China Daily Global Edition (USA)
PLAYING TO THE CROWD
When it comes to reality talent shows, the fever pitch generated by fans of Produce 101 demonstrates the power of inclusion,
At a venue in Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan district, ahead of the recent finals of talent show Produce 101, thousands of excited fans jostle each other as they wave banners and glow sticks, chanting the names of their favorite contestants.
Produce 101 is a South Korean reality TV franchise that has expanded to China and two other Asian countries.
Airing on a video platform of Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd, the show aims to select 11 winners from the original 101 contestants to form an all-female band, based on the number of public votes they receive.
However, the venue falls silent when a host asks if any male fans would dare to go up on stage and dance to the show’s theme song during the warmup to the show.
But as soon as the host offers 50 free votes for a dancer’s idol of choice, Yang Xiaoming, a follower of struggling contestant Qiang Dongyue, is quick to raise his hand.
“I wanted to win the votes for Qiang to prove that she has the support of real fans,” Yang later told China Daily.
A keen dancer, he spent three days learning the moves for the show’s theme song.
“Although I felt nervous, the cheers from the audience were infectious,” says the 19-year-old.
Since food and drinks were banned at the venue, Yang had spent the day without a drink or a bite. He didn’t realize how tired he was until he returned to the hotel where Qiang was staying, in the hope of catching another glimpse of her. All he had that day was a “standing ticket”.
Talent shows like these are not just about the onstage battle between performers — the rivalry remains fierce offstage among fans alike.
The program’s producer Ma Yankun says unlike conventional entertainers, the popular contestants on the show always have huge following: “Where there’s an idol, there are always fans.”
Two-way chemistry
Shi Hui, a 24-year-old office worker based in Shanghai, traveled to the Hangzhou studios in East China’s Zhejiang province to promote her idol Meng Meiqi by erecting digital billboards, portable display boards and large posters of Meng.
The money Shi used for the promotion was collected from Meng’s fans who openly raised funds totaling more than 12 million yuan ($1.8 million) in the past three months. Shi spent over 10,000 yuan in votes for Meng.
“I want her to stand in the center of the final group this time,” says Shi, adding that Meng’s unassuming look reflects her “say less, do more” approach.
Another fan, Feng Shuyi, 27, also found an affinity in a rapper of her age named Guo Ying.
“She doesn’t court the audience with sweet words,” says Feng. “I can feel her determination to prove herself. I’m the same age as her, and I completely understand her thirst for success.”
As a journalist who has some insight into the entertainment industry, Feng says the all-female band created by the show probably won’t amount to much.
“But by choosing an idol to support in the show is like playing a video game, and watching your character overcome all the barriers to complete their mission,” she says. “It’ll give me a sense of satisfaction if I can help Guo make it happen.”
Li Qiying, a graduate from Tongji University says she never supported a star before Wang Ju, another contestant on the show.
“At first, it was Wang’s powerful performance that appealed to me,” Li says. “Later, I stood by her because of her views on women’s independence and diversity in beauty, as well as her individuality.”
“Her message in the show struck a chord with me and inspired her fans to be more confident.”
Smarter fans
Li serves as the leader of Wang’s biggest fan club, where each of its six groups performs its own functions — such as design work, voting, writing and photography.
Li says they have students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in the club, who have designed products like bags, phone covers and T-shirts.
“We sell them for money to support Wang instead of always asking her followers to raise funds, which is a more sustainable way to develop the club.”
Like Li, Feng is also a decision-maker in Guo’s fan club. She says the