1. A former piano prodigy, and now a variety show clown
Once upon a time, Lang Lang was an acclaimed internationally renowned pianist. As a musician known as a "piano prodigy", he has shown extraordinary musical talent since he was a child.
At the age of 5, Lang Lang was proficient in playing complex pieces such as the interlude of "Cat and Mouse" and "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2", won his first music award, and held a solo piano recital.
Subsequently, under the guidance of a famous music teacher, Lang Lang's piano skills became more and more sophisticated. By the age of 17, he had already made a name for himself, having been invited to play at the Musikverein in Vienna and as a soloist at the White House at the invitation of the President of the United States.
The talent and achievements of this Chinese pianist have added countless brilliance to the motherland.
However, just when Lang Lang's career was in full swing, his direction took a 180-degree turn. In recent times, the behavior of Lang Lang and his wife Gina has been criticized and questioned.
They frequently appear on variety shows to promote their reputation, and in order to make a quick buck in the show, Lang Lang even canceled 88 important concerts abroad in 2020.
Looking at the "piano prodigy" who was admired by tens of thousands of people back then, now he has become a "variety show clown", selling cuteness and coquettishness in front of the screen, people all sigh at the ups and downs of the world, how a former art giant has fallen to this.
One move after another seems to announce that Lang Lang has left music behind, just to make enough money in the entertainment industry by any means.
Second, the father's musical dream is reflected in the son
It turned out that the reason why Lang Lang was able to become a "piano prodigy" was not accidental, but a continuation of his father Lang Guoren's musical dream in his youth.
Lang Guoren has loved music since he was a child and loves to play erhu, but his family is poor, so he can only bury his dreams in his heart. The birth of his son Lang Lang gave him a glimmer of hope for the realization of his ideals.
Despite the family's financial constraints, Lang Guoren still made up his mind to buy a piano for Lang Lang, hoping to pin his unfinished music dream on his son.
Sure enough, Lang Lang has shown outstanding musical talent since he was a child. At the age of 5, he was able to skillfully play complex pieces such as the interlude of "Cat and Mouse" and "Hungarian Rhapsody", which surprised Lang Guoren.
Seeing his son talking eloquently on the stage, full of confidence, Lang Guoren burst into tears, fantasizing that his son would become a world-class piano master in the future.
In order to realize this dream, Lang Guoren was ruthless and strict with Lang Lang. He not only invited the famous music teacher Zhu Yafen to teach his son, but also took a bottle of medicine to force Lang Lang to choose "take medicine or jump off the building".
Under huge psychological pressure, Lang Lang could only practice hard in the piano room. The sound of playing the piano disturbed the people, and Lang Guoren had to apologize from door to door.
It was under his father's strict training that Lang Lang finally worked hard to develop his own musical talent, and was recognized and praised by the world as a "piano prodigy".
However, who would have thought that the music road that his father had painstakingly paved would eventually be completely abandoned by his son himself.
3. "Piano genius" under packaging hype
Under the strict cultivation of his father Lang Guoren, Lang Lang soon became famous in the music industry. However, if you want to really become famous, strength alone is far from enough, and this is when Lang Guoren's marketing methods come in handy.
In order to increase his son's popularity, Lang Guoren praised Lang Lang as a "piano genius" anytime and anywhere. As soon as he is interviewed, he will brag to the media: "My son Lang Lang is a piano prodigy and is very talented.
Over time, foreigners soon became familiar with this "piano genius" from China.
The domestic road was also opened by Lang Guo. In 2006, when the popular actress Liu Yifei was popular, he had a whim, and told the media in an interview: "There is a female star named Liu Yifei who is pursuing Lang Lang and hopes to date him, but Lang Lang refuses.
One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and the news immediately spread in the entertainment industry. Suddenly, Lang Lang's worth was raised to the peak, and Liu Yifei was also degraded a lot.
Liu Yifei had to open up rumors publicly, bluntly saying, "I know people who play cotton, but I don't know people who play the piano."
However, just when Lang Lang's career was in full swing, his father Lang Guoren found that his son fell in love with a third-tier star. As a marketing guru, he certainly did not allow his son to be so "degenerate".
So the sticks were added together, and the two were torn apart.
From the beginning, he was a "piano genius" character packaged by his father's marketing, and then he was hindered by his father in his emotional life, Lang Lang's road to fame can be described as a common strategy, and his father's handwriting is everywhere.
Fourth, the marketing maelstrom on Vanity Fair
However, Lang Lang, who has reached the pinnacle of life, did not stop there, but continued to be like his father step by step into the marketing whirlpool of Vanity Fair. Once he tasted the sweetness of fame and making money, he could no longer extricate himself.
first took a risk in his career, Lang Lang resigned from 88 important foreign concerts originally scheduled for 2020, and went to major variety show stages instead, starting a crazy money-making mode.
