Little Fatty (Chinese: 小胖; Pinyin: Xiao Pang) is an internet phenomenon which began in China in late 2002 or early 2003,[1][2][3] when the face of a sixteen year old boy from Shanghai, who had been photographed with a sidelong expression while attending a road safety class, was superimposed onto the bodies of celebrities in film posters using image editing software and disseminated across the internet.[3] It became so prevalent over the next three years that by late 2006 the boy was described as being a "nationwide celebrity",[4] "one of the most famous faces in China",[5] and as having "the face that launched 1,000 clicks".[2][6] He has also come to represent the face of his country's growing urban obesity issue.[7]
The teenager had no involvement or willing participation in the creation of the first images,[2] and was unaware of being its subject until alerted by his chemistry teacher.[3] While visiting an internet cafe to confirm the story for himself, another customer approached him and asked if he was "Little Fatty".[3][5] Initially he was so upset he had to flee the cafe, saying "It was as if I had been struck by a thunderbolt. I felt really humiliated. I couldn’t bear it."[3][8] However, he has since come to view his infamy with a more sanguine perspective, commenting "I have tried to turn sorrow into strength. At least this makes people smile and I have had quite a positive response from many surfers."[5]
The boy initially expressing no interest in capitalizing on his fame.[5][6] However, as his profile increased he later reconsidered, stating a desire to become a television chef,[5][9] an ambition he fulfilled when he was given his own show in 2007.[1][10] Around the same time he was offered the role of Liu Chan, the last emperor of the Shu Kingdom, in Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon.[1][11] The US$25 million movie is based on Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the four classical novels of Chinese literature, and will star Maggie Q, Andy Lau, and Sammo Hung.[12] Subsequently, Hollywood movie studio New Line Cinema was reported to have invited the boy to star in a film adaptation of the bestselling Chinese online adventure novel Ghost Blows Out the Light, directed by Johnnie To.[13][14]
He has also appeared on the popular Chinese talk show Tell the Truth to discuss his experiences,[5] and has become the face of the eponymous xiaopang.cn website, which is now a vehicle to promote him as well as a forum for overweight people and an online healthy eating guide.[2][9]
It has been speculated that the use of the boy's face, an example of e'gao (literally, "evil making fun of") which is intended to be outlawed under regulations introduced in December 2006, could lead to him becoming a target of the Chinese Ministry of Culture's attempt to control online satire.[3][15]
References
edit- ^ a b c Zeng Yu (July 2 2007). ""百变小胖将拍电影演刘禅或与刘德华搭档"" (in Chinese). NMG News.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d "Little Fatty Makes It Big", Ning Yan, Life in China, April 27 2007
- ^ a b c d e f "The new cultural revolution: How Little Fatty made it big", Clifford Coonan, The Independent, 16 November 2006
- ^ "'Little Fatty' rules Chinese web", video interview, Reuters, December 6 2006
- ^ a b c d e f "Face of 'Little Fatty' finds fame among China's web users", Jane Macartney, The Times, November 21 2006
- ^ a b "Fatty - the face that launched 1,000 clicks", Raymond Zhou, China Daily, November 15 2006
- ^ "Obesity may be China's new scourge", Till Faehnders, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, January 18 2007
- ^ "'Xiao Pang' tells growing pains", Shanghai Daily, September 29 2006
- ^ a b "'Little Fatty' a big hit", The Age, December 8 2006
- ^ """Little Fatty" - Mit Übergewicht zum Internetstar und Filmstar in Hollywood"" (in German). China-guide.de Blog. July 10 2007.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "'Little Fatty' emperor to rule over Andy Lau in big screen debut", China Daily, February 16 2007
- ^ Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon entry at IMDb
- ^ "Little Fatty likely to appear in Hollywood film", China Daily, July 3 2007
- ^ "Johnnie To's Next Project Is a Trilogy Thriller", China Radio International, August 31 2007
- ^ "E'gao: Art criticism or evil?", Wu Jiao, China Daily, January 22 2007