Chinese celebrity pay scandal: backlash after famous editor complains on reality TV show that daily meal allowance not enough
- The high profile spending and pay of influencers and celebrities in socialist China are increasingly coming under harsh scrutiny and public critique in recent years
- The scandal comes just weeks after actress Zheng Shuang enraged the public when details of her pay became public
The Chinese public is furious once again about celebrity pay this week after a famous guest on a variety show complained that 650 yuan (US$101) was not enough for a day‘s worth of food.
In China, the average annual income is 32,189 yuan, which is 88 per day for everything, including meals.
The comment was made by Su Mang, a Chinese businesswoman and former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar China, on the Tencent-produced variety show 50km Taohuawu, which debuted on Sunday. The show invited 15 celebrities to spend 21 days together.
While they were preparing to pay for their meals, one celebrity joked that they should have 650 yuan per day, and Su responded immediately that it wasn‘t enough.
“Don’t you drink milk and eat eggs in the morning?” she said. “We have to eat better, I cannot eat with such a low standard.”
