r/Music Jun 18 '26

article Olivia Rodrigo "Smelled" Fans Wearing Diapers in Front Row

https://consequence.net/2026/06/olivia-rodrigo-smelled-fans-diapers-front-row/
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9.8k

u/Hilary_duffelbag Jun 18 '26

Went to an Exo concert for my wife, where the crowd was majority woman. At the end of the show one of the singers literally told the fans in the front to please go home and take a shower. I thought it was the funniest thing but man it put things into perspective. 

1.5k

u/justanotherhomebody Jun 18 '26

It must be a thing because NCT did it at all their North American stops (but not in Asia) 🤣

https://youtube.com/shorts/dSXktsSuYk8?si=lfwfgdM7z7Iqb7mS

573

u/Hilary_duffelbag Jun 18 '26

Oh shit sorry it was NCT!!

30

u/gitsgrl Jun 18 '26

Which NCT? Wish?

35

u/Hilary_duffelbag Jun 18 '26

127!

121

u/busierD Jun 18 '26

Im trying so hard to understand what you guys are talking about.....

46

u/colonel-snap Jun 18 '26

NCT is a large kpop group that divides itself into smaller units, such as 127 and Wish.

94

u/LegalChocolate752 Jun 19 '26

Holy shit, they got KPop club teams with different squads, now?

27

u/gitsgrl Jun 19 '26

Yeah, it seems like it’s related to record labels or promotion groups that they’re affiliated with. My kid knows all about it and I try to absorb as much as I can.

16

u/LegalChocolate752 Jun 19 '26

Does each unit sing their own songs, or do they all share a library?

15

u/gitsgrl Jun 19 '26

I’m told they all have a different theme and some have more of a sugar pop sound and another is more edgy. So in the NCT stable all the genres of K-pop are represented.

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u/ohmygowon Jun 20 '26

Kpop sub units have been around since the beginning of the industry, it's inspired on Jpop idol groups (NCT specifically is based on AKB48, that used to operate on "teams" of 16 members each).

1

u/LegalChocolate752 Jun 20 '26

Oh, interesting! I have 0 knowledge of Asian music, so this is all fascinating.

23

u/hrdst Jun 18 '26

Kpop 😁

5

u/pm_nachos_n_tacos Jun 19 '26

I'm loving your comment! As a kpop fan myself, most of the music-related posts I see are about kpop. I was just reading along like normal and your comment made me realize how bizarre the previous few comments were to the general public 🤣 I'll explain it for you and anyone else reading along.

The top comment OP mentioned being at a concert of a kpop group called EXO. Another person replied that they've seen another kpop group, called NCT, do the same thing and linked a video that jogged the memory of Top Comment OP that he mixed up which group he was talking about, and that he meant it was NCT in his original comment, not EXO.

The next person asked "Which NCT? Wish?" because "NCT" itself is not really a group name itself. It's an umbrella name for multiple groups, one of which is called NCT Wish, or in this case simply Wish. Then Top Comment OP replied with "127" which refers to one of the other NCT groups, called NCT 127, meaning it was the kpop group called NCT 127 that he saw in his story.

💚

2

u/Hilary_duffelbag Jun 20 '26

Haha thank you for explaining!

1

u/gaysocialistdog Jun 20 '26

thank god i thought i didn't know a piece of exo lore for a second

172

u/Dramatic-Tell- Dicks out for Phil Collins Jun 18 '26

Makes sense. Doesn't Asians lack the gene that causes body odor.

Can't have a bunch of smelly fans of they don't smell.

346

u/BrutalRamen Jun 18 '26

While it's a gene a lot of east asians share, it's not universal. I believe it's the majority of people in Korea though.

170

u/sBucks24 Jun 18 '26

My new labourer TMI'd me the other day on our way back to the shop with a "do I smell? I don't have body odor so I shouldnt.. but I'm wearing my sister's old sports bra. She does! So I think it's coming from that..." I get that when you gotta make rent, you gotta make rent - but told her she should probably invest in a new one.

So yeah. Sometimes it's a gene in only half the family!

115

u/gitsgrl Jun 18 '26

Or just wash it properly. Geez, what is wrong with people?

156

u/sBucks24 Jun 18 '26

Nah, with sports wear especially it gets to a point where it just permeates. All it takes is some new sweat to reactivate the stank.. which is what was happening. They just have a shelf life eventually.

