Chinese girl band The9 Photo: VCG

 
 Several young Chinese entertainers’ parents have reportedly been mired in huge debts, following a trend for young entertainers to show off their wealth to fans who delight in talking about their identity as a “rich second generation.”

Zhou Zhennan, Huang Minghao and Yu Shuxin became well-known after being in reality shows and they gained lots of fans not only because of their singing or dancing talent, but also because of how rich they appeared to be. Now their parents are facing huge debts.

Yu dressed up as Audrey Hepburn and carried a Chanel bag worth about $33,500 in a reality show. She often mentioned her affluent family in other programs and strengthened the public impression about how rich she is.

Wealth has become an advantage and an attractive point for young entertainers such as Yu. When they describe their comfortable life in programs, their fans are happy for them and love them more.

This is very different from the situation of entertainers some years ago. Contestants in reality shows used to talk about their difficulties in order to get support from the audience. In the case of singer Zhang Liangyin, her mother talked about her struggles to take care of her ill father and make money, touching the hearts of audience members who then voted for her in 2005.

There are concerns that the more modern trend of showing off wealth might affect young fans as their values have not yet been formed. Because there are still many hopes in life, they are also the people who tend to daydream the most and such beautiful stories of unearned gains capture their imagination. 

The normalization of flaunting wealth has a lot to do with the rise of the web celebrity economy. At the beginning, flaunting wealth was a sign of vanity, but as worship of the rich has grown, it has become a way to make money.

Rising out of poverty and acquiring wealth through hard work are worthy of respect, so why is the idea of having a rich family such an advantage for these young entertainers? 

The wealth belongs to their parents instead of themselves. These entertainers should not show off to the public and let their young fans blindly chase after wealth.