Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 445 The Strongest Post-80s Generation in East Asia? (Thanks to Ice Cream for the Alliance, and to the big boss!)

Even knowing she had no chance of winning, Sharon Stone did not return home after attending the premiere of Indiana Jones.

Given her current predicament, she definitely needs to attend more film festival events and give interviews to solidify her status and prevent her commercial value from diminishing in the eyes of sponsors.

After a night of revelry, a washed-up porn star, unaware or indifferent to the uproar caused by her actions, wakes up in her hotel room.

Sharon Stone tossed her bathrobe on the floor with disdain, lamenting the low quality of the hotel room and its amenities.

The three major European film festivals only reimburse the accommodation expenses of nominated directors and cast members. Since the economic situation has deteriorated, she has been paying for her own accommodations to attend film festivals, so she naturally can't afford to book a luxury suite.

"Boom boom boom!"

Sharon Stone opened the door after taking a shower and was surprised to find her CAA's top agent, Karen Sellars, standing outside, followed by two assistants.

“Oh! My dear Karen, what brings you to Cannes?” Sharon Stone asked her agent, displaying her enthusiasm without any flattery.

Karen gave her a helpless look: "Let's go inside and talk. Put your clothes on first. This isn't a movie."

Karen is one of CAA’s key agents and public relations leaders.

She was part of the main public relations team when Charlize Theron won the Oscar for "Monster" in 2004;

Including when Nicole Kidman divorced in 2006, Karen also released a statement on her behalf, emphasizing that she was focused on raising her children and developing her career, successfully maintaining Kidman's public image.

It could be said that Sharon Stone was one of the most outstanding actresses under her management, which is why Stone herself was surprised by her sudden arrival.

She already had a vague sense of unease.

Karen, with short hair and dressed in a business suit, sat on the sofa and looked at the washed-up actress opposite her: "Stone, I need you to explain your remarks from yesterday. Why did you say that?"

"Um... to be honest, I was a bit high the day before, so..."

"Lying! Did you take money from the International Republican Institute?"

Sharon Stone looked completely innocent: "How could that be? That money isn't even enough to pay for the loan on my luxury car!"

The International Republican Institute, which Karen mentioned, is a core recipient of the NED, which is a notorious tool used by the United States to instigate color revolutions.

CAA's top agent flipped through the file, but couldn't even bring himself to glance at this trashy artist.

To be honest, if she weren't afraid of ruining her reputation, she would have invoked the ethics clause in her agency contract to terminate the contract immediately.

"It doesn't matter if you don't admit it; what's important is how to mitigate the consequences now."

Karen guessed that she probably wasn't very clear about the current situation either: "The mainstream media in North America aren't giving much commentary right now, but a dozen or so newspapers in Los Angeles with Chinese backgrounds are making a fuss about it."

Sharon Stone, unaware of the seriousness of the situation, raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips: "It's just to generate some buzz for me, it doesn't matter."

Karen said expressionlessly, “I’ve arranged an interview with The Times for you this afternoon. You need to apologize formally. Brands like Dior are still watching and have only expressed their concern so far.”

“An apology is fine, but I think it could wait a bit longer, what do you say, Karen?” Sharon Stone was still daydreaming: “I think this is a good opportunity to create some buzz, at least to raise my profile a bit more.”

“I know you want to continue working with the foundation, even with some of the wealthiest foundations in Asia.” Karen saw through her intention: “I want you to understand which is more important, this money or your endorsement?”

Sharon Stone was unconvinced. Endorsements are one thing, but why not do a business where you can make money just by talking?
This is an entire industry chain overseas.

This refers to a variety of foundations with different names and purposes that sponsor celebrities in the hope that they will "express humanitarian concern" for the internal affairs of the target country, such as human rights and territorial issues.

The most recent and striking example is Angelina Jolie, who, as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, visited the home of a refugee child to express her regret over the war and her concern for the children, setting a price of $2000 million.

