This director is vindictive.

Chapter 553 Entire Retirement? A Major Earthquake in the Entertainment Industry?

This live stream was an epic "bizarre show," but it has to be said that it truly "generated the most buzz with the worst (bizarre) design!"

At its peak, the number of viewers approached 100 million.

Of course, the subsequent impact is also enormous.

The fashion industry, especially foreign fashion media such as Vogue and ELLE, simply glossed over the term "bold innovation"!
Of course, perhaps that's what they really think. After all, while this show might seem bizarre to ordinary people, in their circle, they're not afraid of you being bizarre, they're afraid of you not being bizarre enough.

Sometimes, reality is just that absurd.

However, Chinese fashion bloggers couldn't sit still any longer.

One blogger offered a scathing critique: "'Plum' series is the last vestige of dignity. French designer Pierre, at least, knew how to cram a little ink painting at the last minute. Putting aside everything else, the emotional value he delivered was spot on."

But what about the next part?

They've completely let loose and let themselves go.

The "Orchid" series: The designer must be on drugs! They've turned the "ethereal orchid" into a fluorescent Ultraman dancing in a nightclub.

"Bamboo" series: Bamboo transformed into golf clubs? Next time, should we design pine trees as Santa Claus?

The "Chrysanthemum" series: After listening to Jay Chou's "Chrysanthemum Terrace," you'd probably want to change the lyrics overnight: "Please, don't ruin it!"

I suggest renaming it "A Foreigner Teaches You to Recognize the Four Gentlemen: From Pretentiousness to Burial!"

This show was so influential that even cultural media outlets came to report on it.

The journal *National Humanities History* published a special commentary entitled "The Deconstructed 'Four Gentlemen': A Consumer Frenzy of Cultural Misinterpretation," which quoted an in-depth analysis by a professor from the School of Humanities at Beijing University:

"This so-called 'Four Gentlemen' themed show exposes structural arrogance in cross-cultural communication."

When the noble virtues of a virtuous person, like an orchid in a secluded valley, are reduced to the visual bombardment of laser lights in nightclubs, and when the cultural symbol of bamboo, characterized by humility and integrity, is distorted into the materialized expression of a golf club, this has long transcended the realm of design aesthetics and evolved into a brutal deconstruction and consumption of symbols of Eastern culture.

The article points out that, taking the professional attitude shown in the "Plum Blossom" series as a reference, the subsequent three themes show a clear cultural cognitive gap: "Pierre's team at least tried to understand the Eastern artistic conception of 'sparse shadows slanting across the clear water,' while other designers fell into a postcolonial creative trap—treating cultural differences as a source of curiosity and forcibly dissecting traditional imagery using the framework of Western modernity."

This practice of reducing the "Four Gentlemen" (plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum) to fashion accessories is essentially a form of cultural deconstruction disguised as creativity.

A cultural studies scholar from East China Normal University added in a column: "What is even more alarming is that when 'picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence' is interpreted as a withered aesthetic reminiscent of a funeral home, and when 'the graceful orchids' are reduced to cyberpunk-style plastic armor, behind this seemingly avant-garde 'misinterpretation' lies an imbalance of cultural discourse power. The luxury goods alliance, with its billion-dollar budget, has built nothing more than an Orientalist showcase for the Western gaze."

Of course, there are also some people who try to save face by saying things like, "It's normal for ordinary people not to understand the designer's design concept."

"Hilarious! A bunch of bumpkins are giving orders here. Do you think you can understand the vision of international designers? Isn't it normal for plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums to be deconstructed and recreated?"

"The essence of fashion is to subvert tradition. Does it have to be an embroidered plum blossom on a skirt to be considered Chinese style? That's narrow-minded!"

"Chinese people themselves haven't even grasped the spirit of the Four Gentlemen, so why should they expect foreigners to accurately recreate it? At least they've tried to incorporate Eastern elements; isn't that an attitude worth encouraging?"

"Antonio's LED orchid is clearly a cyberpunk interpretation of 'fragrance.' Those who criticize it should check if they have Uniqlo in their closets!"

"You think it's ugly because you lack artistic appreciation! Vivian's 'corrupted chrysanthemum' is clearly a metaphor for the cycle of life. If you don't understand it, I suggest you retake your course on aesthetics."

"The golf elements in the bamboo series are clearly a metaphor for the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, representing the contemporary elite—using golf clubs instead of the guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument). What a brilliant metaphor! (doge)"

In the past, many big shows rarely did any live broadcasts like this one, so those who haven't watched them naturally wouldn't know much about them.

But this time it's different; hundreds of millions of people around the world are watching.

Such forced attempts to save face, acting as defenders of "high-end aesthetics," or issuing warnings about "artistic thresholds," and using the guise of belittling others to highlight one's own shortcomings, are no longer as effective.

I can accept a second bloom, but what about a four-peat of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums?

"Hilarious! Deconstruction doesn't mean messing around! The Plum series was good, but how did it mutate into a complete mess later on? Did the designers all go on drugs?"

"Fashion subverting tradition? Then please remove the 'Four Gentlemen' theme first, don't pretend to be a wolf in sheep's clothing and sell cyberpunk dog meat!"

