BBC Dad And His Wonderful Family Have Addressed Their Viral Fame
"Everybody we know seems to think it's hysterical."
A week ago, Dr. Robert E. Kelly was best known as an associate professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Pusan National University. But that was before his infamous television interview. Now, he’s the internet celebrity known as BBC Dad.
The way this story has unfolded has been kind of a perfect case study in the life of a viral video. First the footage hit and for a brief, shining moment everyone was united. Then came the inevitable backlash. BBC Dad is a bad parent! Why is the maid so terrified? Actually that’s not the maid, it’s the Mum, you bigot! The think pieces and hot takes rolled in faster than a toddler in his baby wheeler. And that’s to say nothing of the memes.
Now Kelly, his wife Kim Jung-A, and their two tiny children Marion and James have returned to the scene of the original interview to speak about their newfound celebrity.
“It’s funny, we understand that,” Kelly told BBC News. “Everybody we know seems to think it’s hysterical.”
The couple also spoke about the assumption many people made that Jung-A was the nanny, not Marion and James’ mother. “Yeah, we were pretty uncomfortable with it,” said Kelly.
“I hope people just enjoy it, not argue over this thing” added Jung-A.
Professor Robert Kelly speaks to us again – now we can officially meet his wife & children ? https://t.co/SmwRdyPOd7 #BBCDad pic.twitter.com/smCE8iW431
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 14, 2017
The family also spoke to The Wall Street Journal, where Kelly described his reaction to the video as “a mixture of surprise and embarrassment and amusement”.
“Mostly we’re interested in this fading to a manageable level,” he added.
As for why Marion walked in with such swagger, Kelly said that his daughter “was in a hippity-hoppity mood that day because of a school party.” Makes sense to me!