Entertainment Production and the Future of China’s Cultural Industry

Abstract

This chapter discusses cultural concerns around entertainment production in China. Shows like Super Girl and If You Are the One, a reality-based matchmaking show, inspired much critical reflection on culture and cultural production. While the Chinese state often justifies its regulations of the cultural industry through such critical public discourses, viewers interpreted the state authorities’ heavy hand in entertainment production as deeply political. In the case of If You Are the One, while viewers celebrated the open and quick-fire exchanges among the participants about what they seek in an ideal match, many viewers along with state regulators were troubled by scandals constantly visiting the show and potential manufacturing of controversies on the show to shore up viewership. As the state took measures to rein in the show, producers re-framed it as a “large-scale public service program,” instead of a “pure entertainment show.” However, viewers continued to evaluate the show’s cultural value in regard to its authenticity. Wu discusses this connection in particular from the angle of the show’s spotlight on the pervasive narrative about China’s “leftover women” problem. Because Super Girl was largely inspired by the global Idol series, Chinese audience also used the show to compare between the Chinese and the Western production fields, especially where China is lacking. The online community constructed more developed arguments about the artistic aspects of the show than the newspapers. Wu argues that such aesthetic critiques provided the basis of bonding among the discussants and deeper reflections on the show’s political implications.