“菊外人”到底是什么梗？
Talent show star Wang Ju won hearts overnight with her candor[坦白], uniqueness, nerve[勇气], and taste.
Female pop idols in China typically fit a very narrow mold: Young, slim, and sweet-mannered with dreamy, dewy[带露水的；令人清爽的]makeup. But Wang Ju is cut from a different cloth[1].
[1]来自be cut from the same cloth的改写：
If two or more people are cut from the same cloth, they are very similar in
their character, attitudes, or behaviour.
Julia and her mother are cut from the same cloth, as they are both so kind and sweet.
Note: You can say that people are cut from a different cloth, meaning they
are very different.
His brother was cut from an altogether different cloth.
Tanned[皮肤被晒黑的], curvy[(身材)曲线优美的], glamorous, and “old” by idol standards at 25, the Shanghainese talent show contestant has taken China’s social media by storm. In particular, Wang has secured a firm fan base of gay men and feminists through her stint[2] on “Produce 101.”
[2]stint: N-COUNT A stint is a period of time which you spend doing a particular job or activity or working in a particular place. 一段时间
He is returning to this country after a five-year stint in Hong Kong.
他在香港呆了5年后就要返回这个国家了。
“Produce 101” is an online reality show produced by internet giant Tencent that premiered in April. It’s an authorized remake of a Korean show by the same name that brings together 101 contestants who compete for a chance to join a girl group. Wang started off as a misfit[格格不入的人；不适应环境的人] who lagged behind the field of contestants and drew harsh criticism for her rebellious image.
But the latest episode turned the tide[扭转局势]: “Some say I’m not suited to being in a girl group,” Wang had said during Saturday’s show. “When it comes to me, I’ve swallowed the standards along with the wrapper[外包装]. You now have the chance to redefine China’s No. 1 girl group.”
Suddenly, Wang became an internet sensation for her candid comments and unconventional charm. To her fans, her self-deprecating[3]sense of humor and unshakeable charisma — forged from her rich life experience as a headhunter and modeling agent — are an inspiration amid the cookie-cutter[4] cuteness of pop music. Her difference has won her admiration in the queer community: “Minorities see themselves in Wang Ju; they see fresh possibilities,” one user theorized on Q&A platform Zhihu.
[3]deprecating: A deprecating attitude, gesture, or remark shows that you think that something is not very good, especially something associated with yourself. 不以为然的
Erica made a little deprecating shrug.
埃里卡做了个有点儿不以为然的耸肩动作。
[4]cookie-cutter: ADJ If you describe something as having a cookie-cutter approach or style, you mean that the same approach or style is always used and not enough attention is paid to individual differences. 千篇一律的
Too many cookie-cutter condos were built with no attention to consumer needs.
太多千篇一律的公寓在建造时没有注意住户的需要。
Shaped largely by its neighbors, Japan and South Korea, China’s idol culture is dominated by pretty, fresh-faced ingenues[天真少女]. But Wang swaggered [5] in with a distinctive fashion sense and heavy makeup reminiscent[6] of divas [著名歌剧女主角] in Western countries — which has led to fans calling her “Juyonce,” “Juhanna,” and “Nicki Minaju” after other gutsy[大胆的；勇敢的] songstresses with huge LGBTQ followings.
[5]swagger: If you swagger, you walk in a very proud, confident way, holding your body upright and swinging your hips. 大摇大摆地走
A broad shouldered man wearing a dinner jacket swaggered confidently up to the bar.
一个穿晚礼服上装的宽肩男子大摇大摆自信地走向那个酒吧。
[6]reminiscent of: reminding you of something 使人想起某事物的
a style strongly reminiscent of Virginia Woolf’s novels
一种酷似弗吉尼娅·吴尔夫小说的风格
Saleswoman Zhang Tian told Sixth Tone that she didn’t think much of Wang at first. “No way, how can she compete in a show that produces idols?” the 26-year-old remembered thinking. But now Zhang is a fan. “For women who have just started their careers, we often lack confidence, especially in our looks,” she said. “Wang Ju shows us that we shouldn’t be restrained by popular beauty standards.”
Feminist activist Xiao Meili agreed that Wang disrupts the prevailing aesthetic which demands that beautiful women must be pale, childish, and slender.
Wang’s fandom has rapidly developed its own subculture. Her many admirers call themselves a variety of playful names such as Tao Yuanming — an ancient poet famous for loving chrysanthemum — in reference to Wang’s first name, the Chinese word for the flower . They have also developed their own memes and slang: For example, they use juwairen, meaning “outsider,” to refer to people who are not familiar with Wang.
When faced with veteran[经验丰富的] TV host Ma Dong, who was invited on the show as a special guest, she said: "I think of myself as someone with ability. So why should my ability be less attractive than the other girls' good looks?"
While canvassing[7] for votes, she said: "Some people have said that I don't look the part for a girl group. But what is the standard? You have in your hands the power to redefine what it means to be China's No 1 girl group."
[7]canvass: to try to persuade people to support a political party, politician, plan etc by going to see them and talking to them, especially when you want them to vote for you in an election 游说，拉选票
The US has been canvassing support from other Asian states.
美国一直游说其他亚洲国家，寻求支持。
原文来源：SIXTH