By Adam Peng ’17, Perspectives Section Editor
This summer, as the excitement of Olympic Games caught people’s attention, a shocking incident inside the Chinese entertainment circle, the divorce of Chinese actor Wang Baoqiang and his wife Ma Rong climbed to the top of newspapers and websites in merely one night.
As Wang Baoqiang revealed the improper relationship between his ex-wife and his agent Song Zhe in his claim of divorce on his micro blog, the underlying falsehood behind this marriage became the focus of people’s scold. It was disclosed that Ma Rong and Song Zhe used to be couple in college, and Ma Rong’s marriage to Wang Baoqiang was a swindle by them for his property.
What has driven most people to become outraged is what happened after Wang Baoqiang formally met Ma Rong on court for divorce and splitting their properties. Ma Rong tried to trick the public by making up fake evidence of Wang Baoqiang going out with other women, however, all proved to be deception by many of other actors or directors who worked with him. She sued Wang Baoqiang for destroying her reputation and asked for compensation. She even posted “Pay less attention to those mistakes that are made by those men and women, pay more attention to the Olympics!” on her micro blog.
Ma Rong’s behavior of denying or even blaming other people for her own wrong doing turned this incident into a burst of fire. Within a week, over five million people have come to her micro blog, reviling her with violent words and demanding justice from the judge on court, not leaving Ma Rong with any property. At the same time, people are praising Wang Baoqiang for not having any questionable mistakes in their marriage. The articles about their divorce have been read for more than five billion times. Many of her information, including her family’s background, her reputation in college, even her records in hotel and phone numbers were searched and exposed by people online. The incident itself has turned into a joke between the public of China and the guilty couple involved, Ma Rong and Song Zhe.
Clearly, there is something unique that made this news historic to the Chinese entertainment industry. Wang Baoqiang, who was born in a family of farmers in the countryside of China, without much education, has become one of the most famous actors today using his talent and toughness. Most of his well-known characters in movies and TV shows are normal or even dumb people who become legend. On the other hand, Ma Rong, a wealthy woman, graduated from one of the best performing art school in China, was a symbol of typical perfect mate to many guys. The wreckage of their marriage seems to be a classic answer to a frequently asked question, can fame and wealth bring love? The Asian section of BBC News says as below, “Some people feel that this divorce seems to fit a certain trope – of a beautiful but ordinary girl marrying a rich but less good-looking man. It is not uncommon to hear the belief that a couple has to “match” at every level – be it in status, or physical appearance – for a relationship to work out.”
Moreover, the expectations final judgment has raised their divorce to the center of the stage as a social problem and a challenge to the judicial authority. In recent years, women in China marrying for money instead of love seems to have become a more obvious problem to the society. Many people in China, especially men, are afraid that if Ma Rong wins what she wants out of this divorce, it will encourage more women looking for wealthy people and go out with them for financial benefits.
In a way, Wang Baoqiang is lucky. Despite the tragedy of his marriage, the betrayal of his wife and his agent, he realized who really cares about him: his parents, friends, colleagues, and all the people who have supported him in such a disaster of his life. They love him not because of his fame and wealth, his gifted talent and hard work, but more because of his morality, his honesty, his straightforwardness, and his sense of righteousness throughout his life, and his being a great father and husband outside the screen. Perhaps the ending will just be how it says in Ma Rong’s micro blog: “Kindness and evil will reveal themselves.”
