Recently, Tsinghua University in Beijing held its graduation ceremony, during which a graduate dressed up the trendy toy Labubu in a cap and gown and brought it onstage to participate in the tassel turning ceremony, sparking heated discussions among netizens.
According to footage from the scene, after the vice president turned the tassel for the graduate, he also symbolically turned the tassel for the toy in hand, jokingly asking: “Is this the popular Labubu?”
The graduate is Xiaohongshu blogger “Little Golden Monster Sheep.” Afterwards, she revealed in a post that as she went onstage, she asked the vice president if he could also turn the tassel for Labubu. At first, he hesitated a bit, but eventually agreed. She explained that after seeing students online bringing their dolls to the tassel turning, she decided to “follow suit.”
This move sparked lively discussion among netizens, with some joking: “This is the most highly educated Labubu in the world!” Others felt the scene was warm and fun, adding a touch of lightness to what is usually a solemn occasion.
However, there were also criticisms that this move amounted to “consumerism invading the academic hall,” questioning whether the event was being used as a commercial promotion for Labubu at the Tsinghua graduation. “Using a place like Tsinghua to advertise for a toy brand is a bit too commercial, isn’t it? Did the vice president get paid for this appearance too?” one netizen sarcastically commented.
This incident continues to ferment online, reflecting the clash and debate between trendy pop culture and traditional academic spaces.