The payment for this fee came from an organization called the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is similar to the NED mentioned earlier.

The widespread distribution of dog food funds both domestically and internationally is one of the reasons why online public opinion is rampant and so many so-called experts and professors emerge in this era.

Karen felt disgusted looking at the nonchalant Stone. It wasn't out of a sense of justice or public duty that she felt any sympathy for the people in a foreign land.

From a purely profit-driven perspective, I dislike this short-sighted, erotic actress.

"I need to remind you that CAA is not your babysitter. The situation has only been unfolding for less than 12 hours, and the attitudes of all parties are unclear. If things become irreversible, we will..."

"Ring ring ring!" The assistant took Karen's phone out of her bag.

Stone smiled and comforted the top agent: "Honey, take the call first. I don't think it's that serious. At worst, I'll apologize in a few days and have a good cry."

First, he makes a lot of money by being sarcastic and then apologizes. Once he gets forgiveness and the storm has passed, he secretly adds a few more smears next time, and the cycle repeats itself.

It's just business; earning some extra money isn't shameful.

This is similar to how celebrities and famous people in later generations secretly omit a point from a map, unintentionally forward articles with incorrect stances, and then delete and apologize.

Like the Japanese soldiers in "The Sky of History" who organized burning, killing and looting, these Western stars are not stupid, but rather very clever; they are simply evil.

"Hello? What?" Karen stood up abruptly, giving her assistant a sharp look and gesturing for her to turn on the computer. "Okay, I understand."

"What's wrong honey?"

The short-haired agent really didn't want to deal with her, but now she had to help this short-sighted bitch through this difficult time and maintain her and CAA's dignity.

"A Chinese director, Lu, posted a statement about you on Twitter, which has caused a great stir."

“Oh, that Chinese boss of Netflix!” Sharon Stone’s expression hardened. She wasn’t stupid at all and naturally knew the significance of Netflix’s DVD distribution channels to her.

It seems this apology will come sooner than expected, but it's a pity we didn't receive funding from several Asian foundations.

She moved closer to Karen and they looked at the screen together; the pungent perfume made the latter cover her nose.

An open letter to Sharon Stone:
Beneath the ruins of the East lie still-warm bones. While Chinese mothers are still sorting through their children's schoolbags, you stand on the red carpet in Cannes, calling the deaths of tens of thousands "karmic retribution."

This is not ignorance, but inhumane malice.

Such behavior is no different from that of the demons who committed atrocities in Nanjing 70 years ago. You are all shameful abusers, trampling on the bottom line of human civilization.

As a film professional, I firmly believe that art should convey the light of humanity, rather than become a megaphone for hatred and prejudice.

Ms. Stone's remarks expose three sad facts.

You once spoke out for AIDS in Africa, yet you mocked the suffering in Asia, proving that your so-called charity is merely a tool for gaining fame and fortune. This is a betrayal of humanitarianism.

Your provocation is nothing more than an attempt to obtain dirty checks and potential development opportunities, and to gain traffic from hatred. This is an extremely despicable political opportunism.

You, a porn star who rose to fame by exposing your buttocks, can now only gain attention by insulting the dead. This is your helpless struggle against being washed up.

We can see that when disaster strikes, international rescue teams from all over the world extend a helping hand immediately, and the donations from international organizations and charitable associations are heartwarming.

On that day, the Benxi rescue team knelt down and dug with their bare hands in the ruins, their goggles covered in blood and dust.

As the Singapore medical team performed the cesarean section inside the tent, the newborn's cries pierced through the canvas of the temporary tent.

As international rescue teams from the EU and North America traversed the collapsed steel and concrete, they cheered loudly, encouraging each survivor.

Ms. Sharon Stone, these cross-border celebrations of life are being desecrated by your filthy soul.

On behalf of the Netflix Board of Directors, I hereby announce that, effective immediately, all works related to Sharon Stone, including future works, will be removed from the platform and never be released again!

