Kris Wu VS. Girls

Be a Feminist, and Take Down that Guilty Megastar

On 31 July 2021, following a police announcement on the arrest of Canadian pop star Kris Wu, this dispute over the rape allegation has finally come to its climax. Though it remains under trial, Wu shall be convicted. This is not the first time where an accusation of sexual mistreatment towards women stirs up discontent in publicity, but it is truly one tough and rare victory after countless failures. Hail to Du Meizhu and all girls who contributed!

# Girls Help Girls

For a long time, victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence suffered from condescending scrutiny, which applies to this case. Du was faced with malicious suspicion on her intention to blackmail Wu and gain fame. Some of Wu’s ardent followers held the belief that “it is simply a romantic dispute in the private setting.”

It is anything but that.

The turning point is when other girls stepped out. An influencer revealed Wu’s sexual harassment records in support of Du. Later, an anonymous former fan claimed that intentional date rape on the pretext of auditioning is not fictitious. Approximately, over 20 girls publicly alleged against the star, and isolated individuals are virtually bonding.

Seemingly, Kris Wu possessed a highland in the battle, thanks to his disproportionally greater popularity. Thus, it is such a surprise that Du reversed the disadvantaged position by empowering herself with the right of speech. The openness of social media challenged mass media that is less accessible to non-public figures. In particular, the battlefield, Weibo, incredibly dissolved the density of toxic masculinity, functioning as a relatively equal public opinion forum.

Progression or Backlash

The entire story did check boxes of participatory culture. Before that, feminists in China used to quote lines in Black Box and Pieces of a Woman. I wonder if it is another quotable event in history. In other words, it might be prominent enough to be part of pop culture, and inspire artistic expressions on its basis. At least, I would enjoy a Chinese version of Notoriously Megastar VS. Fearless Girl on screen.

In every sense, the incident moved forward and beyond itself. It fiercely combated shaming towards women, and sparked a rational and profound discussion on issues like sexual consent. There were optimistic commentaries saying that Wu’s arrest implied a better milieu for feminists. Personally, even if I have hated to be a buzzkill, I would not draw the same conclusion.

The memory of #MeToo vanished into 404 on the Chinese Internet in 2018 is still fresh. Three years later, physical engagement like gatherings is again absent from the whole story. Considering that, it may sound a bit risky to overdraw our expectation for it is essentially a yet-to-come scenario.

Without crowded marches and posters painted with compelling slogans, what will be the aftertaste of Wu’s scandal? ——A deep reflection on feminism, a harsh examination of the morality stains in the entertainment industry, or a tightened control over online participation.

Despite the constant progression and regression on such matters, the only suggestion of mine is: If you are not capable of physical attendance, I would say get connected to three things to be a feminist:

Wi-Fi, social media platforms, and other girls.