Not long after the news that the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) had banned炒作 "pseudo-girls" came out, Liu Zhuo was eliminated (for more details, see yesterday's B04 edition report in our newspaper). Last Saturday, the Chengdu district of the Happy Boy competition held its 35 to 25 elimination round, which was the finals for the Chengdu area. That evening, contestant number 4, Liu Zhuo, appeared on stage wearing a white shirt, black straight-leg overalls, and dark high heels. However, he was placed on hold after two rounds of singing and was ultimately announced as eliminated by judge Ding Wei. A Southern Metropolis Daily reporter contacted Liu Zhuo and his parents again yesterday. Liu Zhuo remained calm over the phone: "It's okay, really okay, I just don't know what to do next."
Because SARFT was once again rumored to have issued a ban, Liu Zhuo's departure was both expected by most netizens and caused discontent among many "bamboo" fans (a nickname for his supporters). Reactions from various parties were quite different. The chief director of the Chengdu district believed it was not due to a ban, Liu Zhuo himself maintained a composed attitude, but his father thought it was "absolutely" because of the ban. Regarding whether Liu Zhuo could make a comeback, the chief director believed it was unlikely that he would enter the "forgotten contestants" segment. It was reported that Pan Yingzi, Zhao雅Zhi, and Liu Xiaqing are examples of celebrities who remain youthful in the entertainment industry. Currently, Liu Zhuo has already left Chengdu with his family, "discussing the future direction together."
On the night of his elimination, Liu Zhuo showed great resilience. He told Southern Metropolis Daily reporters that he had already heard rumors about the ban but said it did not affect him. "Even if I hadn't known (about the ban), I would still face it calmly. After all, everyone gets eliminated except for the champion and runner-up." As for his fans' emotional reactions, Liu Zhuo expressed understanding.
He revealed that several satellite channels, including Jiangsu Satellite TV and Star China Live, have extended offers to him, but he hasn't decided yet. "They should be within the scope of variety shows; I'm not sure what exactly, but I'm still investigating." Currently, Liu Zhuo is most worried about not having a company to sign with, and his future path seems somewhat unclear. When asked if he would participate in other talent shows, he gave a negative response: "I originally participated to become famous, and now that I've gained some recognition, I probably won't participate in talent shows anymore."
Currently, he is discussing his future direction with his family. This 19-year-old boy, though saying he feels fine, cannot hide his disappointment inside: "If I had advanced, I would be preparing for the next match now."
Why was he eliminated?
Chengdu District Chief Director Hong Xiao: Not making it into the top 25 was due to insufficient music skills.
Why was Liu Zhuo eliminated? There have been rumors that Hunan TV received warnings, believing that the "pseudo-girl phenomenon" goes against the main purpose of talent shows reflecting mainstream societal values. Yesterday, Southern Metropolis Daily connected with Hong Xiao, the chief director of the Chengdu district for "Happy Boys." According to his analysis, Liu Zhuo was eliminated mainly due to subpar performance. "The first song 'Legend' was indeed good, but the second original piece 'Drift' exposed many of his shortcomings, such as pitch accuracy, singing feeling, and state. Perhaps his expectations for himself were too high, so his performance wasn't very stable."
As for the widely circulated rumors of a ban, Hong Xiao outright denied them: "Impossible, I haven't heard of it. Liu Zhuo made it to the top 35 because he has musical talent, but he didn't make it to the top 25 because his music wasn't enough. Now, many TV stations are contacting him. If SARFT really banned him, he wouldn't be able to appear on other satellite programs. So, if he can appear, it just means SARFT hasn't banned him." Furthermore, regarding Liu Zhuo's future, he was quite optimistic: "He has room for improvement; his new stage has just begun!"
Hunan TV publicity staff: No ban order received, hoping contestants will primarily be sunny and healthy.
As for whether Liu Zhuo will participate in the revival competition, Happy Boys also have a "forgotten contestants" segment, but Hong Xiao believes his chances of entering this segment are slim: "His ability to enter the top 25 might not be enough. Our forgotten contestants are selected from each region, with a total of eight chosen to go to Changsha. But Liu Zhuo's performance that day wasn't even up to 26th place among the 35 contestants; he should be around 28th or 29th."