"Chinese people don't understand the Four Gentlemen? How did Pierre, a foreigner, manage to bring such artistic conception to the Mei series? He's quite adept at playing the double standard!"

"Romantic death aesthetics? Ms. Vivian, why don't you just collaborate with a funeral home, turn the runway into a mourning hall, and have the models scatter paper money as they walk!"

"Is this some kind of end-of-life care series? Plum blossoms represent a final burst of energy, while orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums are like a triple whammy in the ICU?"

A new interpretation of the Four Gentlemen: Plum (uncultured), Orchid (misinterpreted), Bamboo (a dismissive phrase), Chrysanthemum (a period).

"I told you long ago not to expect foreigners to understand Eastern aesthetics. They can't even paint the fruit in their own ancestors' oil paintings properly!"

The topic did generate buzz for a while, but that's probably not what the luxury goods alliance wanted.

Now it's understandable why their fashion shows have always maintained such a cool and aloof attitude.

To be honest, art is actually quite abstract, and conceptual designs can never be popularized.

The problem is that this time they just happened to create a "mass-market" live stream.

In addition, the expectations placed on the public beforehand were too high, so it immediately left people dumbfounded.

A grand show turned out to be a complete mess.

It's safe to say that from now on, any talk of foreign luxury brands incorporating Chinese elements will likely be met with widespread avoidance. Meanwhile, the film "The Grand Wedding in a Qipao" is enjoying immense popularity, especially on Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), which has become a popular spot for couples to visit.

A huge number of couples' photos in the style of the Republic of China era have been posted online.

This immediately dispelled the controversy surrounding the show.

Chen Mo, in his spare time, was actually considering a question.

That is, the question of when to retire.

Yes, it's retirement. Actually, his memories as a reincarnated person are almost over.

He could no longer predict what the future would hold, and since he had now achieved his goal, he had developed this kind of thought.

However, it's not the right time yet; one should always see things through to the end.

There was still one last wedding ceremony to be held, and as a master of impartiality, he would certainly treat everyone equally.

"What? You plan to retire after your wedding with Yifei is released?" The women were all dumbfounded when they heard Chen Mo's idea.

Yang Mi was drinking water when she suddenly choked: "Cough cough. What did you just say? Retirement?"

She genuinely couldn't understand, but Gao Yuanyuan smoothed out the hem of her cheongsam and gently replied, "I think it's fine. Anyway, Chen Mo should have rested properly a long time ago."

Fan Binbin, who has already retired from acting, also smiled and said, "Perfect, he can spend more time with us!"

Jing Tian said calmly, "Retirement is fine, Chen Mo, we can travel around the world together!"

Upon hearing Jing Tian's words, all the women's eyes suddenly lit up.

To be honest, everyone present, even Yang Mi who is quite career-driven, was filled with longing for this.

You know, no matter how ambitious she is, she can't compete with Chen Mo giving her too much!

"Are you really decided?" Zhang Yuqi asked curiously.

Chen Mo nodded and said, "Yes! But there's still a year to go. I plan to take my time with Yifei's wedding. I might be able to film one or two more movies during that time, and then I'll officially announce my retirement from acting."

Actually, as a director, Chen Mo is quite young in the directing circle.

This is why the women's first reaction was surprise.

"How about we all announce our retirement together? Tsk tsk, let's create a big news story before we leave?" Zhang Yuqi, that tiger-like woman, said, seemingly always eager to stir up trouble.

However, her suggestion immediately caught everyone's attention.

"I think it's a good idea. Just thinking about it makes me think it will be amazing, right?" Liu Yifei, who appears to be a good girl on the surface, is actually quite rebellious. As soon as she heard Zhang Yuqi's idea of ​​causing trouble, she immediately agreed.

"You guys are really something." Zhao Liying stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

It's worth noting that Chen Mo, needless to say, is the number one Chinese-language film director.

Moreover, it can be said that Chen Mo is an unavoidable topic in the Chinese entertainment industry in recent years, especially the traces and marks he left behind.

In addition, they are at least half of the top actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Fan Binbin's announcement of his retirement from acting caused such a huge stir; if everyone were to retire at once, it would absolutely be a major earthquake for the entire entertainment industry.

"Forget about that, let's not talk about that now. You just said you'd be making one or two more movies? You have some ideas?" Yang Mi suddenly seized on the key point.

The other women looked at Chen Mo with curiosity.

Chen Mo said nonchalantly, "I'm just saying maybe. If there's a suitable script, I'll probably film it again. If not, then forget it."

Chen Mo wanted to make a completely "original" film.

Although he had previously worked on "The Heartbroken" and adapted "The Great Tang Dynasty in the Northern Desert," to put it bluntly, those were all adaptations or expansions.

This time, he wants to make a truly original film of his own.

It was worth the second chance.

However, he doesn't have any particular obsessions; he'll film if there's a suitable opportunity, and if not, it doesn't matter to him.

"Is it still a realistic subject matter?" Zhao Liying asked.

"It's not impossible, what? Do you have any ideas?" Chen Mo asked curiously.

"Chen Mo, take a look at this. I think this topic is quite suitable," Zhao Liying said, handing Chen Mo a news article she found on her tablet.

The women also gathered around curiously.

"Domestic violence?"

That's right, this news is about a recent case of domestic violence resulting in death!

(End of this chapter)