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A summer talent show released on Tencent's video platform that's looking to create a leading girl group from China has been generating a huge buzz on the country's social media platforms.

腾讯视频平台播放的一档夏季选秀节目近日在社交媒体上爆红，这档节目最终将选出一支出色的女子组合。

Already running for a month, the top 11 contestant in the program's final tally of votes will go on to form a girl band looking to break into Chinese entertainment circles.

节目上线已有一个月，最终得票最多的11名选手将组成一支女子团体，进军中国娱乐圈。

As the Chinese adaptation of the South Korean reality show Produce 101, domestic audiences are used to seeing wannabe pop stars sporting slim figures, white skin and a saccharine smiles to match the accepted image of a K-pop goddess.

这档节目名为《创造101》，改编自韩国同名真人秀。过去国内观众观看真人秀节目时，总会看到身材苗条而且非常渴望成为明星的选手，她们皮肤白皙，露出甜美的笑容，让自己符合人们公认的韩流女神的形象。

Wang Ju (third from left), a contestant in the reality show, is now finding more support.[Photo provided to China Daily]

However, this past week has witnessed a quick burst of overwhelming attention on a contestant named Wang Ju, who was once regarded as an unpromising outsider because of her perceived unattractiveness.

但在过去一周，一位名为王菊的参赛选手突然受到极大的关注。由于相貌平平，人们一度认为她要被淘汰出局。

The 25-year-old, despite being relatively good at singing and dancing, was darker and more stout than her more conventionally glamorous competitors, and so far from the ideal image portrayed by modern girl bands that her performances met with derision from some netizens.

25岁的王菊唱歌跳舞水平还不错，但和那些更加迷人的参赛者相比，她的皮肤更黝黑，体形也更健壮，和现代女子组合的完美形象相去甚远，一些网友还嘲讽了她的舞台表演。

先来看看其他选手的画风：

王菊的画风则是这样的：

最开始一些网友讽刺她“黑土壮”，也有些选手公开说她“非常不少女”。

Wang responded to the wave of unfriendly jeers - "Hell is empty, Wang Ju is here" was just one example - with a wry sense of humor, rather than feeling dejected about her lack of popularity.

有网友还讽刺她说：“地狱空荡荡，王菊在土创”，王菊幽默地回应了网友的这些嘲讽，她并没有因为缺少人气而感到沮丧。

王菊甚至对着镜头重新表演了这些表情包，自黑了一把，一些人迅速“黑转粉”。

"Many people told me that I am not suitable to be in a girl group, but you have the opportunity to redefine China's leading girl group." She told the audience with an air of confidence after one of her performances.

在一次表演后，她自信地告诉观众：“有人说我这样子的不适合做女团，而你们手里握着的，是重新定义中国第一女团的权利。”

On May 26, the program aired some old photos of Wang that showed she was once also a fair-skinned "Miss Sweetheart" with a good figure a few years ago.

5月26日，节目组公布了王菊的一些旧照。几年前，她也曾是一位皮肤白皙身材好的妙龄少女。

Wang says at that time she hadn't figured out her own standards of beauty, but she now understands that "being yourself is what makes a girl beautiful."

王菊说，当时她并没有想清楚美的标准，但她现在终于明白了，“做自己才能让女孩美丽”。

Besides, the lyrics she has written highlighting the importance of women's independence in society have resonated with many viewers, and her growing legions of followers.

另外，她写的歌词也强调了女性在社会中独立的重要性，引发了很多观众的共鸣，粉丝人数也不断增加。

Wang Ju.[ Photo provided to China Daily]

Su Yujing, 24, joined one of Wang's fan clubs, and voted for the singer from Shanghai every day.

24岁的苏玉静（音）是王菊粉丝团的一员，每天在上海为王菊投票。

"I used to chase after the adorable stars in the Japanese girl group AKB48," says the Gansu province native, "But now I'm getting sick of pop idols with empty minds."

这位原籍甘肃的女孩说：“我以前喜欢追可爱的日本女团AKB48，但现在我不再喜欢思想空虚的偶像。”

Su says she likes Wang, not only because she is well-spoken and hardworking, but also because of the amusing way that Wang's fans use to spread her message.

苏玉静说她很喜欢王菊，不仅是因为她善于言谈，也非常努力，还是因为王菊的粉丝传播消息的有趣方式。

Since ju means chrysanthemum in Chinese, Wang's fans refer to themselves as Tao Yuanming - the name of an ancient Chinese poet who professed a love for chrysanthemums - and write rhyming couplets and memes to praise the singer and canvas votes for her.

由于“菊”在汉语里表示菊花，王菊的粉丝们把自己称为“陶渊明”，陶渊明是中国古代一位诗人，喜欢写诗抒发自己对菊花的喜爱。王菊的粉丝们写下押韵的对句，还制作出表情包来赞美她，并为她拉票。

This approach appeared to have worked well, as thousands of internet users found these ju-related phrases and memes flooding their screens over the following days.

这个办法效果很好，数千名网民发现这些与“菊”有关的词句和表情包在几天后刷屏了。

Wu Xiaoyan, a research associate at the Shanghai Art Research Institute, principally studies feminism and urban culture.

上海艺术研究所助理研究员吴晓燕（音）主要研究女权主义和都市文化。

She compared the overnight sensation of Wang to Li Yuchun, the winner of 2005's Super Girls, the first reality show for solo female singers in China.

她把王菊的一夜爆红和2005年超女冠军李宇春作了对比。超级女声是中国第一档女生个人歌唱类选秀节目。

"Audiences have grown more self-conscious over the past 13 years. They want to support people who can gain their sympathy, while most icons manufactured by the entertainment industry fail to tap into these emotions," says Wu.

她说：“13年过去了，现在的观众更有自我意识。他们想要支持能博得他们同情的人，而如今的娱乐界打造出的绝大多数偶像都无法打动观众。”

The sociology major says that fans of Wang are looking to express their own eagerness to be independent, develop their own sense of identity and respect social diversity by supporting Wang.

主攻社会学的吴晓燕还说，王菊的粉丝通过支持她，希望表达出自己渴望独立的意愿，彰显出自己的认同感和尊重社会多样性的意识。

《创造101》王菊偶像逆袭 “陶渊明”喊你pick她