Old Chen is back in the spotlight once again. If you're an avid consumer of short videos, you've likely come across Old Chen. He used to be a criminal investigator in Qinhuangdao, but gained immense popularity among netizens by using livestreams to raise awareness about fraud prevention.
In 2022, riding the wave of his online fame, Old Chen voluntarily shed his police uniform and left the official system to become a full-time live streamer. It's hard to imagine that two years later, he would publicly appeal to law enforcement agencies across the country, expressing his desire to return to his former role either as a reservist or to be rehired.
Formerly giving up a civil servant position, now calling out for temporary job opportunities, Chen's transition from drama to reality quickly sparked discussions online. Some support Chen, applauding his courage and willingness to pursue new paths.
Some speculate that Lao Chen is still chasing after online popularity with this job application.
In the grand scheme of things, every job boils down to the amount of money it brings in. That's why some folks have started crunching the numbers to figure out just how much Police Officer Lao Chen makes compared to Influencer Lao Chen in a year, and what their earning potential looks like over the next few years. It's all about getting to the bottom of things and understanding the situation from its core.
Under the barrage of public opinion and criticism, Old Chen has been overwhelmed. During a live stream call, when the topic was brought up, he became emotional, shedding tears, expressing that he feels unable to establish a stable family or career, and that he will never return.
A few days ago, he posted another video expressing a desire to be alone for a while. His eyes were red, and tears welled up as he looked at the camera. Of course, even with these videos, some people feel he's just trying to generate buzz and ride the wave of attention. They think he's got the knack for maximizing his online presence for traffic.
From a respected anti-fraud internet celebrity to now having a tarnished reputation, what exactly did Lao Chen do? Curious, the critics embarked on a journey to explore the internet celebrity Lao Chen, who has been heavily criticized by the users of Hupu, scoring only 2.6 points.
With the classic line, "I'm the anti-fraud anchor, what kind of anchor are you?" Anti-fraud expert Lao Chen has taken the internet by storm. At its peak, his four live broadcasts gained nearly 4 million followers. Media outlets rushed to report on him, and clips and derivative content from his live streams garnered millions of views.
After leaving his job, Old Chen decided to continue his advocacy against fraud and public service announcements. However, he quickly found that once he took off his uniform, nobody paid attention to him anymore... So, he started to redefine his positioning as an internet celebrity. At first, he tried to add some fun to his anti-fraud efforts. There was a prevalent scam tactic at the time: offering free items and then charging exorbitant shipping fees. Old Chen mimicked this scheme in his livestreams to raise awareness about fraud prevention. The specific approach was to carry some cheap counterfeit goods every day, insist on giving them to the streamer for free, and then demand an $88 shipping fee. Streamers who hadn't encountered this tactic before were completely bewildered.
Adding to this, Lao Chen lacks eloquence, often speaking out of turn and getting visibly agitated when under pressure. His reputation has taken a nosedive, with many netizens questioning his mental well-being.
To make matters worse, as a middle-aged man, Lao Chen is unfamiliar with the boundaries of the internet. During a conversation with a female streamer, he repeatedly made inappropriate remarks, causing a public outcry. Confused, Lao Chen, like many newcomers to the internet hoping to become influencers, began chasing whatever trend was popular.
When rural life became trendy, he created a new account. One day he'd be foraging for chestnuts in the mountains, the next he'd be filming a hornet's nest. Whenever he could, he'd capture scenes of pastoral beauty.
When it comes to mukbang, he just sets up a big stove, eats by the lake every day, then heads to the farmhouse door to eat, indulging in seafood and barbecue.
Last year, when the fitness influencer went viral, they were just doing aerobics in their live stream...
There are even circulating online videos of him practicing martial arts, suggesting he's investing in filming dramas and preparing to become an actor.
