From L.A. to Beijing, Celebrity Bloggers on the Rise
We can’t ignore China forever, that’s for sure. Today’s SF Chronicle tells the continuation of the story of Xu Jinglei, the Chinese actress and director whose blog now has a readership of, well, millions. Since she started writing two years ago, more than 100 million viewers have caught a glimpse of her daily activities, moods, and thoughts. (No social or political commentary here, folks. China, remember?)
And these numbers are not even that accurate. (China, remember?) Sina, which hosts the site, notes that each entry regulary receives hundreds of comments. Last year, it topped the Technorati list, and some even argued that even then the numbers were still under-reported due to Sina’s selfish blog system that steals hits and other similar factors — you know, like the Great Firewall of China.
Nonetheless, as the Chronicle states:
Xu’s prominence also is a testament to China’s sheer force on the
Internet. Only a fraction of the country’s more than 1.3 billion people is
online, yet the number of Internet users in the country – about 137 million
– is closing in on the United States, which has between 165 million and 210
million, according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project report.
They’re mostly under 30, and they’re doing all the same things we’re doing, more or less. Chatting, social-networking, blogging, and buying Mao paraphenalia on eBay. Now the question is, where do they go from here? "When 1 billion people decide to do something, it has a ripple effect all
over the world," says Derek Gordon of Technorati. Sure it does, but are celebrities going to be the ones to "change the world"? My god, I hope not.
"Celebrities can obviously attract eyeballs, but celebrities can sometimes be a time bomb that will explode at some unknown moment in time," warns blogger Massage Milk. In a discussion on Xu Jinglei’s decision, or non-decision, to put advertisements on her site, he says that she should set an example for Chinese bloggers everywhere and build a foundation for the next steps towards profitability. "Anyway, if someone wants to advertise for a cure for mental retardation on my blog, I will fully support it."
Here’s even more of a laugh: check out News Groper, the fake celebrity blog site. Parodied Brad Pitt confesses, "I love popcorn. If babies were popcorn, my house would be a lot quieter. And more buttery." It’s almost as good as The Onion.
