When observing most popular Chinese TV shows, people will easily notice that these shows all “borrow” the format of some of the popular American TV shows. For example, “American Idol” is so worldwide popular that many other countries such as China, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Sweden are producing similar kind of TV programs. China broadcasted a TV show called “Super Girl” (or “Super Girl Voice”) in the past years, which had similar format of “American Idol” with different rules. All of these TV shows have been very popular and had great impacts on various aspects of the societies during all these years. The format of the show is turning to a worldwide media trend, which seems like a guarantee of high ratings, satisfied commercial outcome, becoming famous rapidly (for the contestants or the judges), and success in TV industry. Suddenly, many countries from different cultures were linked by an invisible internal connection called “Pop Idol Culture” and were sharing this common “culture”. This “culture” is becoming an international issue.
“Dancing with the Stars” is another popular TV show, which the format was also borrowed by a Chinese TV dancing contest called “Dancing Together”. This program shared exactly the same format of “Dancing with the Stars”: they invite celebrities to compete their skills in different types of Latin dance. In addition, there are some intelligence and knowledge challenge shows (such as “Happy Dictionary” and “Lucky 52”) and situation comedies (like “I Love My Family” and “My Own Swordsman”) are very popular in China in recent years, which borrowed the format of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and “How I Met Your Mother” respectively.
The “pop idol culture”, the dancing show, situation comedy, and intelligence and knowledge challenge show turn out to be the representations of “media globalization”. Because the origins of these shows were all from the United States, I would call the phenomena of applying American TV show format into Chinese TV shows as “Americanization of Chinese TV show”.
1. Relationship between media globalization and technology
Development of technology is the base of media globalization. The success of the competition shows based on the development of both traditional media and modern media. Traditional media refers to television, which not only provides a platform for TV program, but also earns great profits through rating and the commercials. New media refers to the internet and mobile phone. The internet helps the TV program to get lots of attention and reputation, which plays significant role in promoting the program. In addition to the internet and television, text message is an essential form of media in the whole program. It brought the organizers, sponsors and telecommunication companies enormous profits through sending and receiving text messages. For “Super Girl” case, voting through text message is a new form of involving the audience to the TV program, it gave people not only a chance of free choice but also a sense of cultural democracy, mobile interactivity in ‘Super Girl’ has given the Chinese population a new mouthpiece – and one that it is very hard for the government (who have even managed to censor the Internet) control.
2. Manipulation of art activities in the age of globalization:
Media Americanization is well presented in the “Americanized” shows through the similarities that the shows have been manipulated. The existence of “pop idol” helps with making profit for the creators and developing TV and pop music industry. Both American idol and Super Girl have got great success because of the common ways they manipulate the show: the songs that contestants selected were all very famous or classic, which help the audience have a better perception of American / Chinese pop music; The judges are all famous music professionals and their comments are humorous and unpredictable; easy access of the competition; great audience involvement. The winner was selected by audience’s voting, which makes audience feel like being respected and involved, and so their passion for the show is motivated.
There are similar functions of both of “Dancing with the Star” and “Dancing Together”: some popular stars present the other side of them to the audience through this program, and some other unpopular celebrities join the competition to keep more exposure to the public.
3. China’s reactions towards media Americanization:
Although there are lots of similarities between these American and Chinese TV shows, China still have different applications about this “Americanized culture” because of different culture, social or political policy. “Super Girl”, for example, only women were allowed to apply for the competition. The reason for this is that unlike women in western cultures, Chinese women have been educated with conservative traditions which do not encourage them to freely express and present themselves. Therefore, the existence of “Super Girl” became the representation of rebel of Chinese traditional value and provides a stage specifically for Chinese girls to present themselves. That is why Li Yuchun, who is not as charming as the meaning in Chinese traditional concept, won the first prize in the competition in 2005.
In situation comedy like “How I met your mother”, there are lots of scenes with talks about sex and romantic relationships. However, in Chinese situation comedies, sex talk will never be allowed to appear on the small screen. Instead, the stories more concentrate on friendship and the relationship between family members, co-workers, etc.
Comparing with the American style, more “gambling”-like game in “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, Chinese “Happy Dictionary” and “Lucky 52” are less money-motivated and more about “making dreams come true”, because in Chinese culture and values, we do not encourage people to be too utilitarian or material.
