Chinese actor Lu Han and TFBoys band member Wang Junkai have two things in common, besides being chick-magnets. The two appeared in “The Great Wall” and hold Guinness Book of Records for their social media posts.
While Lu Han holds the record for most highly commented post which got more than 100 million comments, Wang Junkai’s Weibo post was forwarded 100 million times. His post read: “Today I am 15 years old, and there are so many of you accompanying me. Thank you for continually being with me these past few years. The song ‘Giving myself 15 years’ is not just a song for myself, but also for all of you who have supported me. Having all of you with me today makes me very happy,” The Beijinger quoted.
TFBoys are Everywhere
The public adulation that Wang Junkai, known as “Karry,” receives is also extended to the two other teens who comprise the TFBoys – Wang Yuan, also known as “Roy” and Yiyuan Quanxi, known as “Jackson.” It helps that they have a lot of publicity because of their gigs such as the recent “Spring Festival Gala” of CCTV, the movie “Mr Six” and the 2016 breakout TV drama about Chinese students studying overseas “A Love for Separation.” In the case of Karry, he also had a cameo appearance as Emperor Renzong of Song in “The Great Wall.”
As popular celebrities, they are also endorsers of several products such as the Snickers candy bar, Safeguard soap, Fanta soft drinks and even Mr. Muscle toilet cleaning products. Their advertisements are not just on TV but also on tarpaulins and other forms of advertising found on buses, airports and metro bus stations throughout China.
Fresh Meat
As a group, they are referred to as “xian rou” which translates in English as “fresh meat” to refer to attract, young male celebrities. The popularity of younger stars, called fostered idols, in China the past two to three years is due to the rise of social media.
Wang Jungkai established a Guinness world record because of the TFBoys’ 60 million followers on Sina Weibo, while an all-female girl band, the SNH48 – which also appeared on CCTV’s “Spring Festival Gala”- has more than 7 million followers. They are called “fostered idols” because unlike traditional celebrities beyond the reach of fans, they are “idols that you can communicate with face to face,” Global Times reported.