Recently, Zhang Xuefeng, a well-known Internet celebrity and postgraduate entrance examination teacher, said that all liberal arts are called service industries, which can be summed up as "licking", triggering heated discussions. Today (December 9), Zhang Xuefeng responded to this matter on his personal Weibo. #张雪峰respondstoliberalitiesareservices# directly topped the list of hot searches on Weibo.
He also gave the example of "Lawyers are sales":
Finally, I didn’t forget to “defeat myself”:
According to Chengshi Interactive, Zhang Xuefeng emphasized more than once that "liberal arts majors are the service industry" and suggested that liberal arts students go to areas with relatively developed economies for development.
At noon on the 9th, Zhang Xuefeng publicly apologized for the controversy caused by relevant remarks: "Did I say the wrong thing again? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll give you a smile."
In the comment area, Zhang Xuefeng added: "There is nothing wrong with being in the service industry, but some people can't get over this hurdle. If I can get over it, I will work in the service industry. If you can't get over it, you are not suitable for the service industry. I would like to remind some people who think that their nature, especially in the early stages of their career, should be understood before making choices... must be interpreted maliciously. Those who were sad after reading my remarks, I apologize to you."
Later, Zhang Xuefeng also posted a picture, saying, "To express my sincere apology, I wore this clothes to go out today." The clothes were printed with "I was wrong, I apologize."
Around 2 p.m. on the 9th, Zhang Xuefeng posted a message saying, "Gradually outrageous..."
Many netizens left messages and commented, "Teacher Zhang has been on hot searches many times, but he has been over-interpreted accidentally." "It really doesn't sound good to put it too bluntly. Maybe it would be better to say it is the 'tertiary industry'."
According to The Paper, Ma Liang, a professor at the School of Public Administration at Renmin University of China and a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy, released a video in response, believing that liberal arts are not that "watery".
Ma Liang said: "Teacher Zhang criticizes liberal arts and criticizes liberal arts. I think it is more because he is dissatisfied with the existing education and training system of liberal arts. Often (someone) will say that liberal arts courses are poor. When talking about the construction of new liberal arts, we also hope to change this status quo and make liberal arts stronger and harder."
"The disciplines are very different, but each discipline has its value and advantages." Ma Liang believes that just because liberal arts had some shortcomings in cultivating talents in the past, it cannot always be such a stereotype and colored glasses.
Ma Liang said: "I think we need a new understanding of the liberal arts, and the new liberal arts also need to continue to strengthen related construction."
Public information shows that Zhang Xuefeng, whose original name is Zhang Zibiao, was born in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province in 1984. He studied at Zhengzhou University and entered the postgraduate entrance examination tutoring industry after graduation. In 2016, Zhang Xuefeng's article titled "Interpretation of 34 985 Universities in Seven Minutes" went viral on the Internet. From then on, he began his "Internet celebrity road", publishing books, participating in variety shows, live streaming, etc., and moved to the college entrance examination to volunteer.
Currently, the account "Teacher Zhang Xuefeng" has 23.637 million Douyin fans and 7.459 million Weibo fans.
At the same time, Zhang Xuefeng's business territory is getting bigger and bigger. According to Qichacha, Zhang Xuefeng is currently associated with 5 companies, 4 of which are in existence and 3 of which are holding companies.
Qichacha screenshot
In May 2021, Zhang Xuefeng established Suzhou Fengxue Weilai Education Co., Ltd. with a registered capital of 10 million yuan. It is currently jointly held by Zhang Xuefeng, Kang Li, Yantu Education and Xie Guixiang. The business scope includes educational consulting services and family education consulting services for parents.
Zhang Xuefeng's words and deeds have triggered heated discussions on the Internet many times.
In June 2023, Zhang Xuefeng launched a volunteer consultation service. In a live broadcast, a mother said that her child scored 590 in the science test and liked news and wanted to major in journalism. However, Zhang Xuefeng believed that “any major with closed eyes is better than journalism” and suggested not to choose liberal arts. Regarding media comments, being influential does not mean speaking responsibly.
On June 21, 2023, he talked about major choice again during a live broadcast on the online platform, saying that "major determines the track." He suggested that candidates should combine their subject advantages and comprehensively consider various factors to fill out their applications. During the live broadcast, netizens occasionally asked questions about journalism, but Zhang Xuefeng did not reply.
In October 2023, Zhang Xuefeng responded that the company would only work 7 days in February next year: take a good rest during the New Year and avoid peak periods to save everyone money.