TRENDING: Where is this room from, and why is it going viral?
If you're chronically online, there's a huge chance that you have come across a photo of a seemingly normal-looking bedroom with various "funny" captions.
Over the past week, social media users have been sharing memes of the same bedroom, with captions about getting a new place or room renovation.
An X user posted an edited photo of it featuring a hand holding a key with a caption, "Finally moved out from my parents' house. TYL!"
Some would share the photo with vague captions, too.
Social media users even use the photo as their background for TikTok videos, or photoshop themselves inside the room, while others seemingly imitate a character, wearing long hair with bangs and a face mask.
MJ Lastimosa's iconic national costume gown from Miss Universe 2014 was also photoshopped in the bedroom photo.
What's with this room, and why is it trending?
The room makes reference to a Chinese man surnamed Jiao, who's famously referred to as "Red Uncle," a cross-dresser who disguised himself as a woman. He is infamous for secretly filming his sexual encounters with hundreds of men at his home, specifically in the room that's going viral, and posting them online.
Multiple international outlets, including Reuters and The Straits Times, reported that Jiao, from the eastern city of Nanjing, lured hundreds of heterosexual men for hookups. Several videos have since gone viral online, even reaching the Philippines.
The 38-year-old man would wear heavy makeup, a wig with bangs, and long skirts. He would also often have a mask on, as seen in several videos and photos. The police said Jiao would distribute the illegally recorded sexual encounters with men in an online group, and would profit from $21 (or over P1,000) subscription fees.
According to a South China Morning Post report, Jiao would not charge the men, but would ask them for small gifts. Some brought milk, fruit, and cooking oil.
Per the reports, the hashtag "red uncle" trended on popular Chinese microblog Weibo on July 8.
His victims saw themselves on leaked videos and reported him to the police. Jiao was detained on July 6 on suspicion of spreading obscene material.
The exact number of men he encountered isn't clear. While reports say he lured 1,691 men, local police denied the figure without disclosing the exact number, per Reuters.
Same-sex relations are not illegal in China; However, sharing images of sexual acts violates privacy rights and could be deemed a criminal offense.
A city health official told the local outlet Jimu News that victims may seek medical consultation if they suspect that they have contracted a disease.