At the same time, I urge film industry professionals worldwide to jointly boycott such inhumane remarks and actions, and to urge and warn relevant international brands to reassess their partnerships with Ms. Stone.

There is an old Chinese saying: Heaven has no favorites, but it always favors the virtuous.

No one with a conscience would offer a cold, instinctive laugh in the face of such suffering for all humanity.

As an ordinary Chinese person, I reject Sharon Stone's apology this time. You must pay the price for your actions!
. . .

Sharon Stone screamed in shock before she even finished reading: "Are you crazy! This Qing dynasty bastard! I was just joking!"

She knew all too well how damaging Netflix's sanctions could be to her; Nicolas Cage was a cautionary tale.

He took on a lot of bad movies to pay off his debts, but directors kept giving him offers because his bad movies still had an audience on DVD and North American home streaming platforms.

If the only DVD rental company in the US bans her, will any directors still hire her to make movies? Even lowbrow erotic films?

"Karen! Get me in touch with Lu, I need to apologize!" Sharon Stone was genuinely scared this time: "By the way, could the interview with The Times be moved up? I think it would be better to speak out sooner, right?"

“I also need to donate... $50, that's my current financial limit, you know Karen…”

She stood up and paced back and forth in the room. When she turned back to seek the opinion of the top agent, she found him browsing more information on Twitter with a serious expression.

The Eastern director's strongly worded manifesto was like an arrow piercing the clouds, connecting many forces he could influence in North America, uniting them to launch a comprehensive condemnation and ban on Sharon Stone!

Lionsgate: Lionsgate will terminate all collaborations with Sharon Stone. We stand with director Lu Kuan and oppose any attempt to trivialize human suffering.

Disney: Disney Studios and its subsidiaries have ceased all cooperation with Ms. Stone.

Meanwhile, we pay tribute to the Eastern dragon, who is immersed in grief. Our project with Shanghai Disneyland is expected to officially start construction next year, and we hope to bring you more joy.

Miramax: Miramax will never work with Ms. Sharon Stone again, effective immediately. From "Hero" to her many collaborations with Lu, Miramax and Chinese films are good friends. We give a big hug to the Chinese people who are going through difficulties.

In addition, there are Tom Hanks, Moore, Leonardo DiCaprio, directors Justin Lin and Emile, who are already quite well-known in the North American film industry, as well as Marvel Studios, the Twilight author, and the currently popular cast.

The densely packed denunciations against the traitors went viral on social media platforms such as Twitter, and the outcry that quickly spread left Sharon Stone, watching from her screen, utterly horrified!
Why won't they even give me a chance to apologize?!

She could accept boycotts from individual entertainment stars, but the statements from Lionsgate, Miramax, and Disney made her extremely angry.

I am your compatriot! How can you stand on the side of the Qing Dynasty?

Hollywood collaborates with funding from China and Germany because they're rich and gullible, right? Why are they now fawning over a Chinese director?

American traitors!

Karen answered her question, and the top agent had a feeling that this might be the last time. "Harvey and Iger are his allies. It's said that this guy helped Disney get several niche films approved, and Iron Man is coming in strong this summer."

"Besides, didn't you see Disney's wording? Disneyland! Disneyland!" Karen threw the interview materials in her hand hard at Stone's face.

"Use your pig brain, which is only thinking about drugs all day long, to think about this! Why did Disney announce the end of the negotiation phase for a project that had been discussed with Tokyo University for so long!"

Sharon Stone's ugly face contorted, and she cried out nervously, "No! This shouldn't be! Since when have Hollywood companies had to cater to the Chinese?"

"A few years ago, when Harvey, that guy without testicles, was mocking the Chinese for being easy to fool, how come he's now acting as an international communist fighter?!"

"And what about the other celebrities and stars that NED sponsored recently? So many people are saying strange things, why am I being singled out!"

Karen couldn't take it anymore and slammed her hand on the table as she stood up: "Why? Because your stinking mouth, which only knows how to do drugs and vaping, is disgusting!"

