Xiao Zhan Photo: IC

It is a known fact that a star can only stay popular in China as long as they have a great number of devoted and loyal fans who can create for them sky-high traffic numbers on social media. However, in the case of Chinese star Xiao Zhan, it turns out that his followers have ended up causing him considerable trouble in both China and abroad.

Recently, some of the more irrational fans of Xiao attacked the overseas fan fiction site Archive of Our Own, or AO3, for hosting love stories featuring their idol Xiao Zhan and his male co-star Wang Yibo from the hit TV drama The Untamed. 

Fans felt that these erotic stories might ruin Xiao's image, so they reported to the authorities in China that these stories contained "poronographic content."

Due to unhealthy content such as stories about "underage" characters or prostitutes, the site has been blocked in China. 

However, in the course of trying to protect Xiao, these fans ended up angering a large group of people in China through other irrational behaviors such as cyber-bullying, stalking their idol or disturbing other cultural groups.

More and more people posted on social media that these fans need to stand up and apologize for their behavior. Even the entertainment company behind their idol and Xiao issued a public apology for "using up public resources."

It is clear that filing a complaint was easy for these young fans. For them, it was more like a video game mission aimed at helping their idols claim a digital victory. 

They believe that they can just report anything they like and kick it out of cyberspace. 

It is a pity for the site, which has become "a victim of irrational reporting." 

It has also backfired a bit on these fans. After word of the block became news overseas, some Western media began erroneously reporting it was due to "an anti-LGBT bias in China," which couldn't be further from the truth. 

However, this misunderstanding has continued to spread on social media. 

For instance, one Twitter user commented "Xiao Zhan An LGBT fellow died because of COVID."

Other similar tweets have popped up like mushrooms after rain. 

However, most people know that Xiao is not "dead," not a "gay," nor a member of the "LGBT" community.

Ironically, these fans' decision to "protect Xiao Zhan" has not only ruined a fan fiction site that many people loved, but also further tarnished their idol's image as well.