What They Don't Want You To See: The Leaked Truth About These Stars
In the glitzy world of fame, where every word is scrutinized and every quote dissected, there’s a hidden truth that often goes unreported. It’s not about scandalous secrets or hidden romances—it’s about grammar. Specifically, the rampant misuse of the pronouns they and them in celebrity news, social media commentary, and even official statements. This tiny error can distort narratives, misattribute actions, and fundamentally alter who is perceived as the agent of an event. What if the real story behind the headlines isn’t the celebrity’s action, but the journalist’s grammatical error? This article pulls back the curtain on the leaked truth about how pronoun misuse shapes our perception of stars, using a popular streamer and a hit game as our guide. We’ll decode the rules, expose common pitfalls, and reveal why mastering they vs. them is the unseen skill every fan, writer, and critic must possess.
Who Is Zard? The Streaming Star at the Center of the Storm
Before we dissect pronouns, we must understand the "stars" in question. The key sentences point to one figure: Zard, a legendary Chinese Dota 2 streamer on the Douyu platform (often nicknamed "Fish TV" or 某fish平台). In late 2017, Zard’s live stream of the zombie survival game They Are Billions became a cultural phenomenon, drawing millions and catapulting the indie title to global fame. His high-skill gameplay, charismatic commentary, and unfiltered reactions made him the face of the game’s explosive popularity.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Online Alias | Zard |
| Real Name | Not publicly disclosed (common for streamers) |
| Primary Platform | Douyu (斗鱼, "Fish Platform") |
| Main Game | Dota 2 |
| Breakout Moment | Streaming They Are Billions (~November 2017) |
| Audience | Tens of millions of followers across platforms |
| Known For | Exceptional mechanical skill, humorous & critical commentary, influential in the Chinese gaming community |
Zard represents a new breed of "star"—not a traditional actor or musician, but a digital celebrity whose influence is built on live interaction. This makes the accuracy of language used to describe him and his actions critically important. When fans write "Zard and his team they won," but then say "the victory was thanks to them," the pronoun shift isn’t just grammar—it subtly shifts credit and agency. The leaked truth is that in the fast-paced world of live streaming and social media, these errors happen constantly, shaping fan narratives and even historical records of events.
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The Core Rule: They as Subject, Them as Object
The foundational truth about they and them is non-negotiable in English grammar. They is a subject pronoun; it performs the action of the verb and typically opens the clause. Them is an object pronoun; it receives the action and usually follows the verb.
They launched the attack. (Subject – "they" does the launching)
The attack was launched against them. (Object – "them" receives the attack)
This distinction is the key to decoding who is really the doer in any sentence. In celebrity reporting, this is everything. Consider a headline: "Zard’s Team They Outplayed the Opponents" vs. "Zard’s Team, the Opponents Outplayed Them." The first credits the team; the second credits the opponents. A simple pronoun swap inverts the entire story.
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Why This Matters for "Stars":
When a news outlet writes, "The actors they demanded higher pay," it clearly states the actors initiated the demand. If they write, "Higher pay was demanded from them," the actors become passive recipients of a demand made by others (perhaps the studio). In legal or PR contexts, this distinction can be worth millions. For streamers like Zard, whose brand is built on agency and skill, being framed as the object (them) rather than the subject (they) can undermine their perceived control and influence.
Actionable Tip: To test which pronoun to use, try replacing they/them with a singular pair: he/him. If "he" works, use they. If "him" works, use them.
- "He found the treasure." → They found the treasure. (Subject)
- "The treasure was given to him." → The treasure was given to them. (Object)
Answering "What Are These?": The "They Are..." Mandate
A specific but frequent scenario in fan communities and unboxing videos is the question: "What are these?" (pointing to multiple items). The correct response is always "They are..." followed by the noun.
What are these? (指代多个近处事物)
They are Zard’s new gaming mouse, keyboard, and headset.
Why? Because "these" is a plural demonstrative pronoun. Its subject form is they. The verb "are" must agree with the plural subject they. Using "These are..." is actually incorrect here because "these" is already the subject of the question. In the answer, you need a new subject pronoun (they) to refer back to "these."
Common Fan Error: "These are his new gear." (This is wrong because "these" is acting as a demonstrative adjective modifying "gear," not as the subject pronoun. The true subject is implied but missing. The complete, correct sentence is "They are his new gear." or simply "These are his new gear." where "these" is the subject. But in response to "What are these?", "They are..." is the grammatically pure answer.)
This rule is crucial for accurate captioning and commentary. When a fan asks, "What are those trophies?" and the streamer replies, "They are from the 2018 championship," the clarity is perfect. A slip to "These are..." creates a minor but noticeable dissonance for native speakers.
The Catastrophe of "They Is": Mapping Errors Across Languages
One of the most glaring errors in informal online writing, especially in rapid-fire chat during streams, is using "they is" instead of "they are." As point 9 clarifies, "they" is plural and always takes the plural verb "are." "Is" is reserved for singular subjects (he, she, it, or a singular noun).
Incorrect: They is going to win.
Correct: They are going to win.
What is the Chinese equivalent of this error? The user’s question (point 7) is astute. In Chinese, there is no verb conjugation for person or number. The verb "是" (shì, "to be") is invariant. However, a analogous error would be using the wrong measure word or a pronoun mismatch in a context that requires specificity. For example:
- Correct: 他们是学生。 (Tāmen shì xuéshēng.) – They are students.
- A "They Is" Analogy: Using a singular measure word for a plural noun incorrectly: 他是一个学生 (Tā shì yí gè xuéshēng – He is one [measure word] student) vs. incorrectly saying 他们是一个学生 (Tāmen shì yí gè xuéshēng – They is one [measure word] student). The error is forcing a singular structure onto a plural subject.
Similarly, the error "I have three apple" (missing plural 's') is like saying in Chinese: 我有三个苹果 (Wǒ yǒu sān gè píngguǒ – correct) vs. incorrectly omitting the measure word or using a singular noun: 我有三个苹果 (still correct, as "苹果" is plural by context) but a closer error might be using a singular noun where plural is implied, like 我有一个苹果 (Wǒ yǒu yí gè píngguǒ – I have one apple) when you mean three. The core issue is failure to mark plurality, which Chinese often does with measure words or context, not noun endings. The English error is more severe because verb agreement is mandatory.
Why This Happens in Fan Culture: In the heat of a live match, fans type quickly. "Zard is carrying!" might become "Zard are carrying!" if the fan is thinking of the team ("they are"). Or "The team is strong" might be typed as "The team are strong" by a non-native speaker influenced by their native language’s rules. These errors proliferate in chat logs and become "memes," further entrenching incorrect usage.
"Where Are They?" vs. "Where Is They?": The Verb-Subject Agreement Shield
Point 9 gives us a clean, vital rule: "Where are they?" is correct because 'they' is plural, while 'is' is used with singular subjects. This seems elementary, but in celebrity contexts, the subject can be ambiguous.
Correct: Where are Zard and his teammates? (Plural subject: Zard and his teammates = they)
Correct: Where is Zard? (Singular subject: Zard = he)
Incorrect: Where is they? (Plural subject with singular verb)
The Celebrity Trap: Often, a celebrity’s name is a collective entity (a band, a team, a family). When we refer to them as a group, we use they and are. When we refer to the individual, we use he/she and is.
- "Where are the members of Team Zard?" → "They are at the studio."
- "Where is Zard?" → "He is at the studio."
Misapplying this can accidentally diminish a group’s unity or misgender an individual. For a star like Zard, whose identity is tied to his team (they), saying "Where is Zard and his team?" incorrectly treats the plural group as a singular unit, which can sound awkward or disrespectful to the team’s collective identity.
Decoding "They Know That to Be True": The Infinitive Phrase
Point 10 presents a sophisticated structure: "They know that to be true." Here, "to be true" is an infinitive phrase acting as the direct object of the verb "know." The word "that" is a conjunction introducing the clause, but it’s often omitted in modern English: "They know to be true" is also possible but less common. The full structure is:
Subject (They) + Verb (know) + Object Clause (that [subject] + to be + complement).
The understood subject of "to be" is the same as the main clause's subject ("they"). So it means: "They know that it (the situation/claim) is true."
In Celebrity Context: This structure is common in PR statements and interviews.
