五毛党 the Party of Fifty Cents

Fifty cents in the US is a rap group. Well, the Party of Fifty Cents in China was born with the heavy internet censorship. Apparently, there are hired hands in China, posting pro-government comments on people's blogs and websites. Each "valid" entry is paid fifty cents of RMB, equivalent to about 7 cents US.

Then I was told by my friend in China, about hired fans. For example, if you are competing at the Chinese version of the Idol, you can hire a fan. A fan screaming "I love you" is paid 100 Yuan. A fan screaming with tears streaming down is paid 300 Yuan. Isn't it fascinating? Last October in Shanghai Airport, I witnessed hundreds of girls rushing in with one of the Super Junior. The skinny kid with dark masks was protected by several bouncers. How many of them were true fans without pay?