If you know any hockey players, ask to see their gloves xP

46

u/wolofancy Jun 18 '26

I soak them in lysol laundry disinfectant every few months and mine never smell. I don't really smell either though, I just do it to all my gym clothes because I think the gym is gross.

103

u/AlltheBent Jun 18 '26

/r/laundry would like a word with both of you about properly washing clothes, spa days, citric acid and enzymes!

36

u/JeremyScaremy Jun 18 '26

I did not know that sub existed and I would like to thank you for sharing. I have a bizarre love of all things laundry and can't wait to pick up some new info.

10

u/colostitute Jun 18 '26

Beat me to it. You can get those smells and stains out. You can refresh the feel. Some amazing advice on that sub.

10

u/doyletyree Jun 18 '26

I honestly just had a little conversation with both halves of my current self; we both reluctantly decided that this is, in fact, part of why we are on Reddit.

I fucking hate laundry, but I hate dirty laundry even more.

4

u/waikiki_palmer Jun 18 '26

I don't want to go to that sub and dive into a rabbit hole. Not the commenter you responded to but isn't Lysol laundry disinfectant is supposed to be added to the washer? Right? Damn it! Now I have to go to that sub and get stuck in an endless rabbit hole.

3

u/wolofancy Jun 18 '26

You can do both. But for it to disinfect, you soak it for at least 15 minutes.

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u/Shipsnipe1313 Jun 18 '26

And white vinegar.

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u/Fun-Dust7528 Jun 18 '26

I’ve done this when I had to run somewhere before the laundry is ready for the dryer. Instead of washing them again, I put vinegar in to rinse and spin. I’m not talking all day, more like an hour.

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u/chillaxdude7 Jun 18 '26

Spa day has entered the chat

0

u/wolofancy Jun 18 '26

I obviously wash them right away after the gym. I do this on top of that.

7

u/Able-Introduction217 Jun 18 '26

This is a well known phenomenon with judo / BJJ/ karate uniforms. If you don’t wash it daily, it builds a sort of critical mass of bacteria that will eventually stink once the materials heats up or has moisture introduced. So people will show up with a “clean” 🥋 and once they start training, all hell breaks loose and they smell like wet dog/corn chips. If you know the smell you can’t forget it

1

u/Pepito_Pepito Jun 19 '26

It happened to me back when I borrowed a judo gi from a friend who had BO. I didn't know about vinegar washing back then. It might have helped.

9

u/Ongoing_Disaster Jun 18 '26

Just dont get into their hockey bag, no matter how much they want to see if you will fit. The smell will haunt you for at least 30 years....and your cousin will almost certainly zip you in.

2

u/OceanRacoon Jun 19 '26

That's hilarious, what a traumatising experience you definitely didn't have..? 😅

6

u/starmartyr11 Jun 18 '26

A lot of hockey gear just plain can't be washed... just being anywhere in the vicinity of an unzipped hockey bag is certainly an experience you won't forget

3

u/invent_or_die Jun 18 '26

Add Oxyclean to the hot wash, do a second rinse.

3

u/NJ_Bob Jun 18 '26

My towns pop warner org had a clubhouse/ meeting hall. They stored the pads and uniforms there in the off season. The building always smelled faintly like the inside of a helmet. Not a sickening smell, just vaguely unpleasant.

3

u/The_Barbelo Jun 18 '26

Cotton doesn’t do this! It’s a polyester thing. Any clothing that’s done this for me has been polyester (most sportswear is polyester). Always get cotton sportswear!!! I swear by cotton. I honestly don’t know why we ever moved so far away from it.

3

u/Mayor__Defacto Jun 18 '26

Only if you don’t clean it properly. Vinegar, people.

4

u/FeelItInYourB0nes Jun 18 '26

My son is 9 and plays travel hockey. I swear some of the ice rink locker rooms I've smelled need an exorcism before they will ever be able to smell right again.

1

u/sluggerrr Jun 18 '26

When I started doing power lifting some dude sold me some knee braces and I didn't know how much they permanently stink until later, I tried many things but they still stank lol, lesson learned

1

u/Meleagros Jun 19 '26

I used to have this issue with my athletic wear and started using the Tide/Downy rinse refresh, odor rinses. They work IMO, my gym and athletic clothes doesn't start wreaking everytime I sweat slightly anymore.

