Young Chinese Embrace Kris Jenner as a Digital Symbol of Prosperity
BEIJING — In a bid to enhance their prospects in a challenging economy, many young Chinese individuals have adopted a surprising digital talisman: Kris Jenner, the renowned American reality TV personality.
Gen Z users across Chinese social media platforms like Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin have enthusiastically shared images of the 70-year-old star as they use her likeness as profile pictures and wallpaper. This trend reflects a broader cultural phenomenon where Jenner’s persona embodies aspiration and success amidst tough economic conditions.
Photos of Jenner, who is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, are often paired with visuals of dollar bills and English captions that promote self-empowerment, like “Let’s manifest” and “Stay rich, stay slay.” On Xiaohongshu, the hashtag for this movement has already amassed nearly 2.7 million views.
Chichi Xu, a university student in Shanghai, notes that using Jenner’s image as her profile picture conveys a sense of empowerment that elevates her confidence when engaging with others. “Her sharp gaze suggests an aura of authority. I want people to take me seriously when I present myself with that image,” she explains.
While this meme introduces a playful angle, the underlying quest for good fortune remains serious. Young people in China are grappling with a difficult job market and are focused on enhancing their competitiveness as economic growth slows. In this context, the rising trend of digital optimism stands in stark contrast to the prevailing “lying down” mentality, where some youth withdraw amid societal pressures and only strive for minimal survival.
George Chao, a 23-year-old student from Shandong province, expresses that embracing this meme reflects a belief in attracting luck and opportunity. “For me, manifestation is recognizing the power of belief itself,” he shares. Despite the humor surrounding desires for Jenner’s fortune, he views this trend as a form of positive motivation.
Kris Jenner has yet to visit China but is recognized as the architect of her family’s lucrative entertainment and business empire. Users on social media have affectionately referred to her as the “Empress Dowager,” drawing a parallel to the powerful figure of the Qing Dynasty who ruled alongside her young son. This nickname captures the reverence that many younger Chinese have for her business acumen.
Kris Jenner’s Business Ethos Resonates with Young Chinese
Influencer Marcelo Wang suggests that Jenner’s appeal lies in her reputation as one of America’s hardest-working businesswomen, a quality that resonates with the Chinese cultural value of diligence. Jenner herself has acknowledged this emergent trend, offering encouragement through social media.
Memes and clips from “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” have solidified the family’s presence among Chinese audiences. Kim Kardashian, who heads the fashion brand Skims, has also engaged directly with fans on Xiaohongshu, and her brand is rapidly gaining foothold in the country.
While Jenner represents a new wave of digital symbols for success, she is part of a long-standing tradition among young Chinese searching for luck. Other manifestations of hope include cell phone cases featuring the Chinese god of wealth, images of goldfish—traditional symbols of prosperity—and visits to temples to pray for academic and career success.
As the Year of the Horse approaches, some individuals have opted to decorate their homes with pictures of Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter franchise due to a homophonic connection in Chinese that denotes “lucky horse.”
Notably, Jenner is not the first non-Chinese figure to attain iconic status in this context. May Musk, the mother of tech billionaire Elon Musk, has likewise garnered admirers for her entrepreneurial success. Danica Lu, a 23-year-old computer science student from Guangzhou, finds hope in Jenner’s powerful image as she navigates her job search. While she acknowledges the importance of hard work, she embraces the symbolic value of embracing Jenner’s likeness, stating, “Iron is only strong when it is struck with a hammer.” For many, the first step toward changing their fate may be as simple as updating their profile picture to include Kris Jenner.
