Chinese slackers embrace "fat otaku happiness"

Feizhai kuaile ("fat otaku happiness") is a semi-ironic term used by young Chinese people on social media to celebrate slacking off with sedentary activities and high-calorie snacks, which are given ironic nicknames (pizza is "fat happy pancake" and Coke is "fat happy water").

"Fat happy" living is a rejection of society's high expectations of academic and professional success attained through constant work, and the embrace of "pure and instant happiness" (not to be confused with "decadence and self-abandonment," which is apparently antithetical to "fat happy" living).

It's not clear how "fat happy" fits in with the resurgence in labor-oriented Communism among young Chinese people.

To be clear, fat happy water is not water at all, but rather another name for Coca-Cola. More than any other product, the carbonated concoction can be credited for giving birth to the feizhai subculture sweeping across Chinese social media. For less than 3 yuan ($0.44), many young people consider a can of Coke a sweet substitute for slightly larger bottle of water costing slightly less.

Since drinking water makes me fat too, why dont I just drink Coke? wrote one user on microblogging platform Weibo, apparently in need of a physiology lesson. Fat happy water has become such a common term that it has even spawned its own merchandise including water bottles, umbrellas, and hoodies on e-commerce site Taobao.

Corpulence Is Bliss: The Chinese Embracing Fat Happy Culture [Liang Chenyu/Sixth Tone]

(via Naked Capitalism) Read the rest