Cancel culture is an internet phenomenon where people call for boycotts or the "cancellation" of specific people based on their expression of critical views online.
These opinions might be on topics as wide ranging as government policy or celebrity gossip to something as mundane as food safety. This digital form of protest seems to be increasingly gaining traction in China. Many see cancel culture as a way to have their voices heard, but others see it as disrupting society and having a negative effect on people.
n this article Hot Pot China Strategist Pippa Ebel explores the growing cancel culture in light of recent events in Zhengzhou, China.
THE POSITIVES: Heroes of Henan
Since July 17th, the capital city of Henan province in China, Zhengzhou, has suffered the worst rainfall in a thousand years. To date, the lives of 69 people have been claimed. The downpour, likened by locals to “150 West Lakes”, saw the city hit by 209mm of rainfall in just one hour. Live videos from Henan province were shared all across China, capturing scenes of chaos from main roads, underground carriages and railway stations. Following the initial wave of posts on social media platforms which captured panicked expressions and close-escapes, a new thread emerged drawing upon remarkable acts of heroism by Henan’s local population.
Video clips showing women being pulled to safety with ropes and babies bobbing above water on suitcases captivated netizens’ attention. Particular favourites trending on Weibo were videos of the Henan ‘aunties’ dishing out bowls of rice and noodles from the back of trucks. By July 21st, the hashtag “Henan aunties call on those trapped to join for dinner!” Or #郑州大妈吆喝被困群众过来吃饭# had received over 64 million reads.
Aunties of Henan come to the rescue
THEN: Naming and Shaming Online
But the news isn’t all rosy. Hashtags of a very different nature have emerged, provocatively challenging, “how should we view celebrity crisis donations?” or #如何看待明星为灾区捐款#. The hashtag has led to a systematic naming and shaming of China’s most influential figures, with a flurry of screenshots, ranking tables and critical reviews on China’s second largest social media platform, Weibo. Many businesses which have recently come under scrutiny by the Chinese Government have leapt at the opportunity to demonstrate national loyalty through generous public donations. Unsurprisingly, Alibaba, Ant group and Didi took their place amongst the ten most generous donors, all contributing one billion Chinese yuan to support Henan’s floods. Other celebrities, such as much-loved singer Han Hong, contributed one million yuan as well as crisis resources, one of her biggest donations since the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.
However, less well known and younger celebrities have chipped in all over China. Actors, singers and athletes have shared screenshots of their transactions alongside florid expressions of support for Henan locals through Weibo, WeChat and Douyin. The good eggs were lauded by the public, and held up as models of social responsibility.
Others suffered from the negative impacts of cancel culture. Those slow to act or handing out paltry donations, were called out by the general public who circulated screenshots of their donations alongside comments on their annual earnings. The bottom tier of celebrity donors were named, compelling some to re-evaluate their initial offerings or produce carefully constructed messages of self-justification.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Many celebrities used their social media accounts to share and evidence their donations, with loquacious messages in support of Zhengzhou.
China’s Cancel Culture: What's next?
This isn't the first time celebrity reactions to national events have been scrutinised by increasingly discerning netizens. Last February, when Covid-19 cases began to cause alarm in Wuhan, high profile celebrities jumped into action with donations, messages of support and original creative content. This time however the attacks have increased in intensity as well as opening up wider questions about the civic duties of celebrities.
The phrase “moral hijack” or ‘道德绑架’ has entered mainstream discussion, calling into question the duties that should be attached to celebrities with higher annual earnings and bonuses. This has led some celebrities, such as 23-year old singer Cheng Xiao, to respond in kind, challenging the general public with the question “when did donations become a way of assessing someone?”
Chengxiao responds to public criticism with her own challenge, provocatively asking “when did donations become a way of assessing someone?”
THE HOT POT VERDICT
The prominent position of celebrities, or KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) on platforms such as Bilibili, Douyin and Xiaohongshu, has led Chinese consumers and followers to become more discerning. Fans have begun to challenge the actions and behaviour of celebrities, leading to an increasingly sophisticated dialogue surrounding celebrity culture. With increasing numbers of KOLs and a sharp rise of time spent on China’s media platforms, we can expect the dialogue to intensify with time.
Over the next few years then, what should we be looking out for? Can we expect a ‘cancel culture’ to develop in China, similar to that currently experienced across Europe? And if so, how might this affect the way in which brands interact with their ambassadors and KOLs?
At Hot Pot we will be keeping a close eye on the changing perception of celebrities and KOLs in China, and the standards they are being held to. Subscribe to our newsletter in the footer or follow us on LinkedIn to get updated when new posts go live.