As a professional pianist, frequent appearances on TV shows are undoubtedly contrary to his own work, but Lang Lang turned a blind eye to this and firmly seized the opportunity of variety shows that allowed him to make a lot of money quickly.
At the same time, Lang Lang also pulled his wife Gina into the whirlpool of marketing, hyping up the love life of the two on major variety show stages. In the show, Gina learned to speak a broken Northeast dialect to be cute and coquettish, and Lang Lang corrected his wife's pronunciation from time to time.
Gina even revealed on the show that "I have to kiss Lang Lang 100 times a day".
These behaviors immediately established a "model couple" character for the two and attracted countless attention. However, for artists, overly mundane packaging can devalue their own weight.
Then, Lang Lang set his sights on his wife's figure, after all, Gina is convex and slender, and it would be a pity if such outstanding capital was not marketed well.
As a result, Gina's 56-centimeter waist circumference has become a hot search topic, making celebrities from all walks of life such as Guan Xiaotong , Wang Han and others admire it. However, excessive marketing often triggers backlash, and when hyping Gina's miraculous "perfect body" that "has not changed" during her pregnancy, Lang Lang and his wife were severely criticized by CCTV, pointing out that this is a deformed thinking and bad guidance.
Fifth, the ups and downs of the tide of the Shang Sea
On the road of crazy money, the style of Lang Lang and his wife is getting out of control day by day. Not only do they show off on major variety shows, but even commercial endorsements are amazing, and they seem to have completely put aside the bottom line.
In 2022, Lang Lang and Gina endorsed two brands of milk powder respectively, and advertisers also put together their endorsement photos.
This caused an uproar in the outside world, questioning whether they should listen to their father's choice or their mother's choice? After all, as celebrities, it is impossible for them to give their babies two different brands of milk powder.
Netizens jokingly said, "Let's drink it with two."
It can be seen that Lang Lang and his wife have completely taken money to the supremacy and are not at all willing to make money. With her exaggerated "perfect body", Gina has also endorsed a so-called "enzyme" product, trying to convince fans that she is in good shape by drinking this drink.
In fact, Gina's good figure is not determined by factors such as diet and nutrition, but Lang Lang has been strictly controlling her eating habits, and it is said that this process is very painful.
But for the sake of money, the couple doesn't care whether it's real or not, anyway, as long as the fans buy it.
The fermentation of things seems to have made it impossible for Lang Lang and his wife to continue to maintain balance on the cusp of the Shang Sea. In the end, Langsha underwear company chose to terminate the endorsement partnership with them, paying a huge loss of up to 2.75 million endorsement fees.
It is understood that this endorsement fee is equivalent to 27% of the net profit of Langsha shares in the first three quarters of 2022, which shows how heavy the investment is. However, the contract states that the artist must maintain a good image, otherwise he may be disqualified from endorsement.
Obviously, Lang Sha thinks that Lang Lang and his wife have completely lost their morality and are unable to continue to endorse.
Sixth, the snares and appeals, to regain the authenticity
Now, Lang Lang, who was once known as a "piano genius", has completely become a "variety show clown", selling cuteness and coquettishness in front of the screen, and overexposure has completely lost his and Gina's sense of mystery in the eyes of the public.
Netizens strongly condemned their actions, calling on the couple, who were once admired by tens of thousands of people, to regain their original selves and regain their character and authenticity as artists.
People still remember that Lang Lang talked eloquently and conducted heroically on major international stages. Every note of his music is full of tension, and every time he plays, it is like pouring out the story from the bottom of his heart, which is fascinating.
But now Lang Lang has completely distanced himself from the sacred realm of music and immersed himself in the sea of banknotes.
The same is true of Gina's transformation. This noble and elegant lady from a famous family could have been in the upper class society, warm and intellectual. Who would have thought that in order to add value to her husband's packaging, she had to be cute and coquettish in front of the camera from time to time, and even show off her figure in every way, which is really unladylike and reserved.
Looking at the "piano genius" and "noble lady" who were once admired by countless people are now going farther and farther on the road of chasing fame and fortune, it is inevitable that people will sigh at the ups and downs of the world, fame and fortune are a bottomless pit, which often makes people fall into a situation where they cannot extricate themselves.
However, even if you fall into the abyss, as long as there is a glimmer of hope beckoning, it is never too late.
Perhaps this couple, who were carried away by money and fame, will one day come to their senses and regain their simple love for art. After all, Lang Lang's father worked hard to enable his son to pursue his ideals on the road of music.
And Gina's elegant and intellectual temperament should not be rolling around day and night in the entertainment industry.
We look forward to the day when Lang Lang, who returns to the stage, can touch everyone's hearts with the notes that he has worked hard to quench; Gina can also be worthy of that background and upbringing with a steady and imposing posture.
That's what they should be, not what they are now.