“Let’s Go, Baby Forklift!”: Fandom Governance and the Political Power of Cuteness in China

This article describes how the Chinese state borrows from culture of celebrity fandom to implement a novel strategy governing that we term “fandom governance.” We illustrate state-run social media employed governance early in COVID-19 pandemic when country was convulsed with anxiety. As faced crisis, responded propagandistic display efficacy, broadcasting round-the-clock livestream massive emergency hospital construction project. internet users playfully embellished imagery livestream. They unexpectedly transformed vehicles into cute personified memes, Baby Forklift and Mud Barfer (a cement mixer) among most popular. In turn, strategically channeled this playful engagement politically productive directions by resignifying as idols. Combining studies cultural linguistic anthropology, offer processual account semiotic mediations involved turning memes idols, citizens fans. show how, embedding within modules management such ranking lists, rendered them artificially vulnerable fall status. Fans, rallied around “protect” these idols small but significant acts digital devotion care, organizing themselves fan circles exhorting each other vote. elevating status thereby created disposable pantheon virtual avatars for state, consolidated power citizens’ voluntary response vulnerability. analyze new development state’s long history through emotion.