From Internet celebrity to outdated: Liu Genghong's fitness live broadcast
Do you still remember the "Liu Genghong girl" who made the people of the whole country go crazy to check in? In the spring of 2022, a man wearing a peaked cap and a vest quickly became popular on the Internet with the phrase "Burn me, burn me".
But who would have thought that this fitness craze would come and go quickly, and today's Liu Genghong's popularity is long gone. What was the reason for the fall of this former "national coach" from the altar? Let's take a look at the story.
From a member of the men's band to a national coach
Speaking of Liu Genghong, many people may not know that he is actually an "old artist". In 1997, he debuted as a member of the Taiwan boy group "Woobi Duhao", although he was not popular, but he was also famous. Later, he gradually faded out of the entertainment industry and focused on fitness instead.
In 2017, Liu Genghong participated in "Where Are You Going, Dad, Season 5", and his lovely daughter "Little Puff" swept the audience together. This variety show brought him back into the public eye, but it was limited to that. Who would have thought that the opportunity to really make him popular overnight would be during the epidemic a few years later.
In the spring of 2022, people across the country were "locked" at home by the epidemic. Liu Genghong seized this opportunity and started a fitness live broadcast on the Douyin platform. His aerobics is simple and easy to learn, coupled with Jay Chou's music, coupled with the cooperation of his wife Wang Wanfei, he quickly attracted a large number of fans. In just a few weeks, his number of fans exceeded 10 million, and millions of people follow him every day.
The secret behind the popularity
Liu Genghong's success is no accident. First of all, he has 30 years of fitness experience, and his movements are standard and explained in place. Secondly, he chose the timing very cleverly. During the pandemic, everyone was stuck at home and desperately needed a way to both work out and have fun. Coupled with his affinity image and the live broadcast mode of "Family Mobilization", he soon gained countless fans.
Not only that, Liu Genghong also invited many celebrity friends to be guests in the live broadcast room. For example, the addition of Jay Chou, Lin Junjie and others made the live broadcast room even more popular. It is said that his aerobics once had 70 million fans, which is simply jaw-dropping!
However, behind the wild growth often hides various problems. According to media reports, Liu Genghong's live broadcast room began to frequently appear with content. From the initial fitness equipment, to later health products, snacks, and even bird's nest began to be sold. This shift from free fitness teaching to crazy delivery has disappointed many fans.
Fall from the altar: controversy continues
Just when Liu Genghong was in the limelight, troubles followed. On August 30, 2022, the Internet celebrity anchor Simba suddenly posted an article, saying that Liu Genghong had sold "fake bird's nest". This revelation was like a bombshell, which instantly detonated public opinion. Although Liu Genghong quickly came forward to clarify, this incident still cast a shadow on his image.
Then, what was even more surprising was that CCTV criticized Liu Genghong by name. Although his name is not directly mentioned, everyone knows who the title of "Internet celebrity fitness anchor" refers to. CCTV criticized them for "carrying goods for profit under the banner of national fitness". This time, it really made Liu Genghong suffer from the enemy.
In the face of these controversies, Liu Genghong chose to deal with them in a low-key manner. He reduced the frequency of live broadcasts and even moved out of Shanghai to settle in Suzhou. Some say he's avoiding the limelight, while others say he's adjusting. But in any case, the former "national coach" is indeed not as popular as before.
Plummeting heat: a flash in the pan or a regroup?
Why did Liu Genghong's popularity drop so quickly? Some people say that it is because the epidemic is over, everyone has returned to normal life, and there is no longer a need for home fitness. Others believe that it was his overly commercial behavior that disappointed fans. Some people feel that this is just the fate of Internet celebrities, and the 15-minute time to become famous is over.
However, we cannot deny Liu Genghong's efforts. It is said that even as the popularity drops, he is still holding on to his fitness career. He runs offline fitness classes and is also trying to develop new fitness content. This spirit of perseverance is indeed worthy of recognition.
Looking back over the past five years, we can see a similar history of the rise and fall of influencers. For example, Xiaofang, a "Buddhist girl" who became popular in 2018, and Wei Ya, a "cloud supervisor" who became popular in 2020, have all experienced the process from becoming popular to rapidly ebbing. This also seems to confirm a truth: in this era of information explosion, it is really difficult to occupy the public eye for a long time.
Internet celebrity rivers and lakes: ups and downs are the norm
As an ordinary micro-headline reader, after reading Liu Genghong's story, I have mixed feelings in my heart. On the one hand, I admire his courage and ability to seize opportunities and achieve counterattacks. On the other hand, I was a little disappointed with his later commercialization. But I have to say that this may be the norm for Internet celebrities.
What does Liu Genghong's story leave us to think about? Perhaps it reminds us that in this rapidly changing era, we must be good at seizing opportunities and maintain our original intentions. After all, Internet celebrities may be short-lived, but real strength and persistence are the foundation of the foothold. What do you think?