Recently, a video of mainland Chinese actress Song Yi running madly at the airport to avoid paparazzi has sparked heated discussions. In the video, Song Yi, dressed in a ladylike outfit, appears to sprint for a hundred meters at the airport, leading netizens to jokingly compare it to a scene from “Fast and Furious,” evoking both helplessness and sympathy.
At 35 years old, Song Yi entered the entertainment industry in 2009 by playing Xiangling in the TV series “Dream of the Red Chamber.” In recent years, she gained popularity through period dramas such as “Ashes of Love” and “The Story of Minglan.” She arrived at Beijing airport on June 16, exuding elegance in her feminine attire as captured in videos shared by netizens. She looked like the leading lady stepping out of an idol drama.
Initially, Song Yi interacted warmly with her fans, exchanging smiles and pleasantries, creating a heartwarming scene. However, things took a sudden turn when someone shouted, “There are paparazzi!” Song Yi’s expression instantly tensed up, and she dashed off like someone pressed the fast-forward button. Holding her skirt and striding with long legs, she sprinted at a speed of a hundred meters as she was closely chased by the paparazzi. Her hair flying in the wind stunned onlookers, making the incident a hot topic trending online.
Netizens humorously remarked that Song Yi was “performing a scene from Fast and Furious,” mockingly saying, “Treating the airport as a backyard and activating the escape mode.” Criticisms surfaced about the aggressive nature of current paparazzi, pushing stars to such extremes. Some internet users found Song Yi’s frantic dash endearing despite its awkwardness, appreciating her down-to-earth and unpretentious nature.
Of concern is the phenomenon of “paparazzi” which has emerged as a gray industry among Chinese star-chasing enthusiasts in recent years. The term refers to individuals who take high-resolution photos of celebrities in public settings, subsequently pricing them based on the star’s popularity and image quality for sale. The influx of paparazzi in places frequented by celebrities has resulted in overcrowding, traffic congestion, flight delays, and instances of stars being pushed, injured, or having their privacy invaded, causing discomfort to many celebrities.
For instance, Hu Ge once got upset at the airport counter, saying, “I’ll say it again, stop taking photos! Are you still shooting?” Actress Ni Ni was bumped into by paparazzi at the airport, followed by verbal threats from the other party. Wang Junkai was blocked and even physically restrained at the airport, struggling to move, and at risk of harm. Some celebrities have resorted to various methods to avoid paparazzi, such as walking faster, lowering their heads to evade, or like Song Yi, sprinting at the airport.