An unnamed Hunan TV staff member told Southern Metropolis Daily reporters that "forgotten contestant selection" allows each regional director and judge to recommend one candidate for revival, who then undergoes an online voting process called "eliminated contestant network revival." The eight highest-voted contestants can revive and advance to the national top 300. This staff member stated that the current recommended candidates from the Chengdu region have not been finalized, and whether Liu Zhuo can revive as a forgotten contestant is still unclear. Additionally, relevant parties have denied receiving any ban orders, but some people at the station still hope that Happy Boys contestants will primarily be sunny and healthy.
Exclusive Interview with Liu Zhuo's Parents:
Liu Dad: Ban? Absolutely.
Since the Lius graduated from Chongqing University, and Chongqing is relatively close to their hometown of Nanchong, their entire family is currently in Chongqing. Compared to Liu Zhuo, Liu Dad seemed more agitated. He and Liu Mom fully accompanied Liu Zhuo during the 35 to 25 competition, which they considered Liu Zhuo's most perfect performance. Therefore, they believe the SARFT ban is "absolute." After Southern Metropolis Daily reporters relayed the director's opinion to him, he said he would first check the video online and the opinions of netizens before drawing a conclusion.
"In such difficult circumstances, we're negotiating some future possibilities," Liu Dad expressed that they still aren't clear about Liu Zhuo's future path, and everything is under consideration.
Liu Mom: Rarely does a child succeed on the first try.
Liu Zhuo initially registered for the Nanchong district of the Happy Boys preliminary audition, which was signed up by Liu Dad. Liu Mom explained to Southern Metropolis Daily reporters that it was to fulfill Liu Zhuo's desire to participate in Happy Boys. "We think competitions are one aspect, but the main focus should be on studying hard. In the future, to stand on his own in society, he must learn more skills. After all, this is extremely difficult, and being selected is very rare. But since he has this wish, we must support him." During that time, Liu Zhuo didn't even pass the preliminary audition and felt very disheartened, wanting to rest at home for a week to avoid classmates' inquiries. At that time, Liu Mom told him: "How could things go smoothly? If you rest at home for a week, people will still ask you these questions when you return." Two days later, Liu Zhuo returned to school.
Talent shows are inherently cruel competitions, but Liu Mom, who used to be a kindergarten teacher, has always encouraged Liu Zhuo, letting him face every failure with ease, including this missed opportunity to enter the national top 300. "We always tell him not to worry. He isn't a professional singer; he's a professional creator. Focus on improving his creations, and his future career will revolve around creation. Even if he doesn't make it through, there are still many opportunities in life. Very few children succeed on the first try. We have educated him about setbacks from a young age because life isn't always smooth."
He Remains a Controversial Focus
Rare Sight? Removing Falsehoods?
Divergent Opinions
● Judge Wu Qixian: Many people find you fresh, but that's because they rarely see something like this. Actually, in Chinese cultural history, there was a period when female roles on stage were played by men, like Mei Lanfang. But why has Mei Lanfang been immortalized in movies and set as an example? Because he didn't just dress as a woman; he also had solid singing skills and acting abilities. You should take him as a model and study well, and your future path will be full of sunshine and hope.
● Xie Na: Liu Zhuo was eliminated?? Regrettable! Continue to support you, walk your own path, sing your own songs...
● Sun Guoqing: Why can Mei Lanfang, Leslie Cheung, and Xiao Shenyang gain public approval, but pseudo-girls don't have such good luck? I think his piano and singing skills are pretty good, at least his pitch and rhythm are fine, and self-playing and singing on an electric piano is quite challenging. Why can't there be a little tolerance? Should someone born this way suffer misfortune? If pseudo-girls aren't allowed, then pretending to be a pseudo-girl should be fine, which might lead more people to pretend to be "fake pseudo-girls"?
● Wei Ai: The "pseudo-girl" Liu Zhuo being eliminated, which makes people feel uneasy, illustrates that removing falsehoods is a philosophical proposition worth promoting.
● Jiang Jiangyun: Wearing women's clothing is his freedom, but participating in a male voice competition, wearing women's clothing and singing in a female voice is inappropriate.