Media creation
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Zhang Wuben, the self-proclaimed food therapist or "master" of traditional Chinese medicine, has been unmasked.
And, with that, the craze for "health-enhancing" formulae seen recently may also cool down a bit.
This promises to do good, not only for health-conscious citizens, but also for proponents of traditional Chinese medicine.
It is now clear that Zhang had received little training in traditional Chinese medicine except for some self-taught courses.
His sensational theories are nothing but a blend of folk wisdom mixed with repeated exaggeration.
It is glad to see people finally begin questioning Zhang's often contradictory claims.
It is a pity that Zhang and his ilk manage to thrive by making fanciful claims about the magical properties of such everyday stuff as green gram and eggplant.
That they are venerated throughout this country of 1.3 billion is clearly shameful.
Society must reflect on its habitual fascination with what is patently untrue. Swindlers would certainly not have been so eulogized without generous help from the media, an essential accomplice in such plots.
The halo around "master" Zhang's head was actually a media creation, which had elevated him to celebrity status after accepting corporate endorsement.
Zhang's stardom reveals just how far domestic media organizations had gone in their pursuit of profits.
Zhang is only one among many such "masters" prominent on today's TV screens. We just hope he is the only one among them who had bragged his way to the top.
