Li Yugang, posing for photos in front of his father's sickbed, claims to be a disciple of the Mei School, Mei Baojiu: None of them are Peking Opera actors

Li Yugang: In and out of the play, it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood

Let's start with a story. A man in a gorgeous costume, in the dim light, holds the hand of his seriously ill father, but with an elusive smile on his face. This scene was captured by the "royal photographer" and uploaded to the Internet, causing an uproar. He is Li Yugang, who is famous for his anti-string art. Is this "smile in front of the sickbed" a true expression of feelings or a well-planned performance? This became the focus of heated public discussion, and also opened the prelude to various controversies surrounding him.

First, on and off the stage, there are constant controversies

Li Yugang became popular all over the country with the song "The New Concubine is Drunk". His unique anti-string performance amazed countless audiences and attracted a lot of criticism. Labels such as "neither male nor female", "grandstanding", and "hype king" have been pasted on him. From being questioned about posing for a show in front of his father's sickbed, to being exposed to playing big names and fake singing, to claiming to be a "disciple of the Mei School", Mr. Mei Baojiu was dissatisfied, and even "rubbed" the Cannes red carpet...... Li Yugang seems to have been walking on the brink of controversy. His every move is magnified in the public eye, subject to scrutiny and judgment from all directions.

Second, there is a lot of fog, and the truth is hard to find

The controversy surrounding Li Yugang is true and false, and it is confusing. The whistleblower was conclusive, but Li Yugang remained silent or responded with an ambiguous attitude. For example, regarding the accusation of "playing a big name", some people think that he is too big, and some people are worried about it, while others argue that it is a performance need, and can even promote local consumption and boost GDP growth. This seemingly absurd logic also reflects a certain reality in the entertainment industry: as long as it can bring traffic and attention, it seems that everything can be forgiven. As for the questioning of "fake singing", it touches the bottom line of musicians. If true, it is undoubtedly a fatal blow to his artistic career. We don't know what the truth is.

Let's look at the controversy between the "Mei School disciples". Li Yugang's admiration for Mr. Mei Lanfang may be sincere. However, the slogan "Mei Lanfang in the front, Li Yugang in the back" undoubtedly touched the bottom line of Mei School art, and it is no wonder that Mr. Mei Baojiu will publicly express his dissatisfaction. And Li Yugang's behavior of posting a message of condolences after the death of Mr. Mei Baojiu was also interpreted as "rubbing heat", which added to the complexity of this controversy.

3. In Vanity Fair, who is right and which is wrong?

Is Li Yugang's various behaviors deliberately hyped up, or is it an unintentional mistake? Perhaps, a bit of both. In today's era when traffic is king, celebrities do everything they can to maintain their popularity. And Li Yugang seems to know this well. His every move is full of topicality, which can always arouse public attention and discussion. In a way, he is also a product of this era.

Nor can we ignore his artistic talent. His anti-string performance is indeed unique and has injected new vitality into traditional opera. He combined pop music with opera elements to create popular works such as "The New Concubine Drunk", which also won the love of many audiences.

How should Li Yugang be evaluated? Perhaps, we should not simply define him in terms of "good" or "bad". He is a complex individual with both strengths and weaknesses. His behavior is both desirable and debatable. We should look at him with a more objective and rational attitude, instead of blindly pursuing or blindly belittling.

Some questions to ponder:

In an era where traffic is king, how should artists balance artistic pursuits with commercial interests?

What kind of restraint and supervision should be imposed on the words and deeds of public figures?

What should we think of the hype phenomenon in the entertainment industry?

Li Yugang's story is a microcosm of the entertainment industry. It reflects certain characteristics of this era, and it also provokes us to think about some issues. Right and wrong, leave it to time to judge. We look forward to Li Yugang's ability to bring more excellent works on his future artistic path, and we also hope that he can handle his words and deeds more carefully and avoid unnecessary controversy.

Readers are invited to discuss:

What do you think of Li Yugang's various controversies? Do you think he's a hype king, or a talented artist? Feel free to leave a message in the comment section and share your views.