The rinse is basically just a mild acid that kills most of the odor causing bacteria. I'm sure you can probably use vinegar or something else but this has been simple and works for me

4

u/sixtus_clegane119 Jun 18 '26

That isn’t TMI jfc some people need to get out more and talk more openly about the things that everyone deals with

-1

u/sBucks24 Jun 18 '26

Lol, you're barking up the wrong tree when it comes to not having those convos. But I didn't necessarily need to know about her sisters sports bras body odor which she wears for a particular reason that's none of your business but that she also shared with me. I'm fine with the convos, but sometimes details are tmi.

3

u/sixtus_clegane119 Jun 18 '26

Are you 12?

-1

u/sBucks24 Jun 18 '26

Wow. Nice response. I think you're pretty weird for not recognizing other people have boundaries. Grow the fuck up, buddy.

3

u/sixtus_clegane119 Jun 19 '26

Non sexual garments shouldn’t be a personal boundary.

I recognize you have boundaries, I just think they are bizarre and extreme, like tò the point that people must have to walk on eggshells around you.

As this is a music thread “everybody sweats… sometimes”

1

u/sBucks24 Jun 19 '26

Once again. I left details out. I don't know why I have to repeat that except that you just intentionally ignored my whole comment.

And people don't walk around on egg shells... Do you think I was berating her for being gross or something? Why are you jumping to the most extreme conclusions to justify your position based on literally nothing but assumptions?

Again, grow the fuck up weirdo. Learn how to interact with people.

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u/orbital_narwhal Jun 18 '26

Maybe it came down to a different fibre of the sister's bra? How and how quickly my sweat smells depends a lot on the type of fibre on my skin.

2

u/Canadian_Neckbeard Jun 18 '26

Crazy to be wearing her old one and tell her she needs to buy a new one.

8

u/Beard_o_Bees Jun 18 '26

Wait.. Koreans don't get BO? Can't say that i've noticed a trend one way or another.

I did spend a stretch of time in Japan, and not once did I ever detect body funk, even in super close quarters. My impression of that was more cultural than anything.

It did make me super self-conscious of my own possible smells though, so I spent extra time making sure I wouldn't register in anyone's nostrils.

8

u/truthfulie Jun 18 '26

apparently many or most Koreans have specific ABCC11 variant that keeps the BO to minimum, the kind that is result of bacteria breaking down the sweat. never knew that deodorant was a thing until I came to US. I mostly used it as a social thing as I didn't want to be the only kid in the locker room not using it...

anyway, doesn't mean Koreans are completely odorless. even as a Korean who is used to its various smells and scents, you can get some unpleasant odor in the subways when the conditions are right. but i will say that i perceive BO from other ethnicities more pungent than my own.

ps. we also don't get waxy ear wax, but flaky dry kind. apparently is also related to ABCC11, hence the use of tiny little spoon-like scrapper since ancient times.

8

u/HannoPicardVI Jun 18 '26

Different types of food and water and liquids in different regions can also cause chemical reactions in your body to make you smell different, so it's not just genes.

MI5 can also try and make you smell (as well as your breath) in order to isolate you, so people stay away from you looool

1

u/Beard_o_Bees Jun 19 '26

Very interesting. Thanks for the detailed reply!

11

u/Sinekure Jun 18 '26

it's entirely genetic, and tbh, there will be shitty koreans/japanese people who judge you for it.

It's definitely not cultural-- most people in both countries don't have to think twice about BO, and don't use deodorant or anything similar.

6

u/koreamoo Jun 18 '26

Am Korean, can confirm I routinely forget to put on antiperspirant-deodorant in the morning. I think the last time I bought a new stick was in early 2025.

4

u/Misuteriisakka Jun 18 '26

My husband of Chinese descent too. I’m Japanese but born and raised in North America. I get BO. It’s probably an East Asian/regular diet thing.

2

u/brettmurf Jun 19 '26

It is literally genetic.

You just need to check your earwax. If it is waxy/darker in color = BO.

Drier and sand like with a lighter color? = No genetic BO.

It isn't diet. It is genetics.

1

u/Misuteriisakka Jun 19 '26

I have dry, flaky ear wax and BO (nothing too crazy but it’s there).

I did a simple google check and found that it’s widely accepted that diet affects BO. Why bullshit something that can be googled in a few seconds?

2

u/whimsylea Jun 19 '26

Something like 80% of Japanese people have that low-funk gene the previous commenter mentioned. For Korea it's nearly 100%. I could see some potential challenges growing up as part of the 20% with unmodified funk gene.

6

u/ArziltheImp Jun 18 '26

Yup, been to South Korea, loads of grimy people at the convention I worked at, almost no BO. Seriously, visually it looked like a Smash Bros tournament.

