Hierarchies of Snobbery and Contempt by Chinese Netizens

Southern Metropolis Daily‘s City Weekly compiled a list of “Hierarchies of Snobbery” or “Hierarchies of Contempt” on April 7th, 2012. These hierarchies show the multi-layered prejudices amongst Chinese when it comes to how the products, brands, sports, media, academic disciplines, music, movies, fashion, etc. they choose reflect their intelligence, sense of fashion taste and fashion, originality, or how “international” they are.

As the City Weekly article spread online on discussion forums and social networking sites, Chinese netizens have contributed additional lists and hiearachies…

From Dianping:

IT [Information Technology]:

Search Engines: Google > Baidu > Bing/Soso/Sogou > People’s Search [later renamed as Jike Search].

Microblogs: Twitter > Fanfou > Sina Weibo > Tencent Weibo > Other Microblogging services.

Internet Discussion Forums: Douban > Tianya > Mop > Post Bar > portal website forums [i.e. NetEase, Sina, Sohu].

Chat Software: Gtalk > MSN > QQ > Fetion

Email: Gmail > 163 Mail > QQ Mail.

Internet Browsers: Chrome/Firefox > Safari/Opera > Maxthon > Internet Explorer > domestic shanzhai browsers such as 360.

Social Networks: Facebook > Kaixin > Renren > Tencent Pengyou

Cell Phones: Blackberry > Apple > Xiaomi > HTC > Samsung > Sony Ericsson > Nokia > Motorola > Lenovo > ZTE > shanzhai mobile phones

Anti-Virus Software: AVAST > ESET > Kaspersky > Norton > Rising > Kingsoft > 360 > QQ Anti-Virus

Internet-related Professions: engineer > product development > operations > UED (User Experience Design) professional > UI (User Interface) professional > editor

Pinterest-like Websites: jipin.kaixin001.com > huaban.com > duitang.com/mogujie.com > meilishuo.com

Programers: C (programming language) > Java > .NET > JavaScript > HTML > Graphic design

Laptops: Apple > Sony > Toshiba > Dell > Samsung > HP > Lenovo > Asus > Tsinghua Tongfang/HASEE > netbooks

Designers: architect > landscape architect > interior decorator > print graphic designer > hair stylist > web designer

Video Games:

Video Games: console games > foreign PC games > foreign online games > domestic online games > browser games/QQ games

World of Warcraft: Mage > DK (Dark Knight) > Hunter > Rogue > Warlock > Priest > Soldier > Druid > Paladin > Shaman

Kaixin.com Games: Happy City > Happy Garden > Happy Farm > Happy Restaurant > Happy Life

Entertainment:

Movies: art films from little known countries > European art films > Japanese/Korean/Taiwanese “xiao qingxin” films > classic Hong Kong films > Hollywood blockbusters > mainland films.

TV Shows: British TV shows > American TV shows > Japanese TV shows > Korean TV shows > Taiwanese TV shows > Thai TV shows.

Music: Britpop/domestic underground music brands > European and American pop music > Japanese/Korean/Hong Kong/Taiwanese pop music > mainland internet songs.

Musical Genres: Classic > Jazz > Rock and Roll > Pop > shanzhai internet songs [i.e. parodies/remixes]

Musical Instruments: cello > violin > piano > Guqin > Guzheng > bass > Jazz drum > guitar > Di/Xiao

“Rolling in the Deep” on a Guzheng

Football Leagues: Italian Serie A > English Premier League > Spanish La Liga > German Burndesliga > French Ligue 1 > Chinese Super League > Chinese Football Association Division One.

TV channels: BBC > Phoenix Television > CCTV > Hunan Satellite TV.

Life:

Fast Fashion: Topshop > Zara > H&M > Forever 21 > Vera Moda > Metersbonwe/Yishion/Bossini.

Online shopping websites: Taobao > Paipai > 360buy > VANCL > Dangdang > Amazon.cn > Yihaodian

Online dating and matchmaking websites: Jiayuan > Baihe > Zhenai > Juedui100 > 51Shanhun

Financial management: VC (Venture Capital) > collections [i.e. art, antiques] > real estate > stocks > gold and foreign exchange > insurance > funds > savings > lottery

Banks: Bank of East Asia > Citibank > Standard Chartered Bank > HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) > Evergrowing Bank > CMBC (China Merchants Bank) > Bank of China > Shanghai Pudong Development Bank > Guangdong Development Bank > CCB (China Construction Bank) > Bank of Beijing, Bank of Shanghai, Bank of Chongqing, and other commercial banks > CMSB (China Minsheng Bank) > Agricultural Bank of China > Postal Office Savings Bank > credit cooperatives

Asia travel: India > Nepal > Cambodia > Vietnam/Laos/Burma > Thailand > Japan > Indonesia/Philippines > Malaysia > Taiwan > Singapore > Korea > Hong Kong/Macau

