Representing local identities through global television formats in China and India
A comparative analysis of Super Girl and Indian Idol 3
Abstract
This article explores the potential for the Idol talent show format, a sub-genre of the broader reality TV genre, and of its imitations in order to generate new forms of public expression and social inclusion in China and India, thus promoting a democratisation of the respective
public spheres. In particular, the article discusses the ability of the talent show genre to represent local identities vis-à-vis established cultural models endorsed or promoted by national cultural institutions, such as state televisions. To this end, a comparative analysis of two popular talent shows during the last decade is presented — China’s Super Girl and India’s Indian Idol 3 — whose cultural and social effects could be regarded as carrying political implications for the issues of identity and citizenship in the world regions under observation.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
CARDO, V., «Celebrity politics and political representation: The case of George Galloway
MP on Celebrity Big Brother». BRITISH POLITICS, 9(2): 146—160. [2014]
CAROMANICA, J., «‘American Idol’ Ends, Eclipsed by Internet Democracy». The New
York Times. AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2016/04/07/ARTS/TELEVISION/AMERICAN-IDOL-SOCIAL-MEDIA-INTERNET.HTML?_
R=0. LAST ACCESSED: APRIL 10TH, 2016. [2016]
COSENTINO, G., «L’Isola dei Famosi: Minority politics in Italy via reality television». JOURNAL
OF ITALIAN CINEMA & MEDIA STUDIES, 3(1+2): 117—135. [2015]
COSENTINO, G. AND DOYLE, W., «Silvio Berlusconi. The One Man Brand» [2010] in
Aronczyk, M. and Powers, D. (eds.) Blowing up the Brand: Critical Perspectives on Promotional
Culture. NEW YORK: PETER LANG. [2010]
COULDRY, N. , «Reality television, or the secret theatre of neoliberalism». REVIEW OF EDUCATION
PEDAGOGY AND CULTURAL STUDIES, 30(1): 3—13. [2008]
DI, M., «Between Propaganda and Commercials, Chinese TV today» in Shirk S. Changing
Media, Changing China. OXFORD: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, PP. 91-114. [2010]
HEPP, A . AND COULDRY, N ., «What should comparative media research be comparing?
Towards a transcultural approach to ‘media cultures», in Thussu, D. (ed.) INTERNATIONALIZING MEDIA
STUDIES. ROUTLEDGE. [2009]
HILL, A ., «Big Brother. The Real Audience.» Television and New Media, 3(3): 323—340. [2002]
HOLMES, S., «Reality Goes Pop!’: Reality TV, Popular Music, and Narratives of Stardom
in Pop Idol». TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA, 5(2): 147-172. [2004]
KEANE, M. FUNG, A . AND MORAN A., «New Television, Globalisation, and the East
Asian Cultural Imagination». HONG KONG: HONG KONG UNIVERSITY PRESS. [2007]
KRAIDY, M., «Reality Television, Gender and Authenticity in Saudi Arabia». JOURNAL
OF COMMUNICATION, 59(2): 345-366. [2009]
KRAIDY, M. AND SENDER, K . , «The Politics of Reality TV». LONDON: ROUTLEDGE. [2011]
JENKINS, H., «Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture». NEW YORK: NYU
PRESS. [2006]
JIAN M. AND LIU, C. , «‘Democratic entertainment’ commodity and unpaid labor of reality
TV: a preliminary analysis of China’s Supergirl». INTER-ASIA CULTURAL STUDIES, 10(4): 524-543. [2009]
JOFFE-WALT, B. , «Mad about the girl: a pop idol for China». THE GUARDIAN. HTTP://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.
COM/MEDIA/2005/OCT/07/CHINATHEMEDIA.BROADCASTING. LAST ACCESSED: APRIL 10TH, 2016. [2005]
MARTEL, F., «Mainstream». PARIS: FLAMMARION. [2010]
КОММУНИКАЦИИ, МЕДИА
И ДИЗАЙН № 3, 2016 85 НАУЧНЫЕ СТАТЬИ / SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES
MORAN, A ., «TV Formats Worldwide». Intellect. [2009]
MURRAY, S. AND OUELLETTE, L . (eds.), «Reality Television. Remaking Television
Culture». NEW YORK: NYU PRESS. [2004]
PUNATHAMBEKAR, A . , «Reality TV and Participatory Culture in India». POPULAR COMMUNICATION,
8(4): 241 — 255 [2010]
RAJAGOPAL, A . , «Politics After Television». CAMBRIDGE: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS. [2001]
RAJAGOPAL, A . , «Television in India: Ideas, Institutions and Practices» in Alvarado, M. ET AL.,
THE SAGE HANDBOOK OF TELEVISION STUDIES. THOUSAND OAKS: SAGE. [2015]
TAY, J., «The Search for an Asian Idol: The Performance of Regional Identity in Reality
Television». INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURAL STUDIES, 14(3): 323-338. [2011]
THUSSU, D., «Mapping Global Media Flow and Contra-Flow» in Thussu D.K, International
Communication. LONDON: ROUTLEDGE. [2010]
TURNER, G., «The mass production of celebrity: ‘Celetoids’, reality television and the
‘demotic turn’». INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURAL STUDIES, 9(2): 153—65. [2006]
VAN ZOONEN, LISBET, «Imagining the fan democracy». EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION 19(1):
39—52 [2004]
WHEELOCK STAHL, M. , «A moment like this. American Idol and narratives of meritocracy»,
in C. Washburne and M. Derno (eds.), Bad Music: The Music We Love to Hate. NEW YORK:
ROUTLEDGE, PP. 165—82. [2004]
WONG, E. , «China TV Grows Racy, and Gets a Chaperon». The New York Times, HTTP://WWW.
