During the New Year’s Day holiday, Harbin tourism became a hit on the Internet. There was an endless stream of tourists from all over the country, especially the south, flying to the northeast to enjoy the ice and snow. The term "Southern Little Potato" also became popular online.
On January 3, the topic “Southern Little Potato Stereotype” became a hot search topic on Weibo. In the poll "What do you think of the name Southern Little Potato" launched by Beijing Daily on Weibo, 53% of netizens voted for option one "cute", 14% voted for option two "very disgusted", and 12 % of netizens voted for option three as "not very good", and 21% of netizens voted for option four as "I don't care".
"Southern Little Potatoes" refers to southerners who travel in the Northeast. They wear light-colored down jackets and cute hats. Their average height is lower than that of northerners, so they have this image and friendly name. . At the same time, this also contains the "petting" attention of local residents on the "little potatoes" who bravely venture into the Northeast.
However, some people read other meanings into it. The term "southern little potatoes" not only discriminates against the "short" height of southerners, but may also imply regional discrimination, that is, the exaggerated expression of "rusticism" when southerners see ice and snow for the first time.
Not only that, this title also brings about the problem of stereotypes. When attention is focused on the "southern little potatoes" who are petite, naive, and mainly female, on the one hand, regional characteristics and gender characteristics are mixed, covering up the images of tall women and southern male tourists, and submerging the real experience of tourists On the other hand, the name itself is constantly amplified in the cute treatment. Words like "I want to raise a southern little potato" make people feel uncomfortable and go beyond the scope of ridicule.
In essence, "Southern Little Potato" is an identity label. Even though it does not have strict boundaries and relies more on people's psychological recognition, its attributes also determine that some people will not recognize or accept being "generalized". From this point of view, there may not be a unified answer to whether "Little Southern Potato" is a term of endearment or a stereotype. In view of this, public discussions should remain rational, respect the uniqueness of everyone, and tolerate different voices. The
tag should not be over-interpreted, and jokes should be limited in moderation. Now, more than half of netizens have voted to call it "cute", but if you blindly follow the trend and play too much, people's feelings will tend to be disgusting. By that time, hot memes will turn into bad memes, and the gaps between regions will become even more difficult to bridge in proximity conversations. Grasping the scale and boundaries should be the attitude and bottom line towards all hot words and memes on the Internet.
It is undeniable that the "Southern Little Potatoes" have explored new models of cross-regional communication and have also raised the "temperature" of Ice City. The fact that southern tourists are pampered in the Northeast reflects the positive concept of local attentive service.
Putting aside controversies big and small, isn’t this two-way journey the most unique and vivid memory for everyone? The city subway is transformed into a free "shuttle bus", and citizens drive private cars to pick up and drop off tourists. The driver talks to the passengers in a gentle "clip sound"... Everyone who is in it feels the simplicity and enthusiasm. Even if a city becomes popular, it does not mean that it is "perfect", but at least for now, Harbin has caught this wave of "tremendous wealth."
There is more than one narrative mode for north-south exchanges. Whether it is "Southern Little Potatoes" or "Guangxi Little Sugar Oranges", let us cherish this emotional link that crosses regional boundaries, explore more sincere and high-quality tourism services, and jointly create a better world. glorious future. (Zhengguan commentator Han Jing)
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