A Chinese man complaining about his bathroom’s broken glass door on a consumer rights TV show became an overnight sensation for being “too handsome.”
Accidental heartthrob: Identified as Mr. Zhang, a 22-year-old live-streamer from Ningbo, got Chinese social media buzzing after his brief appearance on the regional TV channel Zhejiang Television, MailOnline reports.
- Zhang went on the show “1818 Huangjinyan” to complain that his glass bathroom door shattered right after he had finished taking a shower on Sept. 8.
- The incident left him with cuts on both of his arms that resulted in medical bills amounting to 8,000 yuan ($1,200).
- His complaint aims to hold his apartment’s property management company accountable for his injuries.
- His appearance did capture people’s attention, although most of it was due to his physical appearance.
- A clip of the interview has racked up more than 50 million views on social media platform Weibo within 24 hours.
Overwhelmed by the attention: Zhang, who works for an online retail brand, said he only wanted his problems sorted out and did not expect to attract such national attention.
- Most of the comments on the video were variations of expressions of admiration for Zhang’s looks.
- “Once I saw Mr Zhang’s face, I couldn’t care any less about the news story,” one commenter wrote.
- “I think it’s too much. I just wanted to protect my rights. I didn’t think this would happen,” he was quoted as saying.
- The national attention may have helped Zhang’s cause. While the residential management office initially denied responsibility, it eventually agreed to pay for part of his medical bills.
Motive questioned: “1818 Huangjinyan,” which is backed by a company specializing in entertainment promotion, has been found to feature a number of similar online sensations in the past, reports Sixth Tone.
- One user compiled the show’s most attractive guests and made a collage, titled “1818 Idol Groups.”
- Some critics suspect that the show may be choosing its guests with an agenda beyond only presenting the news.
- According to critics, the program may have been purposely featuring wannabe celebrities in a bid to make the videos viral and help them gain followers.
Feature Image via Blagag!
