On 26 March, clips from top YouTuber and livestreamer IShowSpeed (also Speed)’s livestream in Shanghai and Beijing took over social media both in and outside of China. In China, many call IShowSpeed “Hyperthyroidist” (甲亢哥), with the Chinese name also included in his official handles on Chinese platforms such as Bilibili. The name is in part due to his large eyes but his mannerisms also remind netizens of someone suffering from Hyperthyroidism.
- #甲亢哥上海直播打破西方对中国滤镜 Speed Shanghai livestream breaks Western stereotypes of China: 45.93 million views on Weibo, ranking number 10 on the Hot Search list
- #甲亢哥首次尝试爆肚瞬间被征服Speed submit to baodu (爆肚, a tripe dish) superiority after first try: 19.05 million views on Weibo, ranking number 19 on the Hot Search list
Apart from discussing Speed’s (and the Chinese fans’) antics on the stream, netizens in the know are mostly educating others about who this is and whether the streamer will meet with Wowkie Zhang, the singer who wrote the “Sunshine Rainbow White Pony” song Speed once made a reaction video of.
Others mostly celebrate that a big YouTuber (with more followers than Li Ziqi on YouTube) is showing how modern, clean, convenient and peaceful China is to the world. As China tries to boost travel with its visa waivers, Speed will no doubt provide much-needed favourable publicity for the country.
Need to boost your China strategy? Dao Pro delivers bespoke insights on marketing, innovation, and digital trends, direct from Chinese sources. Find out more from our Dao Strategy Team here.
