EXO’s debut video Mama is X’d (Twitter)
Uproar poured into Twitter during the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) held at Nagoya Dome in Japan Wednesday night, as fans demanded an apology from awards show organizers for throwing shade at EXO, one of the top K-pop acts.
EXO-Ls, the official EXO fanbase, were dismayed as Mnet, the South Korean music channel, apparently has yet to move on from its feud with EXO and its handlers in SM Entertainment. EXO and other SM Entertainment groups did not attend the MAMA.
Fans were particularly outraged as one promotional video for the awards show explained the meaning of “MAMA” by differentiating it from EXO’s debut video “Mama.” A big “X” was placed on a clip of the 2012 video.
Saw this for the first time, I’m not an exo-l but it is just so disgusting and disrespectful????????#MNETapologizeToEXO pic.twitter.com/SxET6padj6
— LOVE_YOURSELF???? (@hillapin97) December 5, 2019
The second slight supposedly occurred when a photo of EXO rapper and vocalist Chanyeol crying during the 2017 MAMA was shown, with the bold caption “Tears of Joy.”
So I’m gonna tell you what happened?! Mama found that her party was boring and no one care about it, so she decided to talk about kings of kpop and get some attention ???????? Lol ms snake you got ch3er ????????#MnetApologizeToEXO pic.twitter.com/rNe27wDRgA — Marwa Erigom (@MaRwaExol8) December 5, 2019
MAMA 2017 was controversial as EXO and EXO-Ls were said to have been treated shabbily during the event, and fans complained that the idol group did not receive all the awards it deserved despite topping various polls.
MAMA 2017 was a mess. I never seen hyung line cried but that day Xiumin cried. Baekhyun came infront to make exo ls feel better but his “Exo l, uljimayo” literally made me cried more. Mnet mistreated EXO and EXO L on that freakin day!#MnetApologizeToEXO pic.twitter.com/QjgmUT2y1w
— gabit ???? | ???????? D-78 (@wonbit1707) December 5, 2019
Since then, SM Entertainment artists have boycotted the MAMAs. WayV, a Chinese sub-unit of NCT, was the only SM Entertainment group present at the MAMA 2019, performing “Moonwalk” from its newest EP “Take Over the Moon.” It won the year’s Best New Asian Artist award.
EXO won Worldwide Fans Choice, while vocalist Baekhyun won Best Male Artist of the year.
[#2019MAMA] Worldwide Fans’ Choice #EXO Congrats to @weareoneEXO on winning!????#MAMA #MnetAsianMusicAwards pic.twitter.com/vt0Jutg8z3 — MAMA(엠넷아시안뮤직어워즈) (@MnetMAMA) December 4, 2019
Baekhyun has won Best Male Artist Of The Year at today’s Mnet Asian Music Awards. #MAMA2019
He is the first artist to win as a non atendee. @weareoneEXO
Congratulations @B_hundred_Hyun! pic.twitter.com/Q11IoSSf70
— EXO Views (@exo_views) December 4, 2019
EXO-Ls trended the hashtag #MNETApologizeToEXO for several hours after the awards show. (Troy Jacob Quinan)