Actress Narnaash (那尔那茜), also referred to as Nashi, has been facing considerable controversy online after it was discovered that she might have taken advantage of a systemic or policy loophole when she took her “gakao” university entrance exam back in 2008.
The 35-year-old was the breakout star of the blockbuster film Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, playing the role of General Deng Chanyu. Currently, a TV series, The Litchi Road, in which she features, is airing on China Central Television (CCTV).
The controversy started when she discussed her days at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and mentioned that she was a “targeted admission”, meaning that she was admitted to the college with lowered requirements because she had agreed to join a governmental body after graduation, a policy designed for remote areas to secure civil servants. The problem was twofold: 1, she was educated in an elite school in Beijing, but took the exam and agreed to work after graduation in her birthplace, Inner Mongolia, which is called “Gaokao migration”, often deemed as abusing the system; 2, she breached her contract and went to study in Norway after her education, which is not uncommon, but she said she wanted to “have some fun abroad after graduation” in an interview.
This has severely damaged her reputation, with many seeing her as privileged and taking advantage of the supposedly fair Gaokao system. As netizens dig deeper into her background, CCTV deleted its well-wishing posts to this year’s Gaokao candidates that featured her.
- #那尔那茜本科毕业后留学3年 Narnaash studied abroad for 3 years after graduation: 58.53 million views on Weibo, ranking number 1 on the Hot Search list
- #那尔那茜是否违规建议彻查 Thorough inquiry into whether Narnaash broke the rules recommended: 51.74 million views on Weibo, ranking number 2 on the Hot Search list
Celebrities from privileged backgrounds have been consistently drawing the ire of Chinese netizens lately. Most recently, actress Huang Yangtiantian came under intense scrutiny after being seen wearing a pair of diamond earrings worth 2.3 million RMB (319,997.77 USD), prompting an investigation into whether her father, a former civil servant, had unlawful income. The controversy Narnaash is facing might not be as serious as Huang’s, but there are reports of her father having worked with CCTV before. With a public opinion that increasingly demands fairness, it is unfortunate but unsurprising that she would face criticism.