Little Fatty (小胖 Xiǎo Pàng) is an internet meme involving superimposing the face of a boy on various photographs. Because of the internet meme and the resulting sudden fame, the boy, Qian Zhijun, decided to become a public figure, and he became a major celebrity and an actor in China.
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In 2003 a teacher took a photograph of Qian Zhijun, a student from Jinshan District, Shanghai,[1] at a traffic safety event.[2] Qian had volunteered to be a part of a "traffic safety day" along with his classmates.[3]
Starting in 2003, his face was superimposed onto various other images.[4][5] The images that Qian's face was superimposed on included film posters, photographs of celebrities, and classic works of art.[6] His face, described by Jane MacArtney of The Times as a "slightly suspicious sidelong glance and cherubic cheeks," had been placed on people and characters like the Mona Lisa, Marilyn Monroe, Harry Potter, and Austin Powers.[3] Qian's face also replaced the faces of Jake Gyllenhall on a Brokeback Mountain poster and Tom Hanks on a The Da Vinci Code poster.[7] In one photograph Qian's face appeared on a man next to President of the United States George W. Bush. In another Qian's face replaced that of Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean.[1] A Chinese newspaper said that Qian's face was "the face that launched 1,000 clicks."[3] Macartney said "No sooner has a movie poster appeared than Little Fatty’s features appear, replacing the face of the star."[3]
An article in The Independent said that a chemistry teacher "first tipped him off that he was rapidly becoming an online superstar."[1] Qian said that he first discovered the meme when, at an internet café, a woman asked him if he was the real "Little Fatty," and referred to an image of Qian's face superimposed on Harry Potter.[6] Qian said that he felt humiliation and left the internet café. Some girls at a concert asked Qian to have a photograph taken with them. Qian declined and said that the incident was one of his worst moments.[3] Originally Qian felt embarrassed by the internet phenomenon, but "I have tried to turn sorrow into strength. At least this makes people smile and I have had quite a positive response from many surfers."[2]
Qian said that he did not mind the photoshops when they were "well-meant."[1] He said that he liked it when his face is superimposed on bodies of heroes, such as the character played by Russel Crowe in Gladiator. He said that he does not like it when his face is imposed next to the shoulder of a naked woman or when "touchup job is terrible."[8] He also did not like it when his face was imposed on bodies of porn stars,[1] and he did not like it when his face was imposed on the Buddha.[3]
Qian's mother told Qian that he needed to file a lawsuit, but the family did not figure out who they could sue. Qian decided to take actions to profit from his newfound fame. He contacted Gao Feng, an operator of xiaopang.cn, a website for obese people. Gao confirmed that the e-mail came from Qian, and Gao became Qian's agent and began promoting Qian on his website.[4] Xiaopang.cn became a tribute site to "Little Fatty," and Qian became a member of the site.[2] Because of the "Little Fatty" fame, Qian gained impersonators.[9] Ultimately Qian became an actor, starring in two Chinese films, including Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon (as Liu Shan) and The University Days of a Dog.[10][11]
In an interview Qian said that his idol was the Canadian actor Jim Carrey. Hours after the interview was published, images of Qian's face photoshopped on posters of films starring Carrey, like Bruce Almighty and Dumb and Dumber, appeared; the tag line in the altered photograph was changed to "Fat and Fatter."[1]
Clifford Coonan of The Independent said "So what does Qian's story tell us about modern China? Well, it reflects two of the most remarkable themes. It shows how growing affluence has translated into a serious increase in the number of obese people. And it demonstrates how the internet is providing a platform for creative expression that the traditional, strictly controlled media can't even begin to match."[4] Jane Macartney of The Times said "[Qian's] is a tale of how China’s obsession with the Internet reflects the need of people to communicate openly and freely in a country with few other means for self-expression."[3]