TPO – According to cultural experts, the public needs to exercise their right to cleanse artists who violate the rules and standards, as well as KOLs who take advantage of public trust to create drama for personal gain.
In recent days, the love scandal between Streamer ViruSs and those involved has taken over almost all social media platforms. Livestream sessions of confrontation and exposure have attracted millions of views, with up to 1.6 million people watching at the same time.
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| Streamer and musician ViruSs has caused controversy because he continuously livestreams exposing his private life and making money from the audience’s curiosity. |
Alarm Raised: Showbiz Becoming Increasingly Toxic and Ugly
In an interview with Tiền Phong, cultural researcher Ngô Hương Giang described these behaviors as abnormal and alarming.
“We are living in a society where privacy is no longer truly ‘private.’ Exposing one’s personal life on social media is an individual choice, but for KOLs and celebrities, the act of ‘airing dirty laundry’ in an unrestrained manner is no longer just a right—it reflects a disregard for their audience and loved ones. If they truly respected their fans and family, they wouldn’t create waves of sensationalized drama just to chase virtual power at any cost,” the expert analyzed.
According to cultural researcher Ngô Hương Giang, manipulating social media users into the whirlwind of drama is intentional, with clear objectives embedded in the scripts crafted by these KOLs.
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| The livestream conversation between ViruSs and rapper Phao attracted millions of views. |
“Showbiz Chaos: Toxicity and Manipulation on the Rise”
“I read somewhere that statistics show ViruSs earned around 2 billion VND during his livestream addressing the recent drama. To comment on that livestream, users had to subscribe for a monthly fee ranging from 130,000 to 150,000 VND, and there were over 4,000 comments in that session. The KOLs involved in these controversies have created a whirlwind of instability, exploiting human curiosity to gain personal benefits,” said Ngô Hương Giang.
The expert pointed out that showbiz has been chaotic and toxic for years, but recently, the increasingly uncontrolled and provocative statements and actions of KOLs and celebrities have become more alarming.
From false advertising of products to psychological manipulation of social media users, all of these tactics serve the same purpose—gaining views, digital influence, and financial profit. These dramatic scandals don’t just happen randomly; they are deliberately crafted in an unrestricted content-creation environment, capitalizing on the curiosity of young social media users.
Comprehensive Penalties Needed
Cultural researcher Ngô Hương Giang emphasized that such incidents negatively impact young people.
First, young individuals may develop a careless attitude towards themselves and society, viewing drama, exposés, and the publicizing of personal information as normal occurrences. This mindset breeds instability and social disorder, making preventive measures urgently necessary.
Proposed Solutions for a Cleaner Showbiz and Digital Space
Given this reality, experts suggest three solutions to purify the showbiz industry and clean up the online space:
Redefining “Showbiz”
There needs to be a clear definition of what “showbiz” is and who qualifies as a real celebrity or KOL.
Should fame come from genuine artistic contributions, or is it acceptable to gain recognition through manipulative tactics?
Once official criteria are established, cultural authorities can take action against “pseudo-showbiz” figures or those who have degenerated after entering the industry.
Strict Penalties for Harmful Influence
here must be strict regulations to punish KOLs and celebrities who misuse their fame to spread negative content.
In cases of repeated offenses, they should face comprehensive blacklisting (“phong sát”) to prevent further harm to society.
Public Accountability and Boycotts
The public should exercise their “right to cleanse” the industry by rejecting artists and KOLs who violate ethical standards.
Those who exploit public trust to create drama for profit should be held accountable and boycotted.
