Celebrity tittle-tattle has migrated from tabloids, to websites to micro blogs, which is why news that Chinese actress Yao Chen has more followers than Oprah Winfrey is a big deal. It means Chinese personalities are gaining in international stature.

With nearly 5 million fans, Yao became the world's 10th most followed person. The "Queen of Weibo" (Sina's micro blog service) says she fell in love with micro-blogging straight away and considers it a part of her daily life as she tweets up to 10 times a day. She says she used to get upset about cruel comments but now simply deletes them.

The funniest gossip this week on Sina Weibo was a non-story about Edison Chen, the sex video guy, and Sister Phoenix, who's famous for being famous.

It all started innocently enough when Phoenix, who was obviously bored and not getting any attention, tweeted: "I want to marry Edison Chen." She followed up this post with another, saying: "I've said do not scold me. If you do, that means you like me and want to have sex with me."

This led to a fake Edison Chen leaving the message: "Hey baby, what can I do for you?"

A fake Phoenix replied: "Funny? Want to have sex with me?"

The fake Edison replied, in English, "F**k u."

The fake Phoenix enthusiastically responded: "Please."

A crowd of other fake celebrities joined in the tweeting, registering their encouragement/shock/disgust.

Chinese Internet forums went crazy for 10 minutes (there was even a fake photo of Phoenix and Chen looking post-coital) before realizing that it was all a hoax and quite easy to spot, as the fake Phoenix/Chen/other celebrities had not tweeted from their verified accounts.

Even SOHO real estate developer Pan Shiyi was drawn into the mess and felt it was necessary to deny on his own micro blog that he had ever forwarded any messages about the Phoenix-Chen hook-up.

But netizens scorned Pan, who has about 3 million followers, for his lack of a sense of humor.

"Haha Mr Pan, you lose as you get serious," one netizen commented, speaking for us all.

National treasure and comedian Zhao Benshan has been explaining why he bought a private jet: It's not just because he can afford it, or it's convenient as he jets around the nation giving performances: It's for the glory of China!

During the studio recording of a CCTV program, according to qq.com, he was asked if he still considered himself to be one of the masses, as he is now so well off that he can afford private jets.

The formerly down-to-earth 53-year-old replied: "Foreign celebrities buy planes, why can't we? China now has achieved status. I bought it to win glory for the country."

Finally, Selina Jen of the pop group S.H.E., who suffered horrific burns when filming an explosion scene in October 2010, has announced she will start work again soon.

Though she has been privately lamenting, "I do not look the same anymore", according to Next magazine, she has been asked to do endorsements for a number of products.

China Daily

(China Daily 01/28/2011 page20)