A recent article from BBC News, reports about criticism of Chinese media by Minister of Culture Cai Wu, who spoke out against "vulgar productions" advocating money-worship and consumerism. Minister Cai blamed this trend toward vulgarity in Chinese culture on market-oriented economic development, where a profit- oriented system passes off cheap entertainment as culture. Cai stated that:
"In today's world, a country's culture and economy are inseparable. A government must pay more attention to culture and originality if it wants to improve the quality of economic development."
China's President Hu Jintao (胡锦涛) has also recently criticized Chinese media for relying on "vanity, vulgarity, and kitsch."
Its likely that Minister Cai's notion that the increasingly consumeristic market-oriented economy in China is largely responsible for the change. Over the past 3 decades, China has transitioned from a command economy where the Chinese government strictly controlled virtually all media to more of a market-based economy. As a result, China has experienced huge economic growth and rapid changes in many aspects of society. While many of the changes have been positive, there have certainly been some negative results as well. In a market economy, the media content (films, TV shows, etc.) that is produced and sold is essentially determined by the market (i.e., consumers). Consumers in China, as elsewhere, often tend to prefer always going to get high-quality entertainment or culture. The general public often tends to prefer low-brow culture. This is why music by artists such as Lady Gaga and so-called reality TV shows (which generally have nothing to do with reality) are extremely popular.
Its likely that Minister Cai's notion that the increasingly consumeristic market-oriented economy in China is largely responsible for the change. Over the past 3 decades, China has transitioned from a command economy where the Chinese government strictly controlled virtually all media to more of a market-based economy. As a result, China has experienced huge economic growth and rapid changes in many aspects of society. While many of the changes have been positive, there have certainly been some negative results as well. In a market economy, the media content (films, TV shows, etc.) that is produced and sold is essentially determined by the market (i.e., consumers). Consumers in China, as elsewhere, often tend to prefer always going to get high-quality entertainment or culture. The general public often tends to prefer low-brow culture. This is why music by artists such as Lady Gaga and so-called reality TV shows (which generally have nothing to do with reality) are extremely popular.
In Cai Wu's opinion (and probably that of many other Chinese government officials), the government should exercise a degree of control over culture and media in order to ensure that its citizens are exposed to higher quality content.Whether and to what extent, government should control (regulate or support) culture is certainly debatable. With no control, the likely result would be generally low-brow culture, but too much control might overly constrain creators. I don't have any answer to this dilemma, but I'll leave this post with some quotes about culture from some much more famous people than I:
A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. Mohandas Gandhi
A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. Mohandas Gandhi
If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. John F. Kennedy
Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future. Albert Camus
Like every other good thing in this world, leisure and culture have to be paid for. Fortunately, however, it is not the leisured and the cultured who have to pay. Aldous Huxley
Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future. Albert Camus
Like every other good thing in this world, leisure and culture have to be paid for. Fortunately, however, it is not the leisured and the cultured who have to pay. Aldous Huxley
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