A hugely popular teen idol show in China has sparked a backlash after its fans went on a milk-buying frenzy to support their favorite artists, with an unpleasant side effect: milk products being poured down the drain.
HOW far will you go to support your idol?
In China, a popular idol show was suspended by authorities after fans went on a milk “bulk-buying” spree for months to support their favorite artists.
What fans were after, authorities had discovered, was not the milk products themselves but the QR code that comes with the packaging, which they scanned in order to vote for their favorite contestants in the talent show.
The program, called “Youth With You,” has signed a contract with Mengniu Dairy which saw QR codes for free votes printed on the bottle caps of milk and yogurt bottles.
To take advantage of the promotion, numerous young people purchased the dairy products for votes.
Unfortunately, this meant that they would only discard the drinks down sewer drains, while some viewers were observed reselling the bottle caps on online marketplaces.
Chinese media soon picked up on the story, condemning the showrunners for failing to consider the risk of waste and encouraging disappointing behavior in young viewers.
The intense competition among participants and their fans has turned milk-voting into a million-dollar industry.
Fan clubs will typically raise money to bulk-buy milk, and distribute the QR codes printed on the packaging to fans to vote en masse, as each account is allowed limited numbers of votes every day.
While not all of the milk products are wasted – some were resold or donated – the program has prompted criticism by Chinese state media as the government has campaigned to ban food waste.
As of May 5, the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau has suspended production of “Youth With You 3” despite the imminent finale.
According to reports, the government bureau met with iQIYI to discuss broadcasting regulation compliance before making its final decision.
With approximately 600 million global votes cast to date, “Youth With You 3” has taken fans of C-Pop by storm since its February premiere, and the finale was set to air on May 8, 2021. (Nicole Pulido)
Tags: #China, #C-Pop, #dairyindustry, #foodwaste