Texas anchor faces BTS ARMY backlash over ‘death to America’ Oreo joke

BTS fans are pushing back against a Lubbock, Texas news anchor who joked on air that the K-pop group’s upcoming Oreo collaboration spells out a “death to America” message.

KCBD Fox34 Anchor and Managing Editor James Eppler made the remarks while previewing BTS’ limited-edition Oreos on “Good Day Lubbock.” After describing the cookie’s brown sugar filling, modeled on the Korean snack hotteok, Eppler said the 13 embossed designs spell out “death to America, which I think is really strange.” A co-anchor pressed him on why he would say that, and Eppler brushed it off seconds later.

Set for release June 8, the cookies actually carry messages for fans such as “The biggest love, BTS ARMY” and “Our Universe. BTS ARMY,” marking the group’s 13th anniversary.

Eppler’s joke quickly sparked outrage among BTS fans, affectionately known as ARMY, who accused him of linking a false anti-American message to an Asian act. “Spreading misinformation about an Asian boyband on a news show knowing damn well how America is treating minorities right now is really weird,” one noted on X.

Another wrote in part, “I am convinced they said this to incite violence against BTS, because what conservative American watching the news is taking ‘death to America!’ as a lighthearted joke in this political climate?” Still, others tagged Oreo directly, asking whether the brand endorsed the comment.

The backlash shows how ARMY and similar K-pop fandoms have become a vocal counterweight to anti-Asian rhetoric in American media. They can mobilize against an individual or a brand quickly, making fan organizing one of the most immediate forms of pressure on U.S. press covering Asian artists.

Needless to say, the on-air joke lands during a period of heightened scrutiny over anti-Asian language. In seconds, Eppler cast a cross-cultural product launch as an anti-American message, the kind of framing that resurfaces in U.S. coverage of Asian artists, including chart-topping global acts.

Fans are pressing Fox34 for a public apology before BTS Oreos reach shelves.