"Good heavens! How could I have such a stupid customer like you? Why don't you look at why Julie and Sean Penn didn't take the money? Do they not like money?"

Stone, his face flushed from the scolding, hurriedly grabbed the computer: "No! I need to apologize on Twitter first, and then donate immediately! I still have hope!"

Only after failing to log into her account, which had hundreds of thousands of followers, three times did she see the official announcement from Twitter:

Given Ms. Stone's egregious racist and hate speech, Twitter has temporarily suspended her account.

Karen glanced at the situation for a few seconds, mentally assessing the current situation, then ignored the rude customer in front of her whose face was flushed red from being scolded, and told her assistant to pack up and get up.

“Stone, I regret to inform you that the afternoon interview with The Times has been cancelled. CAA also has many promotional collaborations with celebrities in the arts and sports on Twitter, and we cannot ignore the attitudes of Lionsgate and Disney.”

"In addition, this director also owns shares in Facebook and Google, albeit small ones, but with his current influence, he can get these big companies to make a statement, especially considering that Google is still competing for the Chinese market."

Sharon Stone grabbed her arm, about to plead for mercy, but was abruptly shoved away by her agent, Karen: "CAA has an ethical clause in your contract. Out of responsibility to our client, we will not terminate the contract now. We hope you can resolve the issue quickly, otherwise CAA's statement will come soon."

The door to the mid-range hotel room slammed shut. Sharon Stone stood frozen in place, her makeup soaked with cold sweat, her eyeliner smudged into two black tear streaks.

She trembled as she reached for the wine glass on the coffee table, only to find her fingers spasming uncontrollably.

"Fuck!"

The glass shattered on the carpet, red wine splattering like blood. The washed-up star staggered toward her handbag, frantically searching for medicine bottles, her fingernails scraping the leather with a harsh sound.

Two white pills were poured out of the plastic bottle, but because her hands were shaking so badly, they fell into the wine stains. The expensive psychiatric medication she had bribed her private doctor to get started to dissolve rapidly.

Stone knelt on the ground, licking the soaked pills like a dog, his tongue tasting the bitterness of alcohol mixed with carpet fibers.

Until the phone rang in bed, and the screen flashed "Dior Paris".

The phone's owner answered with trembling hands. The call was brief, and the cold termination notification followed by a dial tone felt like a slap in the face.

Sharon Stone slumped amidst the mess, her false eyelashes half-fallen off, revealing dark circles under her eyes, her face distorted in the mirror.
-
After the Stone incident caused a huge uproar, Chinese netizens were checking news on both domestic and international websites day and night, paying close attention to whether this "white bitch" would be punished.

At least being forced to apologize allowed everyone to vent their anger.

It wasn't until Karen and Stone saw Lu Kuan's posts on Twitter and Weibo, and the resulting outcry of support from various anti-traitor groups, that the incident caused a sensation in mainland China!

One bold netizen renamed Mr. Lu's denouncing article to "Attack Sharon Stone, My Bullet Newspaper!"

The reason you, Sharon Stone, are so unscrupulous is because you're not planning to make money off the University of Tokyo, right? You think nobody can control your foul mouth, huh?
Yes! And it's very strong!

From Lu Kuan's strongly worded post, his direct ban, his decisive vow never to be used again, to the final sentence "Chinese people will not accept your apology," countless anxious netizens were instantly brought to a climax!

This is a lighthearted, enjoyable story!
What is the mindset of ordinary netizens and their self-positioning in the international arena in 2008?
Two words are enough to describe it: inferiority and frustration.

The inferiority complex stems from the mental suppression by the public intellectuals, from the fact that reflective books like Bo Yang's "The Ugly Chinaman" are regarded as the gold standard, and from the countless dog food readings like "Yilin" and "Reader".

Some older netizens may still remember the "Bright Saber Incident" from back then.

