TWICE has recently started their music show promotions for their latest single “Set Me Free.” Though their performance at MBC‘s Music Core was more than perfect, netizens noticed the group’s rapper, Chaeyoung, wearing a controversial shirt on stage and took to social media to express their frustrations with the stylist.
chae in a qanon shirt
fire the stylist https://t.co/vFPW2jHB1D
— Anjali (@dmodules_) March 18, 2023
Chaeyoung was seen wearing a cropped shirt during the show and in pictures uploaded on Tzuyu‘s personal Instagram. Fans quickly spotted that the shirt appeared to be an altered version of a QAnon t-shirt.
Tzuyu's Instagram update with Chaeyoung and Nayeon
"Today is the not close concept 🫤🫤"#TWICE #트와이스 @JYPETWICE pic.twitter.com/14WF4YlFKW
— SK (@SubjectKpop) March 18, 2023
The QAnon logo is a Q-shaped cutout of the United States flag, and their motto is “Where we go one, we go all”. Both the Q and the last half of the motto can be seen on Chaeyoung’s shirt.
QAnon may not be well known across the world, particularly among younger fans, but is definitely well known in the US.
It essentially is a conspiracy theory and political movement that began in 2017 when an anonymous 4chan user began posting cryptic messages under the name “Q”, claiming to have US security clearance.
guys i think Chaeyoung is wearing a Qanon shirt… I'm being so serious their stylist needs to retire that shirt pic.twitter.com/PlVEGwwTF1
— samo is alive (@samoisalive) March 18, 2023
QAnon is well known for being pro-Donald Trump, with their most well-known conspiracy theory being that the former US president was at odds with a global ring of Satanic, cannibalistic child sex traffickers. They quickly became closely associated with the “Pizzagate” conspiracy, which claimed that politicians in the Democrat party were abusing children at a pizzeria in Washington DC. The pizzeria was later attacked by an armed gunman who believed in the conspiracy.
Later, in 2020, QAnon followers made various attempts to discredit or overturn the 2020 US election after Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden. They were among those who attacked the US Capitol in the infamous January 6 2021 incident, which led to several deaths.
More than just a harmless conspiracy, QAnon has been linked to dozens of incidents over the past several years, as well as accusations of anti-semitism, racism, and homophobia.
Why is Chaeyoung wearing a fucking QANON shirt? I need to speak to the stylist pic.twitter.com/9uKBh4LmzT
— am (@mminas_shoulder) March 18, 2023
While it’s unlikely the TWICE members would be familiar, the stylist is under fire for not doing their due diligence. This is especially troublesome as the incident comes during the promotion of TWICE’s new album Ready to Be, which is being heavily promoted in the United States.
ONCE
TWICE will be appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show next Tuesday on 3/14
Mark your calendars and get ready to be excited!
"READY TO BE" Pre-save & Pre-orderhttps://t.co/8sWcmuNtWc#TWICE #트와이스#READYTOBE #SETMEFREE#MOONLIGHTSUNRISE pic.twitter.com/43N8WzitjH
— TWICE (@JYPETWICE) March 9, 2023
This isn’t the first time TWICE’s stylist has put the members in inappropriate clothes. Back in 2016, Tzuyu was spotted wearing a shirt with the slogan “Hoes take off your clothes” during the group’s cover of Girls’ Generation’s “Gee.”
72 . Twice Tzuyu – Gee Cover , Hoes Take Off Your Clothes Shirt : pic.twitter.com/PODh9nitie
— Legendary Kpop Outfits (@iconickpopfits) May 24, 2021
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