Jeans: Levi’s > Lee > CK > Wrangler > Apple Bottoms > Only > Baleno/Metersbonwe/Yishion

Men’s Fashion: Z Zegna > GY > Izzue > Mark Fairwhale

TT [condoms]: CK > Okamoto > Durex > Jissbon > Double Butterfly/The Six Sense > condoms sold from vending machines

Coffee: Costa > Starbucks > Left Bank > U.B.C. > Typhoon Shelter (Tea House) > McDonald’s/KFC > Nescafe Instant

Cars: German cars > American cars > French cars/Japanese cars > Korean cars > Chinese cars

White collar worker lunches: Upscale restaurant > lunch made by girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse > roadside restaurant > 7-Eleven > McDonald’s/KFC > takeaway fast food

Sneakers: Nike/Adidas > Converse > Li Ning > Anta > Warrior > shanzhai and counterfeit brands.

Silly Humor:

“Goddesses” [the women of men’s dreams]: light-skinned, rich, slim, beautiful, and with big boobs > light-skinned, rich, slim, and beautiful > light-skinned, rich, and beautiful > light-skinned and rich > light-skinned and beautiful

Pet dog: Husky > Tibetan Mastiff > Border Collie > Poodle > Teddy > German Shepherd > Golden Retriever > Labrador Chihuahua > Pekingese

Working class: civil servants > people who work in state-owned enterprises > white-collar workers > rural migrant workers in cities > college students

Loser culture [people who are poor or think they are poor]: Nouveau riche > tall, handsome, and rich (men) > light-skinned, rich, and beautiful (women) > “goddesses” [dream girls of guys who are poor or think they are poor] > pink labias/black labias [virgins/non-virgins] > female losers > prostitutes > male losers

Humans: Foreigners > Hong Kong people > Taiwanese > Macau people > people from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen > other mainlanders

Horoscope signs: Scorpio > Taurus > Libra > Pisces > Virgo > Leo > Gemini > Capricorn > Cancer > Sagittarius > Aries > Aquarius

Gay men: gay men who are famous socialites on Weibo > gay men in the entertainment industry > gay men in the physical fitness industry > gay men on Taobao > gay men who wear luxury fashion brands > gay men who are very effeminate > gay men who are white collar workers > gay men losers > fei zhu liu gay men/non-mainstream > gay men who are manwhores [prostitutes]

Girls: Queen B [strong popular women] > girls who like expensive things > girls who are ignorant of fashion > girls who don’t watch American TV shows > girls looking for only army soldiers to be boyfriends > girls who only listen to internet songs > girls obsessed with losing weight > girls who wear insanely heavy makeup > girls who don’t care about personal hygiene > selfish girls

Guys: tall, handsome, and rich/light-skinned, rich, and beautiful > noveau riche > economical and usable > short, ugly, poor,and incapable > provincial, fat, round, idle, and idiotic.

Second generations: PLA second generation (children of People’s Liberation Army officers) > government official second generation > rich second generation > children of coal mine owners > poor second generation > children of farmers

Youths: artistic youth > ordinary youth > idiotic youth > super idiotic youth.

Literature:

Magazines: Time/The New Yorker > Panorama/Chutzpah > New Weekly/City Pictorial > The Reader > Story China/Soul Mate.

Academic Majors: Natural Science majors > Applied Science and Technology majors > Liberal Arts majors (Economics/Law > Foreign Language majors > Chinese/Psychology/Philosophy majors) > Physical education and arts majors

Literature reading: Ancient Chinese Llterature (especially pre-Qin and Qin Dynasty Literature) > British literature > French literature > Russian literature > German literature > literature from little-known countries > American literature > modern Chinese literature (1917-1949) > Japanese literature > current Chinese literature (1950-Present) > internet literature > literature by people like Han Han and Guo Jingming.

Comments From Sina Tech:

新浪网友战国逆风:

What this editor wrote is pretty interesting.

新浪手机用户:

“Not as good as the best, but still better than the worst.” Ever since I was small, I’ve used old sayings like this to give myself confidence. Can’t help it. It’s already become a habit.

新浪手机用户 :

Ultimately it is still because some people want face that they assume an air of narcissistic superiority.

新浪手机用户 :

The culture of snobbery is everywhere. In my opinion, some parts of this article also convey a strong air of snobbery. In the end, it’s just personal preferences, everyone should just stop picking on other people’s choices.

新浪网友达达乐:

Legendary piece.

新浪手机用户:

This author is a genius!!

新浪手机用户:

People are all pursuing uniqueness. Who isn’t?

新浪手机用户:

A very good article, probably got on some people’s nerves [pricked some people’s egos], right?

新浪手机用户:

Many people hate it when others zhuangbi while they can’t help zhuangbi’ing themselves.

新浪手机用户:

The author put a lot of thought [into writing this article]! Very knowledgeable. I feel I’m part of the group that’s despised/looked down upon.

What do you think?