Page 156 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

IDEOLOGICAL APPROACH

television show Star Academy, objecting to the show’s “mixing between
sexes, facilitating debauchery. . . . It is obvious that this program is one
of the reasons for bringing plague and disasters on Islam and Muslims.”
18
The cleric declared that to broadcast, finance, participate in, watch, or
even admire the popular talent contest violates Islamic tenets.
In authoritarian countries like China, even seemingly innocuous genric
Western programming can be seen as subversive. In 2005 Nickelodeon
was broadcast on Chinese television, including its popular Kids’ Choice
Awards program. One of the activities of the show involves “sliming,”
in which children dump a green goo over others. Another prank includes
children whacking their parents with balloon bats. Although these ac-
tivities appear harmless, journalist David Barboza points out that this
brand of “playfully antiauthoritarian programming . . . undermines the
traditional culture of respect for parents and authority reinforced by
decades of Communist discipline and the ruthless competitiveness of an
educational system that favors rigor over imagination.” 19
Xie Limin, a vice dean at the Shanghai Normal School, observes, “The
children would probably love these shows, but the parents may find them
hard to accept. Traditional Chinese culture requires children to behave
in every moment of their life.” In contrast, most Chinese-produced
20
children’s programs are designed to maintain control and obedience.
Barboza provides the following example:

“The Big Windmill,” a nationally broadcast program on China Central
Television, recently featured a typical skit. It involved a couple of people
who opened a new hotel and then overcharged travelers for their stay. Two
of these travelers turned out to be government investigators, looking into
just such crimes. The message of this show, which is intended for chil-
dren 3 to 14? “Don’t lie or cheat customers! And beware of undercover
authorities!” 21

However, there were some adaptations in moving the Kids’ Choice
Awards from the United States to China. For instance, in a popular seg-
ment in the American version, the children in the audience voted for their
favorite movie star. However, in the Chinese edition, the children voted
for their favorite scientist.
Indeed, in 2006, the Chinese government announced plans to impose
regulations on The Mongolian Cow Sour Yogurt Supergirl Contest, one
of China’s most popular television programs. Supergirl, an American Idol
knockoff that was carried on Hunan Satellite Television, was watched

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