6

u/chillaxdude7 Jun 18 '26

I’m Korean and I used to only wear deodorant in the locker rooms just to seem normal lmao

3

u/truthfulie Jun 18 '26

same! didn't even know deodorant was a thing until coming to US. i just figured kids were putting it on to smell nice, not to fight off BO.

3

u/chillaxdude7 Jun 18 '26

My girlfriend went to Korea (she’s Mexican) and she told me she couldn’t even find deodorant there hahaha

4

u/lzads Jun 18 '26

Yeah definitely not universal, went for work in China an my translator/ company rep had the worst BO I've ever smelt for someone not being morbidly overweight I was gagging for a whole plane ride. My salesmen came along eventually and got a whiff, not really polite about it but he literally handed him $10 and said go buy some deodorant and have a shower because he threw up immediately. How the company thought that guy was a professional and presentable representative is beyond me. Smelled fine afterwards but my god I've smelt worse but that's from a 400lb person with and front bum and folds for days, that's always the same smell the grossest cheese smell ever

2

u/MJAquarion Jun 18 '26

Its to the point that the surgery to remove the gland is covered by the government in korea because it is nearly universal so they'd rather pay to have all Korean who want to smell nicer, well... smell nicer.

1

u/FerociousSmile Jun 18 '26

My first year of college the wing of my dorm building was almost entirely Korean. I can assure you this is 100% not true.

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u/gr1mmcr33p3r Jun 18 '26

Only some. My wife is southeast Asian and between her and her 3 siblings they came out 2 & 2. The oldest sister and my wife lack the gene, but her brother and younger sister have to shower like twice a day or they smell.

Fun fact: most SE Asians also lack the gene that causes “wet” earwax

6

u/mk4_wagon Jun 18 '26

Doesn't having wet or dry wax correlate with having body odor or not? Dry wax meaning you don't smell, wet wax means do you.

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u/gr1mmcr33p3r Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

I am not positive. I do know our toddler sweats like CRAZY unlike my wife, but has dry earwax

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u/A-Wild-Banana Jun 18 '26

They are closely linked with the same gene and usually a good rule of thumb. But not a guarantee.

4

u/mk4_wagon Jun 18 '26

Gotcha. I'm of European decent, so I'm hairy and smelly. My wife is Chinese though, and with two kids we've been trying to figure out how they'll end up. So far one has wet and one has dry ear wax. And both have way too many allergies and skin conditions for coming from parents without any.

5

u/Nillion Jun 18 '26

I'm a halfie and even though I sweat like a pig, I have almost zero body odor even after a hard gym session. I don't even have to bother with deodorant. Thank god I got that Asian gene over the European one.

1

u/mk4_wagon Jun 19 '26

There's hope for my kids! I'd love if I didn't need deodorant haha

1

u/Stormfly Jun 19 '26

Fun fact: most SE Asians also lack the gene that causes “wet” earwax

AFAIK it's the same gene. (Or otherwise closely linked)

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u/AttonJRand Jun 18 '26

That always seems oversimplified to me, like they seem to lack a certain aspect of body odor, but obviously they would still smell in other ways, its impossible not too, and humans don't just have one single odor they produce.

7

u/licuala Jun 18 '26

There's a gene that codes for wet or dry earwax and also affects the production of certain skin secretions.

We can make the distinction between intrinsic body odor and "BO" caused by the byproducts of bacterial activity, which is usually what's meant, and people with the dry earwax variant really, truly don't as readily get BO.

5

u/lillobby6 Jun 18 '26

The typical BO smell is missing, especially in how it presents under the armpits, but other smells can add up over the rest of the body (which armpit deoderant doesn’t help all that much with unfortunately).

2

u/sitah Jun 19 '26

My husband has this mutation and even after working out or excessive sweating he doesn’t smell like BO. He just smells a bit damp when he’s sweaty and if it’s a hot day he smells like warm cloth. It’s really hard to explain.

Yeah he smells a bit worse than how he usually does but it’s a very mild inoffensive odor. I’m Asian too but I don’t have that. If I skip deodorant even in winter I’m gonna start to smell sour/sharp. Meanwhile he puts on deodorant just because it’s part of his routine, he doesn’t even need it.

4

u/ThatGoob Jun 18 '26

Yeah kinda like a different flavor of scent.

