I’m posting this here for our edification.
It’s shocking (but not surprising) to learn that the hand of the Chinese government double-dips in the production: before the casting and after filming. That’s why I’ve been warning us all to be critical of the cdramas we consume. The plot holes, plot armors and tropes are tolerable because I don’t expect a Shakespearean masterpiece, but we can individually reflect on the themes and message of the cdrama for truth and veracity. We know, as do the Chinese officials, that the fantasy world of cdramas we immerse ourselves in will indelibly impact our perception of reality. Increasingly, cdramas and kdramas have become the “opium of the masses.”
“How Chinese Dramas Get Made” from “Marcus Here!” YouTube channel.
Thank you for sending this@packmule3. My take on these dramas has been colored by the fact that China has a totalitarian government that controls the storylines to conform with its politics.I know that, for example, Uhyghurs,(z Chinese Muslims) face widespread discrimination but one of the Chinese stars is the token Dilraba Dilmurat(sic). It is all about appearances. While I enjoy many C dramas I find that there is far more freedom coming out of Taiwan with subject matter like gay life being nonexistent or heavily censored in China.
Some actors are forbidden to appear with others of the same sex for example
The same can probably be said for dramas coming out of Hong Kong. So I watch with a grain of salt although I have seen some BL dramas coming out of those places
Perhaps money motivated those productions.
Nevertheless China walks a thin line because it promoted commerce but politics prevails. It also interests me that actors do move between the countries that are or are not communist. But I still view Chinese dramas and those from Hong Kong differently from K dramas strictly because of the underlying undemocratic politics of China and Hong Kong. The British, in my mind should have kept Hong Kong.
L
Happy to have a chance to talk a little about all this, at least discreetly.
Costume dramas. Typical required inserts.
Whenever the “ethnic” scene occurs on the borders I always painfully cringe, because of Xinjiang. And similiarly, from the flourished peony part 2, the pompous welcome to foreign embassies”tang” portrait of the “we welcome our neighbors and never interfere” message. (snort!).
MOderns. Sports dramas always have the patriotism bit erupting out of the mouths of actors suddenly.
That said, I always assume that the actors and crew of what I watch hope for peace in the world as much as I do.
And I entertain myself by drawing a parallel between the problem of product placement for kdrama. Where to put it, how to treat it? writers and directors have ingenious ways. Anyone remember the massage chairs in “Because this is ny First Life”? Almost parody. The whole cell phone update has been a blessing in retrospect. Catwalk fashion/short skirts on women whose knees are less than presentable… not so great.
Likewise, the game for Chinese creatives ranges from abrupt and obvious insertions of patriotic messages to smoother placements. If the censors require changes or more emphasis I imagine the director/etc havs to be very nimble to respond asap. Perhaps they prepare extra foorage ahead of time?I think it is important to remeber for a Chinese audience this stuff is probably easily blipped out while watching TV, just as product placement is in kdrama.
I try to put myself in the shoes of people working in the entertainment industry always in whatever country, and I am always painfully aware of the politics and economics around them, and I always hope for the best for their productions.
having watched the video.
working conditions and why actors endure them. painful topic.
social values, it is always interesting in a black comedy sort of way.
In China the state has to try to handle DemEc via any or all propaganda: so they must promote marriage, social cohesion, two couple working families, appease young men, appease women of all ages who are really getting tired of all this……and the massive absolutely massive production of endless tv cdramas lmust needs serve, while not stifling creative expression too much. Interestingly, while the internal market might seem lucrative, it looks like chinese streaming services are also looking for more overseas income.
DemEc — demography and economy.
The low birth replacement rate coupled with xenophobia preventing robust immigration is a problem in all asian countries. It is visble everywhere leading to a discreet or not so discreet promotion of marriage.
But China is suffering from a triple whammy.
1.There are way fewer young women than men. (This is also true in the west to a much lesser degree — demographic data shows nore equal numbers of women because older women live longer than men)
2. Youth unemployment coupled with aging elites as everywhere in the world is leading to social unrest, a real no-no in China if only for social ideological reasons.
3. And villages and towns are hollowing out, inhabited mainly by the old (also a problem across the more developed countries in Asia, but its becoming particularly bad in China)
So I always have a good time analyzing how the State is trying to fix everything by ‘social values’. Often contradicting themselves and messing up the cohesion of particular pieces.