‘Democratic entertainment’ commodity and unpaid labor of reality TV: a preliminary analysis of China'sSupergirl

Abstract

China's Supergirl , a popular reality talent show, is fairly similar to American Idol in the sense that it created new forms of media commodities as well as new forms of labor. Because of this, the entertainment industry has been able to generate profits in China's growing broadcasting and, up to now underdeveloped, music markets. By analyzing both the production and consumption of Supergirl , this paper describes the economic development of reality TV in China.We also analyze how this talent show produced a flexible and localized commodity. This paper suggests that a different perspective is needed in order to understand the ways in which the organizers steer and manipulate the audience participation. Volunteer and unpaid labor is created by promoting the 'TV Cinderella myth'. Fans and participants are symbolically paid in a form of 'dream-fulfillment'. People, otherwise accustomed to a Communist regime, are now charmed by a certain amount of apparent democracy that is displayed during the singing contests. This paper coins the above mentioned process as being a specific commodity of 'democratic entertainment' in China.K EYWORDS : reality TV, unpaid labor, democratic entertainment, SupergirlSince the year 2000, a new wave of reality TV has been spreading in East Asian societies as well as throughout the European and North American societies where it originated. It is said to represent 'a fresh alternative program type' in East Asian societies (Keane et al . 2007: 143). In China, Supergirl , an American Idol -type TV contest, was viewed by more than 400 million people in 2005, making it one of the most successful shows in Chinese television history. Due to the success of Supergirl , there are numerous discussions focused on its social, cultural, economic, political, and even gender identity implications for China. The primary focus of this article is the economic model, without ignoring the deep social and cultural issues, such as democratic participation, brought on by this program. We do not denounce or celebrate the cultural or political implications; instead we explore them within the new economic structure generated by this program.Reality TV -such as China's Supergirl -is not only another popular TV show, but also represents a whole new form of media commodity and labor. Reality TV's commodity chain makes full use of a multimedia platform, including TV, phone lines, and the internet. With the aid of integrated media technologies, this type of program can make money from sponsorship revenues, cellular text messages, and even the continuous exploitation of talent. In the case study of Supergirl , this article suggests that the success of this program creates new forms of media commodities as well as new forms of labor. On one hand, the new media commodities are customized products that are produced in a flexible and localized way. On the other hand, the customized products have to involve the consumers in the production processes. Consumers are active participants and volunteer to do extra labor. They even p...

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