"Arrogance and Fate: Zhou Libo's Acting Life"
In the early morning of January 19, 2017, a black Mercedes Benz sedan drove on the road in the small town of Leottington, Nassou County, USA. Sitting in the car were stand-up comedian Zhou Libo and his friend Tang Shuang. However, this traffic violation did not lead to a simple penalty offense. The US police found illegal items in the car and immediately arrested Zhou Libo and Tang Shuang. This news spread in the country and instantly triggered a frenzy of public opinion.
Zhou Libo, as a famous stand-up comedian, his incident has caused widespread discussion and controversy. Some people regretted him, some people thought that this was expected, and more people expressed their attitude of "standing in trouble, praising from all sides". Zhou Libo was once the founder of Haipai Qingkou and a celebrity who was popular in Shanghai, why did he come to the point of being scolded by thousands of people? The cause of all this begins with his arrogance.
Zhou Libo was born and raised in Shanghai's Huangpu district, where his father was a technique coach and his mother was his "martial arts instructor." As a child, he was mischievous and often scolded by his mother. But even so, he did not change his "troublesome" nature, but honed his acting skills by wanting to avoid his mother's scolding. His mother saw that he had too much energy and decided to send him to study art. So, 14-year-old Zhou Libo applied for the Shanghai Burlesque Troupe. He showed great talent in learning burlesque, and at the age of 19, he has become a household name in Shanghai.
The young Zhou Libo became more arrogant because of his fame, and he wrote an article called "Zhou Libo's master is Zhou Libo", bluntly saying that he did not have a master. This behavior has caused strong dissatisfaction in the industry, because respecting teachers is a core value of the traditional literary and artistic industry. In 1990, Zhou Libo was imprisoned for injuring his father-in-law-to-be, and his career was hindered. He chose to go to the sea to do business, but he came to a debt-ridden situation.
In 2006, Zhou Libo was encouraged by his friend Guan Dongtian and decided to return to the stage, and he co-founded "Haipai Qingkou" with Guan Dongtian. Zhou Libo's career gradually recovered, his performances were full, and his reputation rose. However, Guan Dongtian and Zhou Libo quarreled over trivial matters, which triggered public criticism. Since then, Zhou Libo's acting career has been full of controversy, and his frequent and fierce words have caused a lot of criticism.
In 2017, Zhou Libo was charged by U.S. police with possession of illegal items. After a year of defense, Zhou Libo was eventually acquitted. However, his image has been severely damaged and his fan base has drastically decreased. Zhou Libo's careless words and deeds caused a serious blow to his career.
Looking back on Zhou Libo's acting life, arrogance and controversy accompanied his road to fame. He went further and further down the road of arrogance and eventually got himself into trouble. He used to be a bright star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but he paid a heavy price because of his lack of caution in his words and actions. Zhou Libo's example tells us that no matter what field we are in, we must be cautious in our words and deeds, and do not let our arrogance ruin our destiny.
Resources:
1. "Madman Zhou Libo", Lao Liang Stories, 2011.
2. "From Bobo to Taotao, Zhou Libo Finally Lived to Become a Mary Sue", East, West, South North, 2018.
3. "Zhou Libo's Trial in the United States", East, West, South and North, 2018.
4. Don't Take Zhou Libo Seriously, Integrity Watch, 2012.