In 2005, a Tianya user named "United Photon" published a long article titled "The Real Gap Between the University of Tokyo and Japan's BNP Paribas," comparing the two countries in terms of GDP, technological level, and national quality, and concluding that "the University of Tokyo has absolutely no chance of surpassing Japan's BNP Paribas." The article also called on the Chinese people to give up competition and integrate into the Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Netizen "Xueliangjundao" then wrote "Refuting the Real Gap Between United Photonics' Dongda and Japan's Benzene", based on the difference in GDP growth rates between China and Japan in 2003-2004, and combined with my country's advantages such as demographic dividend and industrialization process, he proposed that China's GDP will surpass Japan's Benzene around 2030.

What was the result? A barrage of criticism!
Dream on! Naive! Nonsense! Attention-seeking!
These are the most frequently appearing words under this post.

Even among the minority of supporters, there is a general consensus that the 2030 figure is overly optimistic. At that time, my country's GDP will be $1.4 trillion, only one-third of Japan's.

It wasn't until 2010, when Tokyo University's GDP officially surpassed that of Japan, fulfilling the prediction 20 years ahead of schedule, that the netizen "Snowy Saber" was able to learn of this before his unfortunate passing in 2013.

The netizen with the bright military knife is named Zhang Lei, and he is also the screenwriter of "The Indelible Number".

The inferiority complex of ordinary people has its reasons, which also stem from the collective memory under the shadow of many histories.

From the accidental bombing in 1999 and the chicken collision in 2001 to the torch relay on the eve of the 2008 Olympics, there were still so many discordant voices.

But today, with social progress and increased national strength, more inferiority complex has turned into resentment!
It's frustrating that we've long been in a weak position of being "passively criticized" in the international arena!
They have suffered so much unfair evaluation and treatment, yet have no way to speak out!

It's frustrating to hear the distortions and rumors from Western media outlets like CNN and the BBC, but all we can do is swallow our anger and suffer in silence!

Even The People's Daily operated a pseudonym "Zhong Sheng" at this time to clarify rumors and serve public opinion.

Therefore, starting with Lu Kuan's "Classic of Mountains and Seas" in "Alien Land" in 2003, to his talk on "Larry King Live" that "Chinese people's faith is history", and then to the extremely passionate epic of justice in "Tangshan", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The Sky of History"!

That's what makes so many movie fans go crazy for it, creating box office miracles for every film in the first decade of the 21st century when the overall film market wasn't that big.

Because the general public needs this kind of spiritual nourishment to combat the poison and mental oppression of people like Nan Fang, as well as the pent-up emotions under the shadow of history.

Of course, this is also why many media outlets in the public intellectual community regard him as an enemy and cheer him on in every "anti-Lu movement".

Zhu Dake said that he was not wrong in playing the patriotism card.

Patriotism is the goal, not the means. Box office success, reputation, wealth, and status are just natural gains for individuals in the face of the tides of the times.

Therefore, today, witnessing the unbridled speech of a Western bitch, and feeling extremely indignant that there is no time to intervene, so many netizens have left messages on Lu Kuan's Weibo seeking help.

Thus, countless netizens witnessed a grand spectacle of attacks on Sharon Stone that night, the voices of every Hollywood company, the support of every Hollywood star, and the climax of North American Chinese media and Twitter discourse.

All mainland netizens shared in the glory, staying up all night to celebrate this satisfying ending of the "no matter how far away, they will be punished" story.

"Bo Yang, could you write another book, 'The Ugly American,' or 'What's Wrong with Hollywood?' Why is Hollywood kneeling before Chinese capital?"

"A seasoned Tiexue netizen: This is only the second victory I've witnessed in the cultural arena in all these years, a resounding triumph! The first was when 'The Sky of History' won awards and became a box office hit. I look forward to Shitong's response! I hope it's a naked and shameless apology!"

