MONSTA X’s I.M Wrongfully Targeted For “Fatphobic” Messages That Were Just Mistranslations—Here’s What He Really Said
Content Warning
MONSTA X‘s I.M is facing serious backlash and criticism from the group’s own fandom after some recent comments he made on the UNIVERSE app.
The launch of the UNIVERSE app came with its fair share of criticism. From the “creepy” AI voice calls to the lack of subtitles and translations for international fans. It provides little to none, and automatic ones are inaccurate. Now, that’s coming into play here and affecting the idols.
I.M was sharing some personal thoughts with fans in which he believed would likely be a safe space. He briefly messaged about his lack of motivation to exercise, a struggle many of us could relate to.
Fans on Twitter have been sharing inaccurate translations made by another fan, spreading mistranslations that many assumed to be accurate at first. As a result, there were mixed reactions to his messages, and many netizens became upset due to what they believe was insensitive language used by I.M. Some have even gone as far as accusing him of fatphobia and fat-shaming.
OP deleted the tweets but i screenshotted it lmao if anyone is still curious what changkyun said pic.twitter.com/gIh2MIfBYS
— ًethan torchios Gf (@prdhye) July 27, 2021
While the content is similar, his original words may not have been as bad as many originally thought. So, we have provided our own translations to help bring more understanding.
- “I must be burnt out…”
- “I don’t want to exercise”
- “But I do it every day”
- “I must not be burnt out..”
- “I say I don’t want to, but I do it every day”
- “If it’s hot, I say it’s too hot to work out, but I still do it every day..”
- “And if it’s cold, I say it’s too cold…”
- “It’s not just me”
- “If you feel attacked, please go exercise”
- “If you have the strength to hold chopsticks, but say you don’t have the strength to exercise, that is just an excuse”
- “You say you gain weight just from drinking water? You should think about what else you consumed like water”
- “It’s because you’re burnt out from exercising that you brought you here”
- “I fully understand those words and I use it as well”
- “Work harder~”
- “But you don’t have to do it as I do”
- “I just want you all to know the importance of exercise”
- “If you like me for that, that’s enough for me”
Other fans are speaking in defense of I.M, explaining inaccuracies of translations and cultural context. For example, when he used “chopstick,” he was likely using it as a Korean idiom meaning “If you can do the small stuff, try doing the hard stuff.”
if you think about it there are some EN idioms used that are confusing to non EN speakers if they aren't familiar with them or can even seem rude/triggering/f4tshaming ("Kill two birds with one stone", "Break a leg", "Chew the fat", "Bite off more than you can chew", and so on)
— purple mic 💜 DISTANCE (@impurplemic) July 28, 2021
minhyuk and changkyun use a lot of kr slangs when they speak. sometimes its so hard to understand their joke bcs only fluent ones would get it. so i get why some ppl mistranslate what they say
pls if you're not fluent, stop translating. you will just end up sabotaging them
— Sofhia (@softforyooki) July 28, 2021
Many are also reminding others of I.M’s own insecurities. None of us are without our own personal struggles.
I just want you to know that I'm with Monsta X for 7 years, I saw IM for this long time, I saw him when he struggled with his shirts open because he thought his body wasn't good enough for his fans, he always scared about showing his body for a long time. And now
— 🤎 Doki 🖤 JH x JK (@DokiMBB) July 27, 2021
btw, monbebe who have been here for a long time, do you ever feel disgusted with the fact that changkyun once was not the most popular member, and when he lost weight and grew his hair out suddenly everyone ults him ? people think he didn't notice and think about shit like that ?
— iwo🍒 (@myxinsanity) July 27, 2021
Changkyun and the other idols are under a lot of pressure. It is impressive. To think that he feels obliged to exercise, it makes me feel sorry. It's horrible. I feel sorry for him. Working out shouldn't be a chore.
— Angel or Demon ⋈👼 or 😈 ❤️ My love is a star (@Blue_AngelHeart) July 27, 2021
And, some are simply wishing him the best and praying for him because we all know that we do not know everything someone is facing. Rather than immediately judging someone, we should always approach a situation with an open heart and mind.
i pray changkyun overcomes the silent battles he doesn't tell us about
— saturn💜🗝YOUTH🫧💙 (@changkitopia) July 28, 2021
Not even when I'm overweight and been overweight for almost my whole life, Changkyun on hitouch told me that I look beautiful and great no matter how much I weigh and that I should be happy and get what I want. Stop fcking cancell!ing idols for everything, because
— 🤎 Doki 🖤 JH x JK (@DokiMBB) July 28, 2021
I just want changkyun to know he perfect the way he is .he doesn't have to change who he is to make anyone happy . To moots you are perfect an gorgeous the way you are …
— Lynn ♘🐝🐹🐰⚅ (@multibebe23) July 27, 2021
