China’s resolute sanction against morally corrupt stars acts to ease the public and “clean up” showbiz.
According to Sina, in just 3 years, the Chinese entertainment scene has been rocked to its core when 9 A-list stars’ careers were demolished overnight. They were Zhao Wei, Kris Wu, Zheng Shuang, Li Yifeng, Zhang Zhehan, Fan Bingbing, “Prince of Guofeng” Henry Huo, Piano prodigy Yundi Li. These prominent figures enjoying power and large social circles, backed by fan bases of millions were once thought to be at the peak of their career.
However, the governing agencies over Chinese artists’ activities stated firmly that: “There is no difference between celebrities and common people, the more privileged, the more supervised”.
Nation’s Idol, Queen of Entertainment were all dealt with
According to Sina, the opening case that started a series of corrective actions against the entertainment industry was the shocking case of tax evasion by Fan Bingbing. The most expensive star of Cbiz once had to pay a total fine of 128 million USD.
Subsequently, the star was banned from artistic activities, major events and was left out from film projects. Many months went by and the actress could not appear in front of the public. Currently, the road to return to the height of her career has since closed despite her effort to show remorse, express her difficulty or do charity diligently.
Similar to Fan Bingbing’s situation was that of Zhao Wei when she was once the “Nation’s Idol” with a peaked career and an underground network of power that made the whole industry weary of her presence. The actress had several life-time roles, as Xiaoyanzi in “My Fair Princess” and Lu Yiping in “Romance In the Rain” known by the public. The actress even had connections with the Chinese riches.
A brilliant career as such, Zhao Wei was also banned from activities, removed from awards for unknown reasons from August 2021. Her sudden vanishing bewildered the public. So far she has not been able to return officially.
Not only the senior stars were caught in controversies that wasted their entire careers. The public was once again in disbelief when Zheng Shuang was involved in a series of scandals, ranging from abandoning her surrogate children, wanting an abortion in the 7th month and evading taxes.
A series of unimaginable scandals were conducted by Zheng Shuang. Her actions were not severely violating the law but also “violating human morality”, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Famous male stars such as Li Yifeng and Yundi Li were unveiled to be soliciting prostitutes. It only took a few hours for Chinese supervising agencies to erase their life career.
Most scandalously, Kris Wu sent shock waves across the industry with his scandals involved prostitution, sexual assault and human trafficking. Taking advantage of his fans’ feelings and the power of a top star, Kris Wu carried out a series of inhuman actions that were backed by his working crew. The star was arrested in August 2021 and is waiting for his sentence.
When the truth was laid bare, the public was shocked. The public figure with a nice persona, wealth and prospect was in fact someone capable of many horrifying acts. Many people believed Kris Wu exposed the darker side of the entertainment industry and in need of serious corrective and interventive actions.
Taking action to “clean up” the entertainment industry
In light of the artists’ continuous scandals, National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) and the country’s mainstream mouthpieces carried out a campaign to clean up the entertainment industry.
This campaign includes banning the broadcast of artists with past records, investigating many entertainment companies and film production units, closely inspecting and monitoring artists’ activities, issuing a guideline for artists to comply.
For stars caught in moral and legal scandals, the most direct action is to delete all data about them on social networks or movie platforms and remove them from award shows. “Reputation is the most important thing for artists, so the first punishment is to make them disappear from the public eye,” Xinhua commented.
This source added that, during this period, artists are required not only to control their own behavior but also to be responsible for the actions of their fans. Artists must be an exemplar of morality and leader of lifestyle for the public, taking charge of spreading positivity to the community.
In addition, the elimination of artists who walk the thin line of the law and social ethics also contributes to the creation of more opportunities for young stars with present virtue and talents.
According to Sina, the audience always looks at artists as a privileged class. Opinions point out that they make easy money with a monthly paycheck equal to someone’s life-time savings. The income difference ws enough to upset the general public.
NRTA, along with art governing bodies posing strict guidelines for artists, shows that the higher the earning, the larger the social responsibilities and standards for morality and actions. This partly eases the public anger and denies that artists enjoy too many privileges and stay outside the law.
