At the Met Gala, the largest fashion event in the United States, the paparazzi’s treatment of K-pop group Stray Kids ignited controversy. The photographers’ unreasonable demands, including “everybody jump,” and taunts about the group appearing “emotionless,” led to widespread accusations of racism.
Stray Kids attended this year’s Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 6, serving as global ambassadors for Tommy Hilfiger, and were dressed according to the event’s theme, “The Garden of Time.”
The racism controversy emerged when a video of the paparazzi’s interactions with Stray Kids at the event was released online. As Stray Kids entered the photo zone, the paparazzi expressed dissatisfaction with comments such as “How many are there?” They continued to direct the group with instructions like “Stand straight,” “You all look crooked,” “Move back,” and “Can everybody face us,” despite the members already standing close together and posing. They repeatedly requested the members to stand closer together, and one photographer even remarked, “I’ll just take a headshot of each of you.”
Afterward, the photographers began mocking the members’ expressions. One photographer said, “I’ve never seen so many unemotional faces in my life,” with others agreeing. When Stray Kids took off their coats, the jeering continued with remarks like “Aww... Now we’ve got to do it again,” “Maybe do better this time,” “Let’s do it with feeling.” They also made rude demands such as “Looks like they’re going to start performing” and “Everybody jump.”
Videos capturing these moments, titled “Paparazzi being so rude to Stray Kids,” spread rapidly, sparking outrage among fans. A video uploaded on an X account (formerly Twitter) reached 3 million views in less than a day. Netizens responded, “The paparazzi are aggressive,” and “They should apologize for their rude comments.”
International entertainment media also covered the paparazzi’s behavior. The Daily Mail published an article titled “Moment K-pop stars Stray Kids are taunted by ‘racist’ photographers on Met Gala red carpet,” which detailed the paparazzi’s remarks and noted, “A video clip that’s been widely shared on social media shows photographers making negative comments within earshot of the pop stars.” The report also included global fans’ criticism of the paparazzi.
