year. During one call, a fan asked him, “So, you like to have dessert before dinner?” They didn’t mean food…
Stray Kids’ Felix | @realstraykids/Instagram
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Felix did his best to answer the question, but the caller wanted him to know exactly what they meant. “No,” they said. “I mean I’m the dessert.”
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According to fans, Felix seemed extremely uncomfortable. They criticized the caller’s disrespectful behavior on X (formerly known as Twitter).
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i’ve just seen the most uncomfortable felix fancall ever. op asked if he likes to eat dessert before dinner and claimed to be the dessert themself.. mans smile dropped so fast i can’t do this no more i need them fancalls to END. this is disgusting
— 樂 ★ chase ⤮ felix lover (@lixxwcrld) July 8, 2023
3. Stray Kids’ Felix…again
It’s one thing to use a cat emoji to represent your bias on X. It’s quite another to ask them to act like a cat on camera. That was, unfortunately, what happened to Felix during a fan call.
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Can you come closer to the camera? Show me your paws.
— Fan
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A caller asked Felix to “meow” and show his “paws,” and STAYs weren’t happy about it, to say the least.
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What did i just see…used your fancalls moment to ask idol to do animal and act only like an animal it’s weird. Tf is this ? They’re human, ask human question, don’t treat them like an animal just because you think that they’re cute or look like a kitty. pic.twitter.com/bm8yJawnGv
— Mrs Naissa Bang🤍 (@Naissa0) December 17, 2023
4. ZEROBASEONE’s Ricky
Some idols fulfill fan requests even when those requests make them feel comfortable. Ricky wasn’t having any of that.
ZEROBASEONE’s Ricky
One lucky caller was given the opportunity to talk to Ricky not once but twice. In their first fan call, the OP (Original Poster) asked Ricky to call them master/owner. Ricky changed the subject.
231119 fancall #리키 #RICKY #沈泉锐 #リッキー #ZB1 #ZEROBASEONE
since you’re my little cat, then can you call me “master/owner”?
(frantically shakes his head left and right) (shakes till he’s out of frame) (crazily shaking head) (changes the subject) pic.twitter.com/0itj9bCCKp
— aria ✦ (@rickyluvpng) November 19, 2023
The OP did not, apparently, take his hint. During their next fan call, the OP asked Ricky if he remembered the request from their previous call (calling the OP “master/owner”). The OP asked Ricky yet again to fulfill that request, but he refused.
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Fan: Could you call me that once more? Just once, I didn’t hear it last time.
Ricky: I can’t call you that; I have to be reserved.
Fan: I beg you.
Ricky: *shakes head*
Fan: It’s very expensive to come (do a fan call) once.
Ricky: You can listen to other things.
Fans called out the OP’s behavior and praised Ricky for standing up for himself. Some fans also called for ZEROBASEONE’s company, WAKEONE, to take action against sexual harassment.
5. SEVENTEEN’s Joshua
Joshua is not your mommy. That isn’t a fact we expected to point out this year, but here we are.
SEVENTEEN’s Joshua | @joshu_acoustic/Instagram
During a fan call, Joshua was asked if the OP could call him “Mom” because they think that he has mom-like traits. Joshua went along with it, but SEVENTEEN fans were not pleased. Some called the experience “traumatic.”
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joshua after the most traumatic fancall of his life https://t.co/DLxplZq3WN pic.twitter.com/ZlGGNV4QLG
— SHUACEMBER (@shuabebito) December 19, 2023
That must be one of the hell traumatic experience. https://t.co/lArqyZkjZr pic.twitter.com/B0zrfkghMS
— pahala (@mingdanmeng) December 20, 2023
6. ENHYPEN’s Jake
One caller’s “compliments” rubbed ENGENEs the wrong way.
ENHYPEN’s Jake | Weverse
The caller said that they were thankful to have Jake as a “foreigner member” among all the “Asian people with [an] Asian way of thinking.”
— ganaekxy (@jjjrpbsjm264109) December 5, 2023
And I’m so glad we have you as a foreigner member in ENHYPEN. Because among all these Asian people with [an] Asian way of thinking, I’m so happy we have you. You are so easy going, so open minded.
— Fan
The caller might have meant that as a compliment, but many ENGENEs found the comments offensive and disrespectful.
how are you as a kpop fan, indulging in ASIAN culture and fangirling over ASIAN men going to tell said KOREAN MAN that he’s not asian. AS A COMPLIMENT. common white ignorance. do you think jake doesn’t want to be asian??? what the hell is wrong with you?
— jalai HOONKI MONTH (@HOUSEOFJONG) December 4, 2023
i’m sorry but speaking to an asian man and telling him you’re glad he doesn’t have an “asian way of thinking” are you dumb…u just spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars to make a member uncomfortable. are u proud?
— pixel (@jaeyun444) December 4, 2023