British school bans K-pop bops after ‘demon’ lyrics spark heavenly drama
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Some parents at a school in southern England find the cheesy portrayal of demons in the Netflix hit KPop Demon Hunters unsettling.
PHOTO: AFP
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A primary school in southern England has declared war – on catchy K-pop bangers.
Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, has banned songs from the Netflix megahit KPop Demon Hunters, saying some parents find it “deeply uncomfortable” hearing their children singing merrily about demons.
Apparently, for these parents, “demons” conjure up “spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness”.
KPop Demon Hunters does have demons. They are the villains in the animated movie, bent on spreading darkness and taking over the world.
The heroes are actually three girls who make up the K-pop group Huntr/x. They hunt these demons with their high notes, perfectly synchronised choreography, amazing hairdos – and their magical sword, spear and knives.
The school’s original message asked parents to gently encourage their children “not to sing these songs at school out of respect for those who find the themes at odds with their faith”.
But one parent told the BBC he thought the whole thing was “ridiculous”.
His daughter and her friends love K-pop, and their after-school club performances are more “cute dance practice” than “summoning circle”, he said.
An atheist, he said the ban felt “a bit of an imposition and probably a bit unfair and silly”.
Though he stressed the school is usually great and probably just panicking about being overrun by six-year-olds singing songs by Huntr/x’s nemesis, the Saja Boys, he felt it was pressured to make the change.
The school’s acting headteacher, Mr Lloyd Allington, followed up on Nov 17, saying he has since heard from parents who think songs like Golden – which was No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for more than eight weeks – have helped their children learn teamwork, kindness and courage.
The school, though, still wants to support those who find the idea of a demon-themed movie “challenging”.
“For some Christians, references to demons can feel deeply uncomfortable because they associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness,” said Mr Allington.
He added: “We are not asking parents to tell their children that there is anything wrong with enjoying the film or its songs if it aligns with your own views and beliefs… Our role will simply be to help children understand that some of their peers may hold different views and to explore how we can respect and support those peers in upholding their faith.”
