Chinese edition of the fashion magazine ELLE's official website recently published an article harshly criticizing Xiao Zhan's starring drama ‘The Longest Promise’, accusing it of fake digital numbers and wooden acting, which sparked discussion among netizens and drew backlash from a large number of fans. In response, ELLE issued a statement on the 21st clarifying that it was due to a 'website hack' that content not authored by the editorial team was mistakenly published, and apologized to the affected actors and readers.
In its statement, ELLE said that it had recently detected 'external accounts accessing the website backend through unauthorized technical means' and publishing unauthorized articles involving specific actors and TV works. 'We solemnly state here: Any content published during the abnormal period of the website does not reflect the position or opinion of the website or editorial department. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to the relevant actors and readers as a result.' The magazine has now launched an internal review and process to strengthen its systems. 'We have always adhered to journalistic professionalism and content compliance standards, and firmly oppose the spread of any form of online misinformation. We ask other platforms to stop reprinting or forwarding inaccurate articles or information.'
The controversial article that triggered the uproar began by discussing the current 'winter' in the film and TV industry and directly labeled Xiao Zhan's new drama ‘The Longest Promise’ as an example of a 'data bubble.' The article criticized the show's online buzz as being inconsistent with its actual viewership, and stated that 'the storytelling is dragged out and logically flawed at the script level', reducing power struggles in the plot to mere child's play. Regarding Xiao Zhan's performance, the article was even more blunt, describing his acting as 'often falling into hollowness and being formulaic', which led to a lack of depth in the character, and also criticized irrational 'fan culture' for interfering with evaluations.
Source: ettoday