Supergirls

Although I can't claim much expertise about Chinese pop culture, even I know that the major phenonemon of 2005 was "Super Girls" (more literally "Super Female Voice"): an American Idol-type contest that ran for several weeks in the summer, generating a craze which may have been significant for reasons beyond mere entertainment.

The winners were chosen partly by a panel of expert judges, partly by a panel of non-expert judges representing ordinary folks, and partly by the TV audience, voting via SMS message. Note the word "voting". Many saw the wild popularity of the show as having a political dimension -- giving people a taste of direct democracy in a country that has none.

The blog EastSouthWestNorth collected a representative sampling of the kinds of discussions Supergirls provoked -- you can read it here.

Also of interest was the outcome. The ultimate winner, Li Yuchun (center in the above picture) was not the conventional, long-haired, sweet-smiling nymphette you typically see on Chinese entertainment television. She was androgynous in looks and behavior, with a husky voice and a flat singing style, and some have speculated that she was an erotic outlet for teen girls who made up the core of the Supergirls fan base -- it would have been acceptable for them to swoon over her in front of their parents. Alternatively, she might have provided an appealing image of liberation and self-determination.

I have to admit that my first reaction to Li Yuchun was "huh? they call this super singing?" As I realized later, this was missing the point.

9:58:30 PM   |