In the battle for the big time, spirit counts for everything

In the depths of the production studios, where the online reality talent competition Produce 101 is being filmed, a bright pink rehearsal room lies at the end of a corridor marked with a large letter “A”.

The room holds huge significance for the show’s finalists, who have pushed themselves to their creative limits over the past three months to earn their chance to join an 11-member girl band. Wang Ju is no exception. Once on the verge of being knocked out of the show, the 25-year-old Shanghai native fought her way to the A list within the space of just four weeks due to her popularity.

Considered to be lacking conventional good looks, Wang’s existence in the show initially seemed untenable. Slightly plump, somewhat tanned and seen often with heavy makeup, the straighttalking performer seemed out of place in the sea of slim peers with lighter skin who sported saccharine smiles. Worse still, some viewers simply regarded her as a laughingstock, despite her capable performances.

When Ma Dong — a wellknown host and guest on the show — visited the studios, Wang asked him why it was easier for pretty girls to be remembered and liked by audiences.

Ma responded by encouraging her to find her own style and stick to it, and added that in an all-female group it was the singers who stood out the most that were most in demand.

“Actually, I knew what he would say. I just wanted a celebrity like Ma to spell out the answer rather than it coming from me — which made it far more convincing,” Wang says, showing her eagerness to change the public’s attitude toward her.

As time went by, people found that the spirited young woman with her own criteria of beauty was strong enough to face all the jeers. In one of her performances, she sang out the motto of her alma mater, Shanghai No 3 Girls’ High School: “Independence, ability, care and elegance”, to make the point that these were the most important attributes for a woman.

This attracted a huge amount of attention and the audience quickly changed tack and got behind her, either because they shared her vision or appreciated her courage in remaining true to herself.

On June 2, one of her followers, an entrepreneur at a Xiamen-based technology company, spent 200,000 yuan ($30,281) on voting for Wang — the biggest individual contributor to her tally of votes.

At the same time, a deluge of amusing memes and rhyming slogans spontaneously created by Wang’s fans hit the internet, spurring on her online fame via an ad-hoc viral marketing campaign.

The unorthodox idol quickly shot to phenomenal stardom as she sparked a storm of online debate about female beauty standards. An article released by the British news“I paper The Guardian even praised Wang as China’s answer to Beyonce, for her efforts in breaking down beauty barriers.

am flattered,” says Wang. “I’m not sure if I have the potential to be a big star, but I do want to be a performer like my idol Beyonce.”

Wang’s desire to become a performer can be traced back to her early years, when she started to imitate actresses by speaking their lines. She also received some elementary training in singing and dancing techniques through courses held at a local children’s center.

She says even without the help of professional teachers at her high school, she didn’t give up practicing on her own and performing in student variety shows. In 2011, she applied to several dance and drama schools, including the Beijing Film Academy, but all her attempts failed.

“At least I tried. I thought then I would simply follow the path that my parents originally wanted me to follow — finish school, find a job, get a boyfriend, get married and have a kid,” says Wang.

However, she never lost sight of her ambition and last year joined the Esee Model Management agency as a model booker, just to get closer to the stage.

Wang used to stand in the shadows, watching the models sashaying down the catwalk.

“I often imagined the scene where I stepped out of the backroom to stand in the spotlight,” says Wang. “I yearned for a stage to show my true self.”

When Produce 101 sent notice of auditions to the modeling agency earlier this year, she realized that this was the perfect opportunity. She didn’t hesitate in signing up, and became one of the few participants in the show who had not been trained by a professional entertainment company.

Wu Changchang, a consultant for the talent show, recalled in an interview in March that from the outset he found Wang had a clear sense of self-belief and a plan for the future.

“But I never expected her to cause such a sensation,” says Wu, an associate professor from East China Normal University’s school of communication.

“I think her story can inspire the younger generations to confront their ‘sense of void’ and step out of the ‘grief culture’ that is prevalent in contemporary society.”

On June 24, in the finals of Produce 101, Wang failed to become one of the 11 winners who would go on to form the all-female band. But for Wang, the stir and debate she created will certainly mean it will be more likely for her to become a solo performer in the future.

“I’m so glad that I have been noticed by others. It’s a good start for all the things I plan to do after the show,” she says.

Speaking about whether she worries that the cult following she built up during the show won’t last, she says her fans seem to approve of her ideas, rather than go crazy about her image.

“I hope I can continue to earn their support by offering them quality entertainment.”

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Wang Ju, a self-taught singer and dancer, shot to stardom after participating in a talent show, and won a large number of fans.