Who will peel the shrimp? Actress Barbie Hsu’s second marriage prompts cynicism and enthusiasm on Chinese social media
- Chinese social media is transfixed by the Taiwanese actress’ revelation she has married old flame Koo Jun-yup, a Korean DJ and singer. Some users are supportive
- Others contrasted clips of Koo, 53, saying his mother picks fishbones out of his food and of Hsu saying, ‘You have to let men help you peel when eating shrimp’
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu’s marriage this week to Korean singer and DJ and ex-boyfriend Koo Jun-yup came out of the blue, and internet users in China, where she has legions of fans, responded with a mix of enthusiasm and cynicism to the news.
Some users shared an excerpt from the 2019 Korean reality-TV programme Taste of Love which showed Koo relied on his mother not only to make his meals but also to pick bones out of fish for him. They contrasted it with Hsu’s remark on the Chinese reality-TV show Happiness Trio that “you have to let men help you peel [off the shells] when eating shrimp”.
One user on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform, joked: “After their marriage, her mother-in-law will have an additional job of peeling shrimp for her.”
Others expressed scepticism about the marriage because of the disparity in earning power and popularity between Hsu and Koo, with some expressing concern that she will be the principal breadwinner for him and his family.
Many of Hsu’s fans have been urging her to sign a prenuptial agreement, while others jokingly reminded her to download “anti-fraud software” as an extra precaution.