Despite the traditional culture, further government control and arrangement of “Super Girl” is also different with “American Idol” because of different political policies. The (Chinese) State Administration of Radio, Film and Television issued new rules to regulate Idol-inspired shows. The rule pointed out that the contests should contribute to "constructing a harmonious socialist society”, which means the program should be positive and healthy. This action revealed that “Super Girl” may bring problems to Chinese society: because of the text message voting, somebody considers “Super Girl” as a force for democracy. For a country like China which is lack of democratic choice, this opportunity to vote would make a huge difference in people’s mind and inspire Chinese intellectuals to imagine about arrangement for democratic elections and awake people’s democratic consciousness in the younger generation. Some people were worried that voting for TV contestants would make Chinese want to vote in other contexts, such as for their political leaders.
The application of popular American TV show into Chinese TV program becomes a representation of “media Americanization”. However, although “pop idol”, situation comedy and knowledge challenge show are mass-produced in China, it does not mean that Chinese TV programs are totally Americanized. While borrowing the popular form of American TV program, Chinese TV station make the American culture localized, so that the program maintained the features of Chinese nation. Besides, because of the different culture and social policies, Chinese TV programs which have similar formats with American ones may have different content and treatment.
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2 comments:
Cissy,
This is a very interesting reading of the integration of American media into Chinese culture. But I hope you can allow me to ask some questions of your analysis.
The sense of cultural democracy you speak of in the act of texting votes could surely be seen as a Gramsican placationary act (not only as an extension of democracy). The people can text in a vote while contributing financially to the phone companies who are probably contracted with the government for access to the airwaves. Thereby supporting the system that they think they are begining to get out from under. Perhaps I am being overly cynical but this is an avenue for further exploration.
I find it interesting that your Chinese version of American Idol, Super Girl or at least the link you posted, is in English. Are all the performances in English? And if so, why is this?
While I appreciate your representation of the influx of American media as the "Americanization of Chinese TV shows" and I can indeed see your strong arguments for the same, may I suggest another possibility? Perhaps Chinese Culture is taking what it wants/sees and making it into Chinese culture. Or to put it another way the "Chinesation of American TV shows". You do say that the Chinese versions of some American shows do not have the American fare of "sex talk" and you say that the winner of Super Girl is not necessarily the most charming. Perhaps the Chinese media is savy enough to take American media and make it their own.
Perhaps some would view the winners of American Idol as the, "not most charming" contestant. Perhaps some would say that the "sex talk" in American TV shows is undesirable. TV viewing is plummeting in recent years in the U.S. compared to the glory days when there was clean family entertainment and no internet to diatract us.
BTW, American Idol, the most popular show for some time now with 30+ million viewers in the U.S. was the brain-child of an English man whose idea was snubbed in the U.K. before he pitched it in the U.S.
So one of your most popular TV shows in China is born of an Englishman and brought to China by way of America.
Maybe it is just the globalization of media and entertainment and not necessarily the Americanization?
T
Thanks for this very interesting and well-organized discussion of what you call the "Americanization of Chinese Televsion." I would point out, though, that as I understand it, the American Idol format was originally adapted from the British franchise Pop Idol ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_Idol )
so I guess I wouldn't give the Americans too much credit for popularizing the American Idol format :).
I like how you first characterize the AI format and then link it to Chinese cultural traditions and government control. It's funny how a show like American Idol is like a blank slate that can be adapted and integrated into seemingly any culture. However, as you point out in your post:
The (Chinese) State Administration of Radio, Film and Television issued new rules to regulate Idol-inspired shows. The rule pointed out that the contests should contribute to "constructing a harmonious socialist society”, which means the program should be positive and healthy. This action revealed that “Super Girl” may bring problems to Chinese society: because of the text message voting, somebody considers “Super Girl” as a force for democracy.
What are the definitions of "positive and healthy" according to this government agency? Clearly, they mean that the contestants should reinforce the status quo--that is faith in "socialist harmony"? Does this also extend to standards of women's behavior, for example? ANd "sex talk"? When did this ruling occur? It will be interesting to observe how it will affect or has affected Chinese programming.
As you know, the information we get in the U.S. media about China is limited (and heavily negative as well). So I really appreciate this thorough and nicely balanced discussion of a cultural conflict that I'm unlikely to learn about otherwise.
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