A Chinese internet influencer who livestreams cooking shows for a living apologized to his followers on Monday after preparing a dish that offended the memory of the late Communist leader Mao Zedong.
Wang Gang faced a public backlash after a video dated November 27 showed him preparing egg fried rice, an otherwise simple staple of Chinese cuisine, but considered controversial in China around this time of the year.
China's internet is policed heavily by the government's algorithmic censors, which strike down banned or sensitive topics on a regular basis. Wang's fate, however, was illustrative of the highly nationalistic environment in which the country's online celebrities operate, often leading to self-censorship or forced acts of patriotism.
Former Communist Party Chairman Mao's eldest son, Anying, was said to have been eating egg fried rice when he was killed in action during the Korean War in 1950 at the age of 28. According to one apocryphal account, he was spotted by U.S. bombers while cooking the meal during daylight hours.
Consuming or posting recipes online of egg fried rice is a form of protest among Chinese dissidents, usually around the time of the younger Mao's birthday, October 24, or death, November 25.
Wang, who has more than 5 million followers across multiple Chinese social media platforms, posted a video apology after receiving a flood of criticism. He promised never to make egg fried rice again.
"I would like to solemnly apologize to everyone," Wang said. "As a chef, I'll never make egg fried rice again."
In his apology, Wang revealed that his grandfather, a veteran of the Korean War whom he described as a "holy saint," had high expectations for him and taught him to admit mistakes.
Wang also used the opportunity to praise China's military, calling the People's Liberation Army "incomparably sacred."
China's history books refer to the conflict as the "War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea."
Netizens on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo observed that this was not the first time Wang had filmed himself preparing egg fried rice around this time of year, although he has uploaded videos featuring the touchy dish during other months as well.
The gourmand denied any knowledge of the controversial nature of the now-deleted cooking video. It was unclear whether censors or Wang himself took it down.
Wang is not the first celebrity to be "canceled" over remarks or actions deemed offensive by the Chinese government or the public.
Earlier this year, stand-up comedian Li Haoshi landed in hot water after he made an indirect reference to the PLA during a bit about stray dogs. Li was placed under investigation for "severely insulting" the military, said authorities in Beijing.
He apologized and was dropped by his production company, which was fined $2 million.
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Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more
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