"Sorry, washing machine! Last time you spent over 300 billion to buy Netflix, I called you an idiot! Actually, I was the idiot! Even if that 300 billion was used to slap this bitch in the face, it would be worth it! So satisfying!"

"This battle before the Olympics was more inspiring than winning a gold medal; it turns out our voice really hurts them!"

"As Das Kapital says, when money speaks, even truth falls silent. Boss Lu uses capital to pave the way, so what's a mere white bitch's fart?"

"In 2001, we could only bring back our heroic pilot with tears in our eyes; in 2008, we can make those foul-mouthed porn stars kneel and cry!"

Netizens celebrated until dawn, only to discover that Dior's statement announcing the termination of its contract with CAA, as well as Sharon Stone's tearful apology video, had gone viral online.

This also became a footnote to this public event, which lasted less than 24 hours from its inception to its conclusion.

According to post-disaster statistics, this online public opinion event also generated the largest traffic effect after the disaster.

The Twitter hashtag #CancelStone# reached the top of the charts within an hour of Lu's post, and overseas Chinese around the world registered to show their support, further solidifying Twitter's leading position among microblogging-like social media platforms in the West.
The number of discussions on related topics on Weibo exceeded 800 million in a single day, setting a record for entertainment events in 2008, and bringing in more than 200 million new registered users.

Many of them flocked to the site after being urged to "Brothers! Register Weibo accounts and buy products from Wenjie Mall!"

Perhaps this will become evidence of patriotism in Zhu Dake's words once again.

Just after the dust settled, Hu Jintao from Global Times jumped on the bandwagon again without hesitation.

I don't know when it started, but wherever Boss Lu is, Zhu Nanfang and Hu Xijin are sure to be there too.

The former is fiercely critical, while the latter is fiercely supportive, but their motives are quite similar: to gain attention.

As always, Lao Hu passionately analyzed the entire incident.

When director Lu Kuan used Netflix's DVD distribution channels to block Stone, he wasn't wielding the stick of personal grudges, but rather it was the first precise strike by Chinese capital under international rules.

The slap was so loud because it shattered two myths:

First, the myth that "Western discourse power is unshakeable" was dispelled. The fact that major Hollywood companies and stars immediately took sides proved that the outcome of the capital battlefield is the real weapon for seizing discourse power.
Secondly, the myth of "apology is the ultimate solution" has emerged. From "not accepting apologies" to Dior's swift termination of the contract, it signifies that the Chinese public has reached its zero-tolerance threshold for Western celebrities' repeated manipulations.

At the same time, this incident also witnessed the shift in the mindset of Chinese netizens from looking up to looking at each other on equal terms.

In 2008, Chinese netizens had both a collective memory of a century of humiliation and an urgent expectation for the Olympic Games to take off. Lu Kuan's sanctions against Stone became the breaking point for suppressed emotions.

The dissipation of inferiority complex confirms the truth that development is the only way forward.
The release of pent-up frustration is a prelude to the building of national confidence on the eve of the Olympics.

In the past, similar incidents were usually resolved with an apology, but director Lu Kuan directly announced that he would not accept the apology, giving netizens the thrill of being the "judge" rather than the "victim."

Who wants to always be the victim?

Thus, director Lu Kuan became a "justice agent" in the internet age.

It is clear that the exhilarating feeling of this media storm is essentially a mixture of nationalistic sentiment, class revenge, and online revelry.

Lu Kuan has become both a "symbolic weapon" for netizens to resist Western hegemony and an unexpected "human advertisement" for cultural export capabilities.

As the title on a certain Tiexue forum stated: "While the liberal left is still discussing human rights, Boss Lu has already smashed their knees with US dollars!"

While some people are still stigmatizing the idea that "those born in the 80s are a lost generation," director Lu Kuan, born in 1982, has used capital and film to build a new backbone of East Asian civilization.

This is the historical script that the post-80s generation should have!

Here, Lao Hu is willing to call Director Lu Kuan "the strongest post-80s generation in East Asia"!
(End of this chapter)