Chinese idol

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SNH48, one of the most popular Chinese idol groups SNH48 Di Er Jie Zong Xuan Ju 10.jpg
SNH48, one of the most popular Chinese idol groups
TFBoys in 2015 Wo De Sheng Ming Zai Deng Yi Shu Guang ,Zhi Dao Ni Chu Xian Zai Wu Tai Shang .jpg
TFBoys in 2015
Rocket Girls 101 in 2020 Rocket Girl 101 on Weibo night on January 11 2020 03.jpg
Rocket Girls 101 in 2020

The Chinese pop music industry has a growing trend of idols and idol groups, who are entertainers manufactured and marketed for their image and attractiveness. Idols are primarily singers (either as members of a group or as solo acts), but they are also trained in other roles, such as acting, dancing, and modeling. Unlike other celebrities, idols are promoted through merchandise and endorsements by talent agencies while maintaining a carefully curated public image and social media presence, as well as a strong parasocial connection with a passionate fan base through concerts and meetups.

Contents

History

The Chinese entertainment industry adopted the concept of "idols" from Japan and South Korea, where thousands of teenagers undergo years of training, and only a select few eventually debut in idol groups that generate income for their agencies through the release of musical records, sale of merchandise, brand endorsement deals, and concert revenue. [1]

The early 2010s saw the rise in popularity of Japanese-style idol groups such as SNH48 [2] and TFBoys. On January 27, 2017, some members of SNH48 performed on the CCTV New Year's Gala as backup dancers during a segment with Coco Lee and JJ Lin.[ citation needed ] This was the first appearance by an idol group at a major Chinese event. Korean idol groups such as Exo-M, SJ-M and T-ara also reached a larger audience through performances in China.[ citation needed ]

The success of Chinese reality shows Idol Producer and Produce 101 China , produced by iQiyi and Tencent Video, has led commentators to label 2018 as the start of the Age of Idols. These shows feature about a hundred contestants undergoing training, performances, and eliminations through audience votes, culminating in a few debuting as idol band members. Together, the shows were viewed 8.07 billion times, creating buzzwords like "C-position" for the central role in a performance. [3] [4] [1] Idol groups Nine Percent and Rocket Girls 101 debuted through these shows. [5] Other idol competition shows Youth With You and Produce Camp 2019 followed in 2019. [6]

Examples of other K-pop style idol groups include R1SE, Into1, and many more. [ citation needed ]

Government regulations

On September 2, 2021, China's National Radio and Television Administration cracked down on idol reality TV, going as far as to ban idol competition shows [7] [8] [9] [10] after multiple fandom controversies surrounding the massively popular idol talent show Youth With You 3, which was taken off air in May 2021. [11] [12] [13]

As part of the Chinese government's wider crackdown on the technology and entertainment sectors, the National Radio and Television Administration included in an eight-point plan that "sissy idols," effeminate men, "overly entertaining" things are to be prohibited. [14] The entertainment sector is to promote traditional and socialist culture, and establish "correct beauty standards". [15] The Communist Party's propaganda department accused the entertainment industry of negatively influencing youth and polluting society. The Cyberspace Administration of China also called for an end to toxic celebrity fandom culture, [14] with a 10-point plan which addresses stopping the spread of "harmful" information, gossip, and scandal within fan groups. The government has also prohibited the publication of celebrity ranking lists and the practice of charging fans to vote in celebrity reality competition shows. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

Sissy, also sissy baby, sissy boy, sissy man, sissy pants, etc., is a pejorative term for a boy or man who does not demonstrate masculine traits, and shows possible signs of fragility. Generally, sissy implies a lack of courage, strength, athleticism, coordination, testosterone, male libido, and stoicism. A man might also be considered a sissy for being interested in typically feminine hobbies or employment, displaying effeminate behavior, being unathletic or being homosexual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yasushi Akimoto</span> Japanese producer, lyricist

Yasushi Akimoto is a Japanese record producer, lyricist, and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise. Total sales of the singles he has written exceed 100 million copies, making him the best-selling lyricist in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean idol</span> Type of South Korean musical celebrity

An idol refers to a type of celebrity working in the field of K-pop in fandom culture in South Korea, either as a member of a group or as a solo act. K-pop idols are characterized by the highly manufactured star system that they are produced by and debuted under, as well as their tendency to represent a hybridized convergence of visuals, music, fashion, and dance. They usually work for a mainstream entertainment agency and have undergone extensive training in dance, vocals, and foreign language. Idols maintain a carefully curated public image and social media presence, and dedicate significant time and resources to building relationships with fans through concerts and meetups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SNH48</span> Chinese girl group

SNH48 is a Chinese idol girl group based in Shanghai. Following AKB48's creator Yasushi Akimoto's concept of "idols you can meet", the group features dozens of female members around the age of 20, who perform regularly in the group's own theater and interact with fans predominantly via the official Pocket48/口袋48 App online and offline via theater and handshake events. There are over 200 female members across SNH48 and all its sister groups including GNZ48, BEJ48, CKG48, CGT48 and IDOLS Ft. The group is owned by Chinese companies NineStyle and Star48. Established in 2012, it parted ways with AKB48's groups in June 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xu Jiaqi</span> Chinese singer

Xu Jiaqi is a Chinese singer, rapper, dancer, songwriter, and actress. She was a member of Team SII of the female idol group SNH48 as well as its sub-units Style-7 and 7Senses, and she was also a member of the temporary girl group, THE9. In 2020, she participated in Youth with You 2 and got 3rd place, securing her place in THE9. She is also known for her role in the television series Legend of Yunxi (2018) as well as her leading role in The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion (2020) as Fu Xuan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Zhenni</span> Chinese singer and actress (born 2000)

Sun Zhenni is a Chinese singer and actress. She is a former member of Team HII of the Chinese idol group SNH48, as well as its sub-units, Color Girls and Style-7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Su Shanshan</span> Female Chinese singer and actress

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<i>Produce 101</i> Reality television talent competition franchise

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Percent</span> Chinese boy band

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<i>Youth With You</i> season 2 2020 Chinese girl group competition show

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The9 was a Chinese girl group formed through the IQIYI survival show Youth With You 2. The group consisted of Liu Yuxin, Yu Shuxin, Xu Jiaqi, Yu Yan, Xie Keyin, An Qi, Zhao Xiaotang, Kong Xueer and Lu Keran.

Youth With You, also known by its Chinese title Qīng Chūn Yǒu Nǐ or simply QCYN, is a Chinese reality group survival show that premiered on the iQIYI video platform. Called Idol Producer Season 2 before filming, it is the second edition of the 2018 Chinese reality boy group survival show 'Idol Producer'.

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Into1 was a multi-national Chinese boy group, formed through the 2021 reality show Produce Camp 2021 on Tencent Video. The group consists of eleven members: Liu Yu, Santa, Rikimaru, Mika, Nine, Lin Mo, Bo Yuan, Zhang Jiayuan, Patrick, Zhou Keyu, Liu Zhang.

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References

  1. 1 2 Ding, Gang; Zhang, Boyuan; Teng, Jing Xuan (August 17, 2018). "China's Teen-Idol Obsession". Caixin . Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Yin, Yijun (June 21, 2019). "Born Again: China's Girl Groups and the Life Cycle of a Stardom". Sixth Tone . Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  3. ↑ Achim, Adina-Laura (November 18, 2019). "The Rise of Idol Economies in China". Jing Daily.
  4. ↑ "China's Pop Idols are Too Soft for the Party". November 12, 2018.
  5. ↑ "偶练九人团出道！蔡徐坤范丞丞无悬念 林彦俊爆冷". April 6, 2018.
  6. ↑ 簡, 子喬 (June 8, 2019). "冠軍足足贏了第二名2300萬票！ 《創造營2019》最終11人名單出爐". Yahoo奇摩名人娛樂. Yahoo. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  7. ↑ "China bans talent shows in showbiz crackdown – DW – 09/02/2021". dw.com. Deutsche Welle (DW).
  8. ↑ "China bans reality talent shows". The Hindu. THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. September 2, 2021.
  9. ↑ Ni, Vincent (September 2, 2021). "China bans reality talent shows to curb behaviours of 'idol' fandoms". The Guardian.
  10. ↑ "China Bans Reality Talent Shows In Major Showbiz Crackdown". NDTV.com. NDTV CONVERGENCE LIMITED.
  11. ↑ Yau, Elaine (May 5, 2021). "Chinese boy band show goes off air after allegations against competitor". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd.
  12. ↑ Looi, Sylvia (May 10, 2021). "After controversies, no winners for China's 'Youth With You 3' as producers cancel finals". Yahoo News. Yahoo.
  13. ↑ Yuan, Ye (August 27, 2021). "Streaming Service iQiyi Cancels Idol Competitions, Online Voting". Sixth Tone. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  14. 1 2 Frater, Patrick (September 3, 2021). "China Wants 'Sissy Idols' and 'Effeminate Men' Scrubbed From Entertainment Industry". Variety. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  15. 1 2 Zhang, Phoebe (September 2, 2021). "China releases plan to ban 'sissy idols', promote a 'correct beauty standard'". South China Morning Post. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
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