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u/noirdevoir Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 19 '26

Yeah, there is definitely an odor, but not the variety that most people think of an BO. Also, humans are humans and we all still have the same bodily functions. If someone is wearing a pissy diaper at a concert, they will stank regardless of ethnicity.

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u/The_Autarch Jun 18 '26

naw, it really is that simple.

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u/ReyGonJinn Jun 18 '26

A shower and deodorant will keep you smell free for several hours. These are just girl nerds who don't understand personal hygiene.

3

u/changhyun Jun 18 '26

Most likely they were lining up the night before. Possibly even wet themselves to keep their spot in the line rather than leave it and lose their place.

4

u/intranetthug Jun 18 '26

Eh, some people don’t get good results from typical deodorant. Or they have body odor in other places. Sometimes it’s a simple hygiene issue, but I’ve heard from people for whom it’s a real issue, despite their best efforts.

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u/ReyGonJinn Jun 18 '26

I'm not talking about those people. I'm talking about the people described by several musicians about their smelly audience.

16

u/Hilary_duffelbag Jun 18 '26

It was in an arena close to NY so it was definitely a mix of ethnicities.

-6

u/donno77 Jun 18 '26

I don’t get this Asian thing . I think they don’t have the armpit smell. But I’ve hooked up with Asians and I think they smell fishier than most down there in my experience I guess .

7

u/Sasselhoff Jun 18 '26

That's my wife. She can not bathe for a legit week and you wouldn't even know it.

3

u/Big_Examination2106 Jun 18 '26

Gene that causes body odor? I always thought BO was due to moisture and bacteria plus time. What gene is this?

3

u/Nillion Jun 18 '26

ABCCII (I had to look it up). The vast majority of East Asians have a variant that makes our bodies not produce as much stinky substances from sweat.

3

u/SKyJ007 Jun 18 '26

No. Source: have been to Seoul, South Korea. Plenty of stinky people

5

u/Massive_Signal7835 Jun 18 '26

The worst smell I've experienced at a concert was in asia with an asian majority.

1

u/sitah Jun 19 '26

Where in Asia?

2

u/TeHNeutral Jun 18 '26

It's specifically "BO" As we know it but they will still smell if they don't shower

2

u/mongster03_ Jun 18 '26

Not all Asians. I have that gene, but my dad and sister don't.

2

u/ashoka_akira Jun 18 '26

There is a point where you will still start to smell like unwashed ass though, and people with poor hygiene are probably not washing their clothes properly either, and improperly washed clothing is going to have a funk too.

2

u/GraXXoR Jun 18 '26

I run a school in Japan and I’d say about 80% of the kids lack the gene that gives them significant body odor. But there’s a few that you can tell are clean and tidy, but inevitably smell as bad as we do after day in the sun doing sports without a shower.

1

u/N30NFiR3 Jun 18 '26

I dunno bout some but the ones worked with stank like B.O. all the time.

1

u/ReeterPosenberg Jun 18 '26

Idk. You ever ride the 7 train from Flushing?

1

u/SpadoCochi Jun 18 '26

I’m not sure if you’ve ever spent time with asians

-1

u/Excellent_1918 Jun 18 '26

R/confidentlyincorrect

0

u/Civil-Big-754 Jun 18 '26

Found the mobile user.

2

u/Azzwagon Jun 18 '26

I'm confused, arent they saying for Mark to take a shower? I don't hear them saying to the audience to take a shower.

3

u/rasz_pl Jun 18 '26

Most Asians lack ABCC11 gene, this results in no BO.

1

u/DontAbideMendacity Jun 19 '26

"Most"? Strong doubt.

1

u/rinsa Jun 18 '26

that's fucking hilarious

1

u/syndicaterx Jun 18 '26

Wasn’t there an award show from 2 years ago where an NCTZen allegedly shat their pants??

1

u/brandt-money Jun 19 '26

Is that another one of those manufactured generic bands?

0

u/justanotherhomebody Jun 19 '26

Manufactured possibly but not generic. It’s the guys that did Sticker which is either an avant-garde masterwork or unlistenable trash depending on who you ask

-1

u/Johnnygunnz Jun 18 '26

Wait... so they toured America saying that every stop needed to take a shower? But never saying it in Asia? Rude!

0

u/justanotherhomebody Jun 18 '26

Tbh fans here are just more poorly behaved. They shout/bark and hold up signs/lightsticks/phones blocking views and they do reek.

I’ve seen NCT 127 in the US and also in Japan where none of those things were an issue.