"The slogans about voting for Wang Ju have gone viral, but I didn't find them offensive," He Wendi, one male netizen said on Sina Weibo. "I think the clamor for breaking the stereotypical standards of beauty has become louder in China."
Ke Yi, a university student based in Beijing, says that while the rush of publicity surrounding was likely to cool down after a week, the public's affection for her as an independent and confident woman was unlikely to diminish.
"Although public visibility has its drawbacks, as some people might simply be spreading the slogans merely for fun, I am glad to see that more and more people are giving up their spare time to consider the role of female independence because of Wang, who has showed us a distinctive image of what it is to be modern woman," says Ke.
Wu Xiaoyan, a research associate at the Shanghai Art Research Institute, principally studies feminism and urban culture.
She compared the overnight sensation of Wang to Li Yuchun, the winner of 2005's Super Girls, the first reality show for solo female singers in China.
"Audiences have grown more self-conscious over the past 13 years. They want to support people who can gain their sympathy, while most icons manufactured by the entertainment industry fail to tap into these emotions," says Wu.
The sociology major says that fans of Wang are looking to express their own eagerness to be independent, develop their own sense of identity and respect social diversity by supporting Wang, and it partly explains why Wang has garnered huge popularity among LGBT groups.
"Chinese youngsters' zeal for this form of entertainment may just be a fad, and won't necessarily trigger a change in people's attitudes." Wu adds, "Standards will only be influenced when we turn our gaze from the event itself to focus on these issues in our daily lives."
