Xie Na Concert Cancelled After State Media Criticism
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- Xie Na, a former main cast member of Chinese variety show Happy Camp, had her Beijing leg of a nationwide concert tour cancelled over the weekend after her singing was mocked online and criticized by state media.
- The Zhejiang province party committee published an article accusing Xie of 'chasing profits' rather than fulfilling her musical dreams, warning that 'mere superficial popularity will not only fail to generate sustainable profits, but also lead to a loss of cultural refinement'.
- People's Daily followed with a commentary about an unnamed 'popular celebrity whose main job is to host who lacks well-known musical works', stating those 'who gain recognition without real ability may eventually run into trouble'.
- Xie had sold out two warm-up concerts in Chengdu in May, with nationwide tour tickets priced between 380 and 1,180 yuan ($56-$174); it remains unclear whether the Beijing cancellation came via government directive.
- Dr Jian Xu of Deakin University attributes the backlash to 'growing public resentment towards celebrities who are perceived to be cashing in on their online popularity' and sees it as 'an emotional outlet for broader frustrations over income and wealth inequality in contemporary China'.
- Zichen Wang, founder of the Pekingnology newsletter, calls celebrity criticism 'one of the safest forms of criticism in China', arguing it allows people to express frustration 'without directly touching more sensitive subjects'.
Why it matters: The Xie Na episode crystallizes how China's economic anxieties among youth post-pandemic can weaponize online opinion into a cancellation force — and how state media outlets can amplify that pressure into administrative consequences, blurring the line between public taste and political authority over celebrity careers.
