A powerful speech from a well-known Chinese feminist actress has gone viral again, years after it was first delivered. In the speech, she draws a clear line between celebrating personal confidence and being reduced to an object for others. Her message: “Sexy is fine, but objectification is not.”
The actress originally made the remarks during a public forum on women in the entertainment industry. She argued that women should have the freedom to express their beauty and sexuality without being judged or treated as commodities. She also criticized the way media and certain audiences focus more on women’s looks than their talent or achievements.
Her words resonate strongly in China’s entertainment world, where female stars often face intense pressure to maintain a certain image. She pointed out that while being “sexy” can be a choice and an empowering form of self-expression, objectification takes away that choice by turning a person into nothing more than a visual product.
The renewed attention to her speech comes amid ongoing global conversations about gender equality, body autonomy, and the portrayal of women in media. Social media users in China and beyond have praised her for speaking openly about an issue that many celebrities avoid.
Her message remains as relevant today as when she first said it — a reminder that confidence and self-expression should come from within, not from meeting someone else’s idea of worth.