Trending in BJ: Fat Shaming, Drug Busts, and Generation Z Issues
The fun, the strange, and the what-on-earth-is-this: a wrap-up of top stories in Beijing as told by the trending hashtags, local press, and general power of the internet.
1) Fat Shaming
"You are so fat, you should just stay home!"
Calling someone "fat" can be both a compliment and an insult in China. Going home for Spring Festival only to hear your mother greet you with "Oh, you got fat" is an insult while being told by your in-laws that you are "so fat and pretty" is a compliment.
Complicated stuff, yet for one Beijing grandpa, there is no mistaking his intentions. In a video (see below) published on Weibo under #300斤小伙挤地铁被大爷骂哭# (300 jīn xiǎohuǒ jǐ dìtiě bèi dàyé mà kū, 300-lb guy in a crowded subway accidentally steps on an elderly man and cries after the latter insults him) that has 1.3 million views and counting, the elder directs a tirade of insults at a large young man who had accidentally stepped on his foot while queueing for the subway. The young man immediately apologized and kept apologizing, but gramps continued to rant, said that the young man was so fat, he was better off staying at home. At this point, the young man is seen covering his face and wiping tears away.
Netizens were infuriated by the behavior of this rowdy grandpa and many have called for an apology. Some supported the young man saying that overweight people frequently endure insults like this, and just because they may appear big and jolly (their words, not ours) it doesn't mean they are strong enough to easily shrug off such namecalling.
2) Troubles Over Meth
Yu Quan duo with Chen Yufan on the right
When it comes to methamphetamines, pretty much all roads lead to trouble. Just ask Chen Yufan. The singer (and one half of a popular Chinese pop-rock duo called Yu Quan) has been caught with 7.96 grams of crystal meth and 2.14 grams of marijuana, and tested positive for both drugs, according to China Daily. Weibo is discussing the issue under #歌手陈羽凡吸毒# (gēshǒu chén yǔfán xīdú, singer Chen Yufan takes drugs).
The Beijing Public Security Bureau got in on the net action, releasing a cartoon video on their Weibo account, saying "Drugs make the 'most beautiful' (zui mei) wither, the 'rainbow' (cai hong) fade". That statement is a reference to Zui Mei and Cai Hong, two of Chen's most popular albums.
10/10 would argue it is simply a bad angle
Another popular news outlet called Today's Headlines (Jinri Toutiao) also reported on the matter. In the process, they dug up delightful old articles such as "120 Drug Addict Celebrities" and "Another Drug Using Celebrity? Take a Look at the Other Drug Using Stars" (screenshot of the article above).
3) Spotlight on Generation Z
Youngsters born after 1995 are a peculiar generation. Avid users of memes and hashtags, they are also big fans of shitting on themselves, using catchphrases like "no sex life", "fat house" (the equivalent of a couch potato), "homework not done but will go lie down", and "studying and playing on my phone at the same time to self-flagellate."
This generation currently under 23 years old gather around the hashtag #95后又宅又丧# (95 hòu yòu zhái yòu sàng, post-'95 generation is mourning at home again) to share their struggles. Chief among them: creating and maintaining real-life relationships, leaving the house, having conversations IRL and not on WeChat, eating too much, and spending money they don't have.
Reality: don't have money, don't want to go out. Holiday: too many people, don't want to go out.
Aside from those meme-able lolz, they also share their ever-present daily stress, financial anxiety, uncertainty about the future, and depression.
Illustration of an ideal winter holiday according to Chinese Generation Z
Are you a representative of Generation Z? Do any of the memes look familiar?
Images: Weibo
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