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| Viral Edited Short-Drama Poster Sparks Outrage Over Extreme CEO Romance Tropes (Photo: Weibo) |
A bizarre short-drama poster has set Weibo on fire this week, after an edited image went viral under the hashtag #短剧可以不要虐待老人吗 (“Can short dramas stop mistreating the elderly?”), sparking outrage, confusion, and a wider conversation about where China’s short-drama industry is heading.
At first glance, the image looked like a standard press conference poster for a new vertical drama. But netizens quickly zeroed in on the shocking title: My Tycoon Lover & My Cerebellar Atrophy.
What truly stunned viewers was the caption above it, which suggested a romance between a domineering CEO and an elderly woman described as having cerebellar atrophy, paired with language many found deeply uncomfortable.
In the viral poster, the male lead appears with his hand resting on the shoulder of an elderly woman wearing a visibly confused expression.
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She is also shown holding a microphone at what looks like a press event, giving the impression that the drama had genuinely cast a senior woman as the romantic lead in a highly controversial storyline.
The backlash intensified following a recent livestream confession by actor Zheng Kai, who revealed he had unknowingly taken part in a short drama that paired him with a grandmother.
According to Zheng Kai, he agreed to what was described as an “older woman–younger man romance,” assuming the female lead would be a mature adult.
Only after arriving on set did he realise his co-star was a 68-year-old actress. His candid comments quickly reignited public criticism of extreme casting and shock-driven storytelling in the short-drama space.
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Weibo users reacted strongly.
One comment that gained traction read, “Short dramas are becoming increasingly absurd. Young viewers can’t relax watching this, and older people shouldn’t be turned into plot tools. Even long dramas are trying to be more grounded — why can’t these creators do the same?”
However, the story took another turn when users uncovered that the viral image was, in fact, edited — likely using AI tools.
The original poster showed the CEO standing next to a young woman, not an elderly one.
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While the title remained unchanged, the original caption actually read: “A domineering CEO falls in love with me, a girl suffering from cerebellar atrophy.”
Further searches on Weibo and Baidu revealed no confirmed production linked to the viral version of the title, reinforcing suspicions that the most controversial image was deliberately altered to provoke outrage.
That said, the incident has still shone a harsh light on real trends within China’s short-drama industry.
In recent years, titles have increasingly pushed boundaries to chase clicks, featuring sensational concepts such as The CEO Falls in Love With Me During Menopause, Flash Marriage With a 50-Year-Old Tycoon, or A Grandma With Cerebellar Atrophy and Her CEO Lover.
Age, illness, and hardship are often exaggerated or distorted into attention-grabbing hooks.
This marks a sharp departure from the genre’s earlier “dominant CEO” phase, which focused on escapist romance tropes like Falling in Love with Cinderella or Divorced With a Child. Today, the emphasis has shifted toward extreme scenarios designed to shock first and explain later, including unlikely pairings and heightened family conflicts.
Critics have also raised concerns about the real-world impact of these plots.
Storylines centred on family neglect or household disputes have reportedly caused some older viewers to project drama narratives onto their own lives, creating unnecessary tension at home.
As a result, some commentators have accused the industry of prioritising traffic over responsibility.
Medical professionals and netizens alike have also pointed out that cerebellar atrophy is a serious condition that affects balance, movement, and daily functioning, often bringing emotional challenges for patients and their families. Treating it as a romantic or comedic plot device has been widely criticised as careless and lacking empathy.