Two phenomena unique to the Chinese internet seem to place these e-celebrities at a higher risk of being tracked down offline by their fans.
‘Brother Sharp’ (on the left) and the ‘Vagrant Professor’ (right) both also went viral overnight. Soon both men could hardly walk outside without being swarmed as their private life had been effectively ended- all because they happened to become popular online. This concern over the invasiveness of online fans likely stems from previous incidents where ordinary Chinese citizens became extraordinarily famous overnight, such as in the cases of ‘ Brother Sharp,’ a homeless man similarly inundated with adoring praise online for his good looks and stylish appearance, and Shanghai’s ‘ Vagrant Professor,’ both of whom found their privacy constantly invaded by fans seeking photos or just a chance to meet the new stars. Others worried that this young man, “uncorrupted by the world,” might be taken advantage of by others for financial gain. “This kind of person,” wrote one Weibo commenter, “should be riding horses and shooting arrows out on the grasslands he shouldn’t be imprisoned in Vanity Fair by your fan club’s cultural values.” His dream after that? To raise more horses, of course much to the delight of many Weibo users, some of whom have begun creating fan art in the young man’s honor.Ĭalls for Ding Zhen to open a Douyin account of his own, or even to appear on reality television shows such as The Coming One (明日之子) and Produce Camp (创造营), have inspired heated debate.
The cameraman and other villagers apparently later publicized Ding Zhen’s name, address, and other personal info, soliciting gifts and leading some netizens to mock Ding Zhen’s village neighbors as “blood-sucking vampires.”ĭing, still unaware of his own fame, mentioned with some difficulty on the livestream that his dream was simply to become a “horse prince” (马王子) by winning his local horse races. The young man shyly admitted to having little proficiency in reading or speaking Mandarin, but managed to express his love for raising horses. His handsome features attracted online attention, snowballing out of control after his appearance on a livestream. The 20-year-old farmer, who lives in Litang in the Kham region of Tibet, found accidental online fame after being captured in a blogger’s photography session in Nyima County, according to a Haixia News article. The recent rise to internet fame of a young man named Ding Zhen (丁真) has sparked controversy over the benefits and downsides of e-celebdom.
His overnight fame, which comes with legions of adoring fans and TV show invitations, has sparked discussions about the often-overwhelming loss of privacy that can accompany online stardom. A Khampa Tibetan farmer has become an online sensation in China due to his handsome features.
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