BTS has already made their way into the world of cartoon characters, webtoons, web series, and movies, so it was only a matter of time until one of television’s biggest shows took notice.
The band scored a subtle, clever nod on the recent March 17 episode of The Simpsons titled “E My Sport.” In the scene, Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie find themselves wandering through BTS’ home country of South Korea for a gaming competition. As the family members walk down a street, fans noticed signs written in a combination of Korean and English that said “BTS here today” as well as “BTS ARMY recruiting center,” the latter referencing the group’s famously passionate fanbase.
While the BTS boys didn’t make an actual animated appearance themselves — we would have loved to see which era Matt Groening & Co. would have chosen to represent the guys with — when a band is reportedly worth billions to Korea’s economy, it makes it all the more sense that an episode based in the country would include at least one reference to the supergroup.
Following their announcement to play Saturday Night Live next month, a Simpsons reference marks just yet another mainstream nod for BTS as the excitement grows for their forthcoming Map of the Soul: Persona album.
Viewers were quick to capture the moment, noticing the signs behind Lisa, with clips quickly shared among international fans:
190317 ‘the simpsons’ season 30 episode 17 @bts_twt pic.twitter.com/WzS1qFxDbI
— ?? (@qdeoks) March 18, 2019