Editor's note: This article was translated and edited from an article which appeared on the ifeng.com news website. It concerns a Chinese reality show called "Only You" in which contestants appeal for employment against a panel of corporate executives referred to on the show as the "Bosses". Recently the show came under fire after one of the "Bosses" wrongfully accused a contestant of falsifying his degree from a French university, causing the contestant to faint on the air. In response, notable IT leader Lee Kai-fu spoke out on his Weibo account against the general attitude of the show, proposing a boycott which garnered an overwhelming majority of netizen approval overnight.

Tianjin Satellite Television's popular reality show "Only You", in which contestants seek employment from a panel of judges called the "Bosses", has made headlines in the past, notably after a particularly harsh on-air criticism of returning study abroad student Liu Lili from the host and "Bosses" sparked a wave of controversy on the Chinese internet. Recently, the show has once again been pushed to the forefront of public attention, this time after another returning study abroad graduate, again under intense scrutiny from the host and judges, fainted on camera.

Lee Kaifu, Chairman and CEO of Innovation Works and one of Liu Lili's supporters, spoke out yesterday on his Sina Weibo (micro-blogging) account, calling for a 10,000-strong real-name boycott of "Only You" and set up an online poll to gauge support.

Poll results: 93.5% support Lee's boycott

By 7pm on May 30, 110,000 users had already selected the option titled "I agree to boycott ‘Only You' until the programme decides to apologise and resolve the issue", comprising 93.5% of those polled. Only 7,000 chose the option "I like ‘Only You'; I approve [of their actions]."

As to why he decided to boycott the programme, Lee's postings on Weibo tell the story. Lee reports he's been tuning into "Only You" recently at the request of a group of study abroad students who wanted him to see the show's "disdainful" and "disparaging" behaviour towards the contestants seeking employment: "I've seen several episodes now and feel compelled to say something: the interviewers sit there high and aloof, the host is powerful and harsh, lacking in basic human respect; it transmits a very negative side of the working environment. Even after several hundred thousand complaints from viewers, the programmde and the guests in question have refused to acknowledge their mistakes, hence my repeated Weibo postings."

Panel members question academic credentials; contestant faints on stage

On the May 20th broadcast of "Only You", Contestant #2 introduced himself as Guo Jie, a native of Shanxi Province. Guo studied in France for 10 years, enrolling at the University of Montpellier and earning three degrees: two bachelor's in sociology and directing, and a master's in international commerce.

During the episode, several executives on the panel interrogated Guo, asking him to name examples of notable French sociologists and New Wave French cinema. Guo Jie was unable to provide satisfactory answers.

Several members of the panel then began to voice their suspicion of Guo's credentials, prompting the host Zhang Shao to weigh in, "I don't want to waste my time playing referee or debunking fakes ...... but in this case I feel the need to help shed some light on the situation. Sociology is a difficult discipline. You say you got a bachelor's in sociology in one year but can't name a single French sociologist."

One panel member, Wen Yi, after seeing Guo's three certificates, said, "This one hardly counts as a diploma. In France there are many short-term training programmes ... He's got a BAC+5 certificate here, which is basically like a certificate from a technical school."

After hearing this, Guo Jie suddenly lost control and fainted to the ground, causing a commotion on the set. Host Zhang Shao asked, "Was that just an act?" Guo stood up quickly, replying, "Sorry, I actually fainted just now."

Apologies demanded from the programme and its guests

Controversy was swift to arise from the events of the episode. Wen Yi's comment equating the BAC+5 degree to a technical college certificate prompted the French Embassy in China to release tweets and blog postings to explain the distinction of the BAC+5 in the French education system and confirm that it is, in fact, a master's degree, not a vocational degree. Many Chinese students studying abroad in France also expressed their disapproval online, stating that calling a master's degree a vocational degree is "damaging" and "injurious" to students studying in France, and that the programme and panel members in question should apologise.

Search giant Sougou's CEO Wang Xiaochuan also tweeted on Weibo calling for Wen Yi's apology: "If you dare to put yourself in the media spotlight, you need to take on a sense of responsibility."

Cai Hu, CEO of Leho.com and former guest on the show, also tweeted a response: "After watching ‘Only You' recently I have to say, what the ‘Bosses' really should do is take a serious, responsible attitude. They should be honest and have respect for the facts; right is right and wrong is wrong. Wen Yi was wrong to question the applicant like that, and he should make a public apology. We ‘Bosses' have a responsibility to future employees, to our own enterprises, to the programme, and to the television audience at large."

In response to the controversy, Tianjin Satellite Television's official micro-blogging account issued a 3-point statement, emphasising that the programme is a real hiring platform, with real competition, and that both interviewees and employers face heavy pressure to fairly protect disadvantaged social groups: "After the incident we proactively communicated with French authorities, who explained that the BAC+5 is indeed a master's-level degree. Those students currently studying abroad in France should be reassured: your job search upon your return to China will not be affected. We will continue to employ tighter controls on all aspects of the programme."
 

Source: ifeng.com

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