From leftover women to cuihun – audience reception of TV representation on marriageable single women in China

Abstract

ABSTRACT “Leftover women” have not only become a social phenomenon for wide discussion, but also a source for TV production in China recently. The term “leftover women” was given based upon the collision between the value of traditional Chinese marriage and the empowerment of marriageable single women nowadays. Chinese TV series have taken full advantage and represented “leftover women” in order to get attention and a high audience rating. The wide TV representation, however, has generated increased anxiety, concerns, and pressure on Chinese single women about early marriage (cuihun in Chinese). It has meanwhile acted as an amplifier of the marriage pressure on the female in today’s China. Our finding shows that a certain percentage of the female audience did not welcome the inclusion of such a misrepresented female image in the TV, which further intensifies the tension between marriageable single women, traditional marriage pressure from Chinese families, TV productions, and society. “Leftover women” in China have been examined to different extents, while the implications of TV representation are under-researched. This article thus calls for academic attention to this field for future exploration.