A popular comment on the vlog of the woman from Zhejiang province sums up the mindset of those who take up the “rat people” banner.
“We are tired of the polished, fast-paced, hyper-efficient lifestyle forced on us. We just want the freedom to lie down whenever and wherever we want.”
A FORM OF SELF-MOCKERY AND HUMOUR
At the same time, analysts see the growing youth embrace of the “rat person” trend as a form of self-mockery, to find humour in adversity and commiserate with counterparts.
This is, after all, a generation that has taken up unconventional hobbies like raising mango seeds, rocks and even toothpaste blobs as “pets”, in a trend experts have said reflects rising loneliness and urban pressure among Chinese youth.
“If you look at rat people as a form of self-mockery, this is something that the youths are very good at,” said Yuan, the lecturer at XJTLU.
“There’s a term, zi hei, where you display your most vulnerable side but in a way that doesn’t let people feel anxious or worried,” she said. Literally translated to “self-blacken” in English, zi hei means self-mockery or self-deprecating humour in the Chinese context.
“(The term) rat people is also a way of social interaction.”
Pu, the Chinese international student, shares similar sentiments.
“Maybe it’s also the massive pressure that young people face; they enjoy this sort of self-mockery, humorous type of comparison,” she said.
And even if one decides to be a “rat person”, don’t write off their resilience, Pu said, describing how the term carries the image of someone “crawling in the dark but also still trying hard”.
“Many people may be existing in an environment that’s unfavourable, but they will still do their best to finish whatever needs to be done.”
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