Trending in Beijing: Fat Shaming, Drug Busts, and Generation Z Issues

The Beijingers | Dec 2, 2018 9:00 am | Add a comment | 3023 reads

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

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 published on Weibo under #300斤小伙挤地铁被大爷骂哭# 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

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# (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 Yufan's most popular albums.

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 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# (after '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.