"The studio knows that to be true." (The studio knows that [the claim about game quality] is true.)
"Fans know them to be loyal." (Fans know that they are loyal.)
Notice the correct use of them as the object of "know," followed by the infinitive phrase "to be loyal." This is a higher-level construction that, when used correctly, adds sophistication to statements about a star’s perceived qualities.
"After They Graduate" vs. "After Graduating": The Implied Subject Rule
Point 12 highlights a subtle but important distinction in time clauses.
- After they graduate = after + full clause (subject "they" + verb "graduate"). The subject of "graduate" is explicitly "they."
- After graduating = after + gerund phrase. Here, the subject of "graduate" is implied to be the same as the main clause's subject.
After they graduate, they will join the pro scene. (Clear: "they" graduate.)
After graduating, they will join the pro scene. (Also clear: the "they" who are graduating are the same "they" who will join.)
The Error: Using the gerund when the subjects differ.
Incorrect: After graduating, the team offered Zard a contract. (This implies Zard graduated, but the subject of the main clause is "the team." Did the team graduate? No.)
Correct: After they graduated, the team offered Zard a contract. (Now "they" (Zard and his teammates) graduated.)
Application to Stars: In biographies, this is critical.
"After winning the championship, his popularity soared." (Correct: "his popularity" didn't win; "he" did. Should be: "After he won the championship, his popularity soared.")
"After streaming for ten hours, Zard was exhausted." (Correct: Zard did the streaming.)
Case Study: "They Are Billions" – The Title That Launched a Thousand Streams
Sentence 11 isn't just a game title; it’s a masterclass in the power of "they" as an atmospheric, collective subject. They Are Billions uses "they" to refer to the zombie hordes—an anonymous, overwhelming, and faceless collective. The title immediately establishes scale and threat. "They" are not individuals; they are an unstoppable force of nature.
This usage connects to our core rule: "they" is the subject. "They" (the zombies) are the active agents of the apocalypse. The title doesn’t say "The billions are here" (which would be descriptive) or "We fear them" (which would make us the subject). It declares "They Are Billions"—a statement of fact from an unknown narrator, placing the terrifying collective squarely as the sentence’s subject. This grammatical choice is integral to the game’s tone of dread and inevitability.
For streamers like Zard, playing a game where "they" (the zombies) are the constant, looming subject of every sentence creates a narrative where the player’s "I" or "we" is perpetually fighting against this plural, subject-force. The language of the game itself reinforces the pronoun lesson.
The Leaked Truth: Why This All Matters in the Age of Misinformation
We’ve broken down the rules. But why should fans and writers care? Because pronoun accuracy is the bedrock of clear attribution. In an era of "fake news" and rapid-fire social media takes, a single "them" instead of "they" can:
- Shift Blame/Credit: "The team they failed" vs. "The team, them failed." The first blames the team; the second, awkwardly, suggests an external force failed the team.
- Create Ambiguity: "Zard told them to improve" – who is "them"? The team? The opponents? The fans? Without clear antecedent, confusion reigns.
- Erode Credibility: Consistent grammatical errors make a writer or outlet seem sloppy, undermining their authority on larger issues about the stars they cover.
For a star like Zard, whose legacy is built on clips, VODs, and fan-written wikis, the permanent record of his achievements is written in prose. If that prose is grammatically flawed, the historical narrative of what he did becomes fuzzy. Did he make the call, or did they (his team)? The pronoun holds the key.
Conclusion: Your Grammar is Your Shield in the Spotlight
The leaked truth about these stars—whether they are gaming icons like Zard, Hollywood actors, or musicians—is that their public story is co-authored by every fan, journalist, and commenter who writes about them. Every "they" and "them" is a brushstroke on the portrait of their career. Mastering this simple distinction is not pedantry; it’s a act of precision journalism and respectful fandom. It ensures that agency is correctly assigned, that credit goes where it’s due, and that the historical record of a star’s achievements remains unambiguous.
So the next time you type a tweet about your favorite star, pause. Ask yourself: Is this "they" the one doing the action, or is it "them" receiving it? Your answer will determine whether you’re adding clarity to their legend or casting a shadow of confusion. In the blinding spotlight of fame, that’s the most important truth of all.