Chasing after trending content is definitely a smart move, after all, we're all in it for the traffic, right? But here's the thing, the content that Old Chen is putting out on camera seems a bit run-of-the-mill, to say the least. It's like, "I could do that too." So, on the surface, Old Chen might be considered a big internet celebrity, boasting millions of followers, with each video racking up thousands of likes.
But in reality, Lao Chen is just an ordinary guy who stumbled into internet fame without any specific content direction or advanced filming skills. Despite taking off his uniform, he still manages to create engaging short videos and gain praise. There are indeed acclaimed police officers in the spotlight, such as Tan Qiao and Mo Shu.
However, both of them share a significant trait: they have substance and skills. In Mo Shu's videos, you can see rural towns like Qiaogang in Beihai, as well as the oil and gas fields, which are unrelated to his official duties. Yet, these videos garner high views, with many people initially drawn to Mo Shu's content before discovering his profession.
Tan Qiao's work is legendary, especially his prolific output. If you know, you know. Heading to Erxian Bridge, which route should I take?
In front of the camera, they always crack jokes, but they excel in being relatable to the masses, showing empathy, and their content often blends entertainment with education. Both of them have accumulated years of experience in producing videos and appearing on screen. Moreover, Tan Qiao, during the peak of his popularity, chose not to monetize but instead continued to stay true to his position, endearing himself to the public.
Of course, saying all this isn't to prove that Lao Chen is solely driven by money. On the contrary, I believe his nature isn't bad; he's just been overwhelmed by the vast internet traffic. Lao Chen initially shot to fame when he co-hosted with Yu Huatian. After leaving the job, they reconnected, and after exchanging pleasantries, he said this sentence: "And let me tell you the truth, without me, there would be no Yu Huatian, got it?"
He attributes all his success to his own abilities, but he fails to realize that he's simply someone who hit the jackpot by buying a lottery ticket. When you delve deeper, you'll see that the attention and aura surrounding him are all due to his persona of promoting positivity, public welfare, and anti-fraud measures. Trying to monetize this type of attention is simply not feasible.
Because fundamentally, being an internet celebrity is about the content industry. Looks, knowledge, humorous anecdotes can all be considered publishable content, but anti-fraud and public welfare initiatives cannot. These are purposes, not types of content that people can consume long-term.
Yet, old Chen has positioned himself on the moral high ground of promoting anti-fraud and seems unable to get down from there.
In the age of internet fame, everyone harbors dreams of overnight success. Today, you gain followers, become an online celebrity, tomorrow you start endorsing products, and the day after you achieve financial freedom. However, I believe that today's internet celebrities are more akin to a profession, dedicated to producing and selling content.
Certainly, some ride the wave of popularity to great heights. But if you truly want to rely on this for the rest of your life, you have to keep churning out content, making others watch you, remember you, or else, when the wave subsides, so do you. It's not much easier than other professions, just with a potentially higher earning ceiling (though, of course, also a lower floor)...
Moreover, many only see the positives of being an internet celebrity, but overlook the fact that — for the vast majority — it's an unbearable burden. Take Dong Yuhui for example, since skyrocketing to fame, he's been all over the hot searches for a year, must have been through the wringer of the internet, right? Just a few days ago, he wiped his Weibo clean ↓ ↓
When you have a massive following, every aspect of being an internet celebrity is scrutinized, magnified, and sometimes even misinterpreted by millions of people. Take for instance the recent case of Zhao Lina from the Chinese women's soccer team. She has played in the World Cup and won the Asian Cup, so you'd think she's a well-known figure, right? But just because of a few trolls in her livestream, she ended up breaking down in public.
Some people just love to stir up trouble, conspiracy theorists have no limits, their malice knows no bounds, they spread baseless accusations, and they even harm your family. Can you really handle all of this? Becoming an internet sensation is just the beginning, you know.
It's a pity that so many ordinary people are misled by the internet and embark on this endless road. It might take a long time for someone like Old Chen to come to their senses. Two years ago, the massive traffic was just a "joke" fate played on him, it was nothing but internet scamming orchestrated against him.
