Chinese parody academic journals called “bottom journals” have spread rapidly across Chinese social media since February, with posts mocking top-tier publications by printing nonsense research and fake paper covers. [1]
The spoof journals have featured absurd topics such as insuring Optimus Prime against vehicle damage and studying grains in the game Stardew Valley. [1]
The trend began after a viral November 2024 post by Wang, a 20-year-old philosophy student, who wrote: “I’m going crazy revising my paper. I really want to start a journal called Rubbish and publish it there.” The post drew 10,000 likes and later became a reference point for the parody format. [1]
By February 2026, the style had spread on Douyin, Xiaohongshu and other platforms, drawing contributions from undergraduates, postdocs and professors. [1]
For many researchers, the joke has doubled as release. The posts tap into academic stress, publication pressure and revision fatigue in China’s output-driven evaluation system. [1]
Some accounts tied to the trend were later restricted or suspended on social media. State media also acknowledged the bottom-journal craze as an expression of young researchers’ fatigue. [1]
The parody has become part satire, part venting channel, even as the format keeps circulating online under tighter platform scrutiny. [1]