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November 20, 2014

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Spat reveals malaise in entertainment circle

A RECENT spat between famous TV anchor Cui Yongyuan and Tsinghua Professor Xiao Ying has grabbed media headlines. The spat started with a salvo Xiao fired at Zhao Benshan, a household name and iconic comedian, for being “increasingly kitschy” in his recent works.

Cui, who once performed in Zhao’s shows, quickly rallied to his defense. The spat has since escalated into a volley of invectives, with both men losing their poise and calling each other “idiots.”

Zhao, over whom the war of words was fought, didn’t respond to it though.

If this squabble is to be viewed as customary bickering between art critics and fans, it won’t make much impact beyond showing that some public figures, when they are less pretentious, are as uncouth as everyone can be.

‘Pig intestines’

If anything, the spat is suggestive of the malaise plaguing the entertainment business.

It’s not the first time Zhao has drawn flak from the Tsinghua professor. He was slammed before for not “living up to the responsibility as the heir of er ren zhuan.” Er ren zhuan is a duet popular in northeast China, featuring a lot of dancing, singing, banters and acrobatics.

In his own defense, Zhao said er ren zhuan is like pig intestines. The metaphor, which many find fitting for a genre rich in blue jokes and sexually explicit language, isn’t quite an attempt at self-mockery.

The duet sometimes does cater to the lowest common denominator. Zhao’s recent gigs, which occasionally taunt the physically and mentally challenged and homosexuals, are antithetical to values endorsed by civilized society.

In fairness, however, his works are appreciated by a majority of Chinese, educated and illiterate. Never before have any comedians had such massive appeal in a country of huge contrasts, between urban residents and rural dwellers.

No more sacred cow

But although the comedian still enjoys the masses’ support, he cannot always count on official favors any more.

It was reported on November 15 that his newly produced TV drama, in which he played the role of an elderly rural citizen left behind by children who migrate to towns, was barred from being aired due to “thematic problems,” according to the online edition of People’s Daily.

Exactly why a series supposedly about filial piety is banned from the screen, at least for now, is unknown, but this is an indicator that the much-adored comedian is no longer a sacred cow.

That shift in official attitudes and the underlying considerations may have revealed themselves at a vastly important forum on literature and arts, held in Beijing on October 15.

President Xi Jinping, who presided over the forum, stressed that art works must revolve around popular interests and be worthy of their times.

Among the 76-member audience were noted authors including Mo Yan, Nobel laureate in literature, and performing artists like Zhao.

The comedian told reporters afterward that he would “listen to the Party and stay abreast of the times.” The statement might be seen by some as a so-called renunciation of artistic independence, but it merits more than just scorn.

What Zhao means by “staying abreast of the times” may well be a response to President Xi’s pleas that “art should not be enslaved to the market, or concern itself with making money only.”

This was essentially the pursuit of all artists, until recently. The prosperity of the entertainment business has enriched artists like Zhao over the decades.

‘Boom times’

From a young man of rustic origins to a billionaire with his own jet, he saw his career flourishing thanks to the “boom times.” But in their desire to embrace the market, many have willingly jettisoned artistic principles that got in the way of making profits and produced works that are at best kitschy and at worst downright risque.

The forum in mid-October has sent a strong signal that the government is going to crack down on the seedy showbiz industry, which we have come to associate with sensationalism, decadence and worse, scandals.

One is hardly surprised at the dirt and filth permeating the sector, but a succession of scandals involving celebrities arrested on charges of drug abuses and paid sex with prostitutes may have so irked the government that the anti-kitsch movement has been expanded into a cleanup campaign.

The national broadcast watchdog, for instance, has issued a directive that bans the works of actors, actresses and filmmakers with criminal records.

This has sparked a flurry of reactions, including the frenetic efforts of entertainment companies to sign artists on terms that indemnify them against financial losses caused by possible wrongdoing and official punishment.

Draconian as the directive may seem, we need to be aware that this deterrent is not capable of eliminating vice or kitsch. As the Chinese saying goes, high and low cultures are both admirable.

There is no escape from kitsch, for it is part of human nature. But it at least can and should be counteracted with a healthy antidote.

What we need is a true artistic spirit with which to counter the influence of sordid material interests and obsessions.

This requires encouragement in the form of state policy that supports high-brow and niche films, theater and musicals, and, if possible, also promotes serious literature and arts.




 

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