A Chinese woman known as “Chicken Feet Lady,” who recently went viral because of her uncivilized behavior of scattering chicken feet on the subway, seems to have seen a rise in her social status after the shameful act became public. This odd twist exposes a deformed piece of social psychology.

The woman was recently paid a high fee to be a guest at an annual gathering of a company, eastday.com reported, citing information from a netizen.

The woman, whose real name is Wang Ruoyang, went viral because of a clip posted online. She was filmed eating braised chicken feet and spitting out chicken bones on Shanghai's subway. When warned to stop, the well-dressed lady lost her temper and verbally attacked those who accused her of bad behavior.

When the clip was first published, she was blamed for being rude and vulgar. But the fact remains that she soon became famous.

Generally speaking, popularity gained in this way is better termed notoriety rather than fame. The reality, however, is that the woman’s notorious reputation has earned her real economic benefits.

Some people speculate that a shrewd commercial plan may be hidden behind the story.

What makes outsiders curious is why a company paid her big money to attend their annual gathering. They wonder what the company wanted from her performance, and whether they hired her to show her their support.

Right now, many companies are trying to build corporate culture, so it is rather confusing to imagine what kind of message the company is delivering to its employees.

Of course, there is a chance the company only hired the woman for fun, since annual gatherings are usually occasions for entertainment and relaxation.

Similar phenomena used to occur in show business, like when has-been singers are suddenly in hot demand after a drug scandal. “Chicken Feet Lady” seems to be another example of this deformed psychology.

The twisted act of using scandals for commercial profits certainly deserves real reflection, and so does the twisted psychology behind the phenomenon. 

The article is edited and translated from 《凤爪女身价飙升是“臭豆腐情结”发作？》，author: Qiao Zhifeng.