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Super Girls: Boon or Farce in China's TV Entertainment Industry
The finale (终曲) of "Super Girls," an "American Idol"-type television pop star contest organized by a local satellite television (卫星电视) service in central China, became one of the most widely watched TV programs in the country.
The lanky (瘦长的), shaggy-haired winner from Sichuan Province, southwest China, might have dominated the contest because of her "transgender (跨性别) appeal," which helped her win votes from both male and female viewers.
The contest, which began half a year ago, with the participation (参与) of 150,000 women above the age of 16 from across the country and the number of viewers estimated at 2 million, was shown once a week. It has become talk of the town.
The contest has also triggered a debate (争论) about the development trend in the country's TV entertainment industry.
Yu Zhenyi, a professor with Sichuan Conservatory of Music (音乐学校), argued the popularity of "Super Girls" lied in the fact that it dealt a strong impact on the reserved expression of China's traditional culture and aesthetic (审美) standards because people are fed up with the entertainment programs which have long dominated the media as time goes by tend to embrace things anew.
Professor Jiang Yuanlun, also head of the Institute of Journalism (新闻界) and Mass Media with the Beijing Normal University, thought "Super Girls" was appealing to the eyeballs (眼球) of the Chinese because it satisfied the aspiration of the general public for demonstrating themselves, venting their feelings.
"When most TV program makers still cling to the notion of 'beauties only', viewers find in 'Super Girls' more entertaining elements (基础) such as the participants showcasing themselves in their own way though it was obvious that they had had no professional training in singing and dancing," said Jiang.
He even heralded "Super Girls" to foreshadow (预示) the start of a new era characterized by real-person shows in the country's TV entertainment industry.
"Super Girls' are totally different from previous popular entertainment programs such as evening song and dance galas, or quiz tests in which audience acted passively," said Jiang.
Some specialists (专家) think the other way. They believe the stardom movement was no good to the growth of teenagers (青少年) alike.
Xia Xueluan, a professor of social sciences with the elite Beijing University, said it might help teenagers to enrich (丰富) their experience in life and broaden their horizon by competing in such activities as "Super Girls," but the price has proved to be too high.
"Some teenagers who are weak in self control tends to indulge themselves in the farce: they are so preoccupied with (关注) it that they don't have much thought for learning cultural basics or simply miss classes in order to participate in the contest," said Xia.
"The 'Super Girls' craze for popularity (流行) overnight also gives way to fickleness in society and speculative psychology among girls."
For weeks, fans have been turning up at venues of the contests (比赛地点),shouting and carrying posters of their favorite "Super Girls" contestants in a bid to rally votes (投票) in their favor.
Shi Tongyu, a fellow researcher with the Journalism Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, denounced the "Super Girls" contest as vulgar (粗俗).
"Prime-time TV broadcasts on items such as news and cultural and educational programs should be increased so as to squeeze the time for show of similar vulgar programs as 'Super Girls'," suggested Shi.
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loveyou4538
发表于 2005-11-3 15:30:50
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Jackie plays a rather goody-goody archaeologist (考古学家) named Jack who agrees with his friend William (Tony Leung Ka Fai) to investigate (调查) a temple (庙) in India where, legend has it, a mysterious stone can confer weightlessness. It turns out that the stone is part of the tomb (皇陵) of a Qing Dynasty general.
In the movie's one innovation (创新), the film flashes back to Qing Dynasty China, where Chan plays the general (将军), Meng-yi, inscenes that are tied to the present day by making them appear in Jack's dreams of a past life.
In Jack's earlier incarnation (化身) as Meng-yi, he is in love with one of the emperor's concubines (妃子), the wispy Ok-soo (Kim Hee-seon), who yearns for freedom but stays in the capital for Meng-yi's sake.
Eventually, Meng-yi crosses the wrong palace minister (大臣), and through various contrivances (发明) Ok-soo ends up immortal (不朽), along with one of Meng-yi's loyal friends, living in a cave lined with the stones that bestow weightlessness (无重形态).
Of course, none of this makes any sense. In most of Chan's movies, as in the real "Indiana Jones" films, such conceits are easily offset by impressive (感人) fight sequences and unabashed camp.
But "The Myth" suffers from a terrible malady (疾病): it takes itself seriously. The historical scenes try to imitate the new wave of Chinese art epics (壮丽), while the modern scenes play at being a stern commentary on cultural ethics. This mistaken attitude contaminates every aspect of the film, especially Chan, who tries to show a desperate, tragic heroism (英勇), and doesn't pull it off.
The bright spots in the film are naturally the fight scenes. Despite the overwrought (过度紧张) and heavy-handed storytelling, it's still great fun to see the quintessential (精髓的) professional at work. But you'll have to sit through lots of unfortunate scenes to get to these highlights.
Director Stanley Tong said that he intended to create a more dramatic Jackie Chan film with "The Myth." The result is a movie with the ridiculous plotting, one-dimensional characters and awesome fights of any other Chan film ― but without Chan's traditional (传统的) charm.
Keeping Chan from winking at the camera kills the film. Even on the poster (海报) hanging in the window of Jackie's Kitchen, Chan is scowling. Someone should tell Stanley Tong that scowls don't sell dim sum ― or campy movies.
