Vicki Zhao Has An Issue With Young Male Stars Replacing Female Celebs In Make-Up & Skincare Campaigns
She says this is the reason female stars are finding it increasingly hard to make their mark in the industry.
She says this is the reason female stars are finding it increasingly hard to make their mark in the industry.
Chinese actress Vicki Zhao dropped a truth bomb on a recent episode of competition reality show Everybody Stand By 2, inciting a great deal of discussion from netizens.
On that particular episode, Chinese actresses Ma Su, 39, and Ni Hongjie, 42, who’d joined the show as contestants, were speaking about the various struggles they face in the showbiz as female actresses aged between 30 to 40.
After hearing what they had to say, 44-year-old Vicki, who was one of the judges, took the opportunity to share her thoughts as well.
“I feel like this does not only apply to [female stars aged 40 and above], instead, this affects all female celebs, they all find it hard to make their mark [in the industry]. I saw an advertisement the other day, [and realised that] all the feminine products like make-up, skincare, mascara and foundation are all being endorsed by young male stars. I say, where have all the women gone?” said Vicki.
She then called the other male directors present to “champion us female actresses too, not just the younger men”.
Vicki’s comments were widely shared on Weibo, with one post attracting over 19,000 comments from netizens.
Some agreed with the actress, with one netizen writing: This industry has never really been fair to females. I hope that in the future, the industry will be more considerate to women”.
Other netizens, however, offered up a number of reasons male celebs have been endorsing products that are traditionally for women.
“Isn't this ‘cos these products are geared towards women, and fans of these male celebs are all female anyway?” a netizen askeed.
Another netizen also added in their two cents, commenting that Vicki seemed to be confusing two very separate issues.
“When it comes to endorsements, the companies aren’t here to do charity, it’s all about making money. It’s the nature of a capitalist society to chase after profits, and women do make up a substantial part of the audience. But, when it comes to choosing actors for a role, a male actor can never replace a female actress. The main competition for actresses aged between 30 to 40 is usually within their own ranks, and not male actors. How is this the same issue?” they wrote.
Photos: PBE Media, Vicki Zhao/Weibo, Ma Su/Weibo, Ni Hongjie/Weibo
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