A Chinese esports host, identified as Zhazha, recently faced backlash from viewers for wearing what they considered a revealing outfit during a broadcast.
“It's a f***ing video game competition. Not a st**p club. Dress as such,” a detractor wrote on X.
The host’s attire, which stirred the controversy, consisted of a white shirt layered under a black bodice that ended on her upper thigh.
Highlights
- A Chinese esports host faced backlash after viewers criticised her for wearing an outfit they deemed revealing during a broadcast.
- Refusing to stay silent, she delivered a bold and unexpected response the very next day, which quickly grabbed attention across social media.
- The incident mirrored a previous case from Australia, where a presenter, scrutinized for her clothes, also hit back at trolls.
The following day, Zhazha conveyed her defiance with both her clothes and her words, gaining ample fans on social media.
Chinese esports host pushed back against trolls targeting her outfit
Image credits: SETN
Zhazha was accused of showing her leg to attract male attention. Some also speculated that the broadcasters had asked her to dress scantily to increase viewership.
For her next broadcast, she opted for a black ensemble that covered her from head to toe. She also painted her face black to ensure not an inch of her skin was exposed.
Image credits: SETN
According to a translated statement shared on China’s microblogging platform Weibo, Zhazha said, “No one has ever arranged for me to wear short clothes. As a commentator, my outfits have always been chosen by myself.”
About the look she pulled the next day, Zhazha said, “It was an extreme choice meant as a form of satire in response to those comments.”
Image credits: Fogelmir
Image credits: SETN
She said she is a staunch advocate of “clothing freedom and of the idea of women dressing revealingly.”
Zhazha has since urged viewers not to take her response out of context or escalate the matter further.
“I hope everyone can look at this rationally,” she said, adding, “I am a regular staff member who wants to focus on commentary and do my job well.”
Netizens have lauded Zhazha for confidently defending herself
Image credits: Supersonic540
“Whether you agree or not, she controlled the narrative herself and shows she stands by her choices,” one wrote, while another added, “Y’all wanted ‘more coverage,’ she said, ‘say less.’”
“When people b**ch about stupid s**t, give them what they want in the most extreme, stupid way,” remarked a third in support of Zhazha.
Image credits: SETN
“Her outfit wasn’t even sl**ty. It just showed off some legs,” observed a fourth.
A fifth agreed, saying, “There is nothing wrong with tastefully showing off a good pair of legs.”
“It was never about professionalism. It was about controlling what attractive women wear,” a separate user noted.
“My queen,” said another.
Image credits: SETN
Some, however, interpreted her makeup as blackface, a form of theatrical disguise historically used by white performers to portray people of color.
It became popular in the 19th century, when these portrayals were often used for entertainment in ways that mocked Black features, speech, and culture.
Zhazha was not the first female host to face scrutiny over her clothing and object to it
Image credits: L01c3ns3dT0M3m3
Image credits: SETN
In 2024, Australian journalist Narelda Jacobs took to Instagram to share a shocking email she received from a viewer complaining about what she wore.
Jacobs wrote in the post’s caption, “Yes, we still receive emails like this. Yes, it went to the entire newsroom. Yes, I was on air at the time. Yes, it is intended to shame and humiliate me. No, what I’m wearing is not inappropriate, but your email sure is.”
The post collected tons of comments in less than 24 hours.
“Some people are sad and small and spray their sad smallness around. Good thing the sound of their sad smallness is like a mozzie on helium, and the sound of your radiance is the entire brass section of a whole godd**n orchestra,” a supporter wrote.
“Aside from you looking perfect, I mean… of all the things in the world today to get upset about, it’s this?” another added.
“Yep. The number of emails the newsroom used to get attacking everything about my appearance when I was presenting the weather was incredible,” a third user shared.
“In the words of Dr. Seuss, ‘those that mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind,’” commented a fourth.
Jacobs has been associated with Network 10 for more than two decades.
"She made her point loud and clear," a netizen said about Zhazha
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