The Aftermath of BLACKPINK Lisa’s Crazy Horse Show: Canceled in China, Major Brands Turning Away?
A month following her Crazy Horse show, BLACKPINK’s Lisa is grappling with a series of consequences
In September 2023, BLACKPINK’s Lisa made headlines when she confirmed her appearance at Crazy Horse in Paris, a renowned strip club. Despite the criticism, Lisa went ahead with her performances.
After the performances, negative criticisms continued to pour in. Lisa even publicly posted photos of herself in revealing outfits from the performance on Instagram.
Just when it seemed like things had settled down after a month since her Crazy Horse show, Lisa found herself in the midst of rumors that she’s been blacklisted in China. Many believe that this might be the real aftermath of her Crazy Horse show.
Fans leave the fandom
As soon as Lisa confirmed her performance at Crazy Horse, one of her Chinese fanbases, with over 50,000 followers, decided to stop supporting her. They deleted all pictures and posts about Lisa on Weibo.
Following the controversy of her performance at Crazy Horse, the atmosphere at the airport upon Lisa’s return to Korea appeared different. While her previous arrivals were met with fan frenzy, this time, fans seemed less enthusiastic.
A video posted by Newsen showed only two fans welcoming and giving presents to Lisa. Some netizens believe that this signifies the fans turning their backs on Lisa. However, there are also comments saying that many fans were unaware of Lisa’s changed flight schedule.
BLACKPINK members and several Chinese celebrities affected
Lisa’s Crazy Horse show received strong support from other BLACKPINK members. Jisoo and Rosé were present from the first show to show their support. Jennie, upon landing in France, hurried to Crazy Horse to watch Lisa’s final show. The three also prepared flowers to cheer for Lisa.
However, in addition to the comments appreciating BLACKPINK members’ bond, many netizens directed their criticism towards Jisoo and Rosé. They believed that the two tarnished the group’s image by supporting Lisa’s performance. Comments such as “They are all the same” or “Are they even sober?” were seen under posts related to Lisa’s Crazy Horse show.
At Lisa’s performance, aside from BLACKPINK members, numerous celebrities from other countries were also present. But Chinese stars Jenny Zhang and Angelababy were among those most seriously affected. Angelababy faced broadcasting restrictions, while Jenny Zhang had her name removed from a drama. Both Angelababy and Jenny Zhang’s Weibo accounts have been restricted due to violations of regulations.
Is Lisa canceled in China?
Fans recently noticed that the Weibo accounts of Lisa and her fanbase “LalisaHouse” have disappeared. Attempting to access Lisa’s Weibo account resulted in a message stating, “Unable to view due to violations of regulation and community agreements on Weibo.”
Netizens speculate that this is linked to the controversy over her Crazy Horse show. In China, promoting explicit and obscene performances is strictly prohibited due to the public decency regulations for celebrities.
The Chinese Entertainment Industry Association forbids the promotion of explicit performances, as well as criminal activities like gambling, drugs, and violence, as a matter of maintaining celebrities’ public image. This further fueled suspicions that Lisa may have been blacklisted in the Chinese market.
Brands that Lisa represent turn away, even the CEO that liked her
Shortly after Lisa’s Weibo account disappeared, netizens noticed that Lisa’s photos had completely vanished from the Weibo accounts of CELINE and BVLGARI, two brands for which Lisa was an ambassador.
Additionally, some images of Lisa were removed or hidden from the Instagram accounts of Bvlgari and its CEO, JC Babin. Notably, CEO JC Babin had always shown much affection toward Lisa during their encounters.
Until now, it remains uncertain whether Lisa is really blacklisted in China. However, if this were to occur, Lisa would face significant consequences, even though she isn’t primarily active in China.
It’s undeniable that Lisa has a large fan base in China, and the majority of her album sales and solo jobs rely heavily on Chinese fans. Thanks to her strong Chinese fan base, Lisa consistently led BLACKPINK’s individual album sales, from “The Album” to “BORN PINK.” Even during Lisa’s solo debut, Chinese fans, despite facing restrictions due to tightened regulations on fan activities, purchased over 900,000 copies, setting Lisa’s album sales records in 2021.
Moreover, Chinese fans are known for their willingness to spend generously on luxury gifts and support projects for Lisa.
Not to mention that if BLACKPINK renews their contract with YG, the group’s promotions in China would undoubtedly be greatly affected if Lisa were canceled. This wouldn’t just impact Lisa but also other BLACKPINK members. Additionally, in the event Lisa departs from YG Entertainment, losing the Chinese market would significantly affect her individual career.
It’s evident that Lisa’s decision to perform at Crazy Horse has had far-reaching consequences and impacts on various aspects, not just her image. Perhaps, when making this decision, Lisa was only thinking of celebrating a form of art and French culture that is considered supportive of women’s rights.
However, Lisa certainly could not have foreseen that this decision would place her in such a challenging position, and there will likely be many more difficulties ahead if she is indeed canceled in the Chinese market.
Source: K14