NYTIMES.COM/2012/01/01/WORLD/ASIA/CENSORS-PULL-REINS-AS-CHINA-TV-CHASING-PROFIT-GETS-RACY.HTML?_R=0. LAST ACCESSED: APRIL
10TH, 2016. [2011]
MP on Celebrity Big Brother». BRITISH POLITICS, 9(2): 146—160. [2014]
CAROMANICA, J., «‘American Idol’ Ends, Eclipsed by Internet Democracy». The New
York Times. AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2016/04/07/ARTS/TELEVISION/AMERICAN-IDOL-SOCIAL-MEDIA-INTERNET.HTML?_
R=0. LAST ACCESSED: APRIL 10TH, 2016. [2016]
COSENTINO, G., «L’Isola dei Famosi: Minority politics in Italy via reality television». JOURNAL
OF ITALIAN CINEMA & MEDIA STUDIES, 3(1+2): 117—135. [2015]
COSENTINO, G. AND DOYLE, W., «Silvio Berlusconi. The One Man Brand» [2010] in
Aronczyk, M. and Powers, D. (eds.) Blowing up the Brand: Critical Perspectives on Promotional
Culture. NEW YORK: PETER LANG. [2010]
COULDRY, N. , «Reality television, or the secret theatre of neoliberalism». REVIEW OF EDUCATION
PEDAGOGY AND CULTURAL STUDIES, 30(1): 3—13. [2008]
DI, M., «Between Propaganda and Commercials, Chinese TV today» in Shirk S. Changing
Media, Changing China. OXFORD: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, PP. 91-114. [2010]
HEPP, A . AND COULDRY, N ., «What should comparative media research be comparing?
Towards a transcultural approach to ‘media cultures», in Thussu, D. (ed.) INTERNATIONALIZING MEDIA
STUDIES. ROUTLEDGE. [2009]
HILL, A ., «Big Brother. The Real Audience.» Television and New Media, 3(3): 323—340. [2002]
HOLMES, S., «Reality Goes Pop!’: Reality TV, Popular Music, and Narratives of Stardom
in Pop Idol». TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA, 5(2): 147-172. [2004]
KEANE, M. FUNG, A . AND MORAN A., «New Television, Globalisation, and the East
Asian Cultural Imagination». HONG KONG: HONG KONG UNIVERSITY PRESS. [2007]
KRAIDY, M., «Reality Television, Gender and Authenticity in Saudi Arabia». JOURNAL
OF COMMUNICATION, 59(2): 345-366. [2009]
KRAIDY, M. AND SENDER, K . , «The Politics of Reality TV». LONDON: ROUTLEDGE. [2011]
JENKINS, H., «Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture». NEW YORK: NYU
PRESS. [2006]
JIAN M. AND LIU, C. , «‘Democratic entertainment’ commodity and unpaid labor of reality
TV: a preliminary analysis of China’s Supergirl». INTER-ASIA CULTURAL STUDIES, 10(4): 524-543. [2009]
JOFFE-WALT, B. , «Mad about the girl: a pop idol for China». THE GUARDIAN. HTTP://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.
COM/MEDIA/2005/OCT/07/CHINATHEMEDIA.BROADCASTING. LAST ACCESSED: APRIL 10TH, 2016. [2005]
MARTEL, F., «Mainstream». PARIS: FLAMMARION. [2010]
КОММУНИКАЦИИ, МЕДИА
И ДИЗАЙН № 3, 2016 85 НАУЧНЫЕ СТАТЬИ / SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES
MORAN, A ., «TV Formats Worldwide». Intellect. [2009]
MURRAY, S. AND OUELLETTE, L . (eds.), «Reality Television. Remaking Television
Culture». NEW YORK: NYU PRESS. [2004]
PUNATHAMBEKAR, A . , «Reality TV and Participatory Culture in India». POPULAR COMMUNICATION,
8(4): 241 — 255 [2010]
RAJAGOPAL, A . , «Politics After Television». CAMBRIDGE: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS. [2001]
RAJAGOPAL, A . , «Television in India: Ideas, Institutions and Practices» in Alvarado, M. ET AL.,
THE SAGE HANDBOOK OF TELEVISION STUDIES. THOUSAND OAKS: SAGE. [2015]
TAY, J., «The Search for an Asian Idol: The Performance of Regional Identity in Reality
Television». INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURAL STUDIES, 14(3): 323-338. [2011]
THUSSU, D., «Mapping Global Media Flow and Contra-Flow» in Thussu D.K, International
Communication. LONDON: ROUTLEDGE. [2010]
TURNER, G., «The mass production of celebrity: ‘Celetoids’, reality television and the
‘demotic turn’». INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURAL STUDIES, 9(2): 153—65. [2006]
VAN ZOONEN, LISBET, «Imagining the fan democracy». EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION 19(1):
39—52 [2004]
WHEELOCK STAHL, M. , «A moment like this. American Idol and narratives of meritocracy»,
in C. Washburne and M. Derno (eds.), Bad Music: The Music We Love to Hate. NEW YORK:
ROUTLEDGE, PP. 165—82. [2004]
WONG, E. , «China TV Grows Racy, and Gets a Chaperon». The New York Times, HTTP://WWW.
NYTIMES.COM/2012/01/01/WORLD/ASIA/CENSORS-PULL-REINS-AS-CHINA-TV-CHASING-PROFIT-GETS-RACY.HTML?_R=0. LAST ACCESSED: APRIL
10TH, 2016. [2011]
Published
2016-11-13
How to Cite
CosentinoG. (2016). Representing local identities through global television formats in China and India. Communications. Media. Design, 1(3), 72-85. Retrieved from https://cmd-journal.hse.ru/article/view/7349
Section
Scientific Articles
