Mistresses in China (and there are many) are rising up: they are severing the shackles of disrespect and boldly yearning for acceptance. But it isn’t going so well.

Proud mistresses in China set up a so-called “Mistress Festival” online on March 3 to air their grievances and celebrate their profession. The date (3/3) is auspicious, because “Little Three” (小三) is often a nickname given to mistresses, given that they are the third party in the relationship. But when there’s an online gathering, you have to expect those who oppose your agenda might appear, such as, say, a wronged wife. And that’s what happened:

Things got off to a bad start when, in her introduction, an invited wife proclaimed her loyalty to her husband.

She was assailed by mistresses mocking her “loyalty” and teasing her by saying they would seduce her husband.

Other participants came to the defense of the beleaguered wife, criticizing the aggressive behavior of the mistresses.

As levels of abuse escalated and chaos reigned, the moderator was forced to warn participants to behave.

This is a hot topic in China, as mistresses seem to be as common as yangrou chuanr stands. The PRD, in particular, is a famous haven for mistresses in relationships with men from nearby Hong Kong and Taiwan. Unlike in the west, however, there appears to be less stigma for mistresses in China; they are almost accepted as an accessory if a man becomes successful enough to have earned one. Even wives will often look the other way, knowing their husbands are just “having fun” and wouldn’t leave the marriage.

So do mistresses deserve respect? There are very few professions that are as shameless; mistresses basically sell their good looks for a pseudo-relationship with a married man, which is only one degree removed from another famous profession. But from their perspective, they are just cashing in: if a man wants to pay a monthly salary, by Gucci handbags and set her up in a good apartment, why shouldn’t she accept? Beats working 9-5 in an office, right?

If you want to check out the website for the mistress festival, you can find it here in Chinese only.