‘Plus-size’ Boy Band in China Seeks to Inspire Fans
Voice of America
BEIJING - Gathered in a practice room, five generously proportioned young men in baggy black sweaters are patting their bellies and waggling their arms. Bearded with double chins, they shout “Hoo-Ha!” in time to upbeat African drums.
The choreography is for the new song Good Belly, by Produce Pandas. DING, Cass, Husky, Otter and Mr. 17 weigh an average of 100 kilograms and proudly call themselves “the first plus-sized boy band in China.” That is a radical departure from the industry standard seen in South Korean super groups such as BTS, whose lanky young members are sometimes referred to in China as “little fresh meat.” Yet, it seems to be working for Produce Pandas, who rose to fame after making it about halfway through Youth with You, an idol talent competition hosted by iQiyi, one of the largest video platforms in China.
FILE - An aerial views shows a forest fire on a mountain in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, February 28, 2025, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
FILE - Houses destroyed in previous Israeli strikes lie in ruin, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Jan. 16, 2025.
A handout photo taken released on March 2, 2025, by the Australian Department of Defence shows an image taken in the Coral Sea from a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft as it flies above the vessel of Aurimas Mockus from Lithuania.
FILE - A hangar can be seen behind barbed wire fencing at Bagram Air Base after the U.S. military left the facility, in Parwan province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, July 5, 2021. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid speaking on state-run Afghan broadcaster. (VOA screen shot) FILE - UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters fly during a military parade to mark the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2024.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France's President Emmanuel Macron hold a meeting during a summit at Lancaster House in central London, March 2, 2025. France's President Emmanuel Macron, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepare to hold a plenary meeting at a summit held at Lancaster House in central London on March 2, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Feb. 28, 2025.
Iranian Finance Minister Abdolnasser Hemmati speaks during an open session of parliament for his impeachment, in Tehran, March 2, 2025. Iranian parliament holds an impeachment hearing of the the Finance Minister Abdolnasser Hemmati, in Tehran, March 2, 2025.
FILE - In this photo provided by the US Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson participates in a group sail during the Rim of the Pacific exercise off the coast of Hawaii, July 26, 2018.
A health worker prepares to administer a vial of a vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola, during a trial at Mulago Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, Feb. 3, 2025.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, left, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon pose after signing documents in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on April 18, 2024. Tajikistan has been under one man's rule for over 30 years. The last time the leader changed in Uzbekistan was in 2016.
Nuns pose for a photo in rain ahead of a prayer service in St. Peter's Square, as Pope Francis continues his hospitalization, at the Vatican, March 1, 2025.
Ghana's first-ever female world boxing champion, Abigail Kwartekaa Quartey, poses for a photo after a morning training session on the beach in the Jamestown district of Accra, Ghana, Jan 22, 2025. Abigail Kwartekaa Quartey, 28, shows a photo of her match against Sangeeta Birdie from Britain, which earned her the world title and made her Ghana's first-ever female world boxing champion in Jamestown, Accra, Ghana, Jan 23, 2025.
Secretary Juan Ramon de la Fuente at the State Department in Washington, Feb. 27, 2025.