LayarHijau – A photo went viral on Weibo under the hashtag #短剧可以不要虐待老人吗 (Can short dramas stop mistreating the elderly?). The image looked like a press conference for a short drama, but what shocked the public wasn’t just the title — it was the poster and the people featured in it.
The short drama was titled My Tycoon Lover & My Cerebellar Atrophy. Above the title, a line left many users stunned: “A domineering CEO falls in love with an elderly woman suffering from cerebellar atrophy who is also described as perverted.”
In the viral poster, the CEO character is seen placing his hand on the shoulder of an elderly woman wearing a confused expression. She also appears at the press conference holding a microphone, reinforcing the impression that the drama genuinely cast a senior woman as the main character in a plot many considered inappropriate.
The discussion escalated after a recent confession by actor Zheng Kai, who went viral for revealing that he had been paired with a grandmother in a short drama. He said during a livestream that he accepted a role in a “older woman–younger man romance,” assuming the female lead would be a mature adult. But during filming, he was stunned to discover his co-star was a 68-year-old actress. His statement immediately ignited debate about extreme casting practices in China’s short-drama industry.
Weibo users were quick to react with frustration. “Short dramas today are filled with absurd, manufactured plots. Young people can’t even relax watching this stuff, and the elderly shouldn’t be exploited. Can’t they put in a little effort? Even long-form dramas are trying to become more normal,” one user wrote.
However, it didn’t take long before another Weibo user revealed that the viral photo was edited — likely with AI tools. The original image showed the CEO standing next to a young woman who also looked confused. The drama title remained the same, but the caption actually read: “A domineering CEO falls in love with me, a girl suffering from cerebellar atrophy.”
When LayarHijau searched for any real production using this title on Weibo or Baidu, no information surfaced. Situations like this aren’t new in China’s short-drama scene. Many titles intentionally push boundaries, such as “The CEO Falls in Love With Me, a Woman Going Through Menopause,” “Flash Marriage With a 50-Year-Old Rich Man,” or “A Grandma With Cerebellar Atrophy Falls in Love With a Dominant CEO.” These themes often twist age-related suffering and illness into traffic-grabbing gimmicks.
This trend marks a drastic shift from the classic “dominant CEO” formula, which once delivered emotional escapism through stories like Falling in Love with Cinderella or Divorced with a Child. Now the genre leans heavily toward extreme sensationalism, with unbelievable setups like “A 27-year-old CEO falls in love with a 45-year-old janitor.”
Some plots also intentionally amplify conflicts such as “children who neglect their parents” or “mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law disputes,” which have reportedly spilled into real life. Some elderly viewers become suspicious of their own families after projecting drama storylines onto reality, contributing to domestic distrust. Critics have labeled such content as “electronic violence,” accusing creators of exploiting vulnerable groups for profit.
In reality, cerebellar atrophy is far more serious than depicted in these stories. Patients often struggle with balance, unsteady walking, slurred speech, and difficulty performing daily activities — conditions that can bring significant emotional strain. Turning such an illness into a comedic or romantic gimmick is widely seen as disrespectful and shallow.
The viral edited photo underscores growing public concern about the direction of China’s short-drama industry, where shock value, real suffering, and vulnerable communities are increasingly used as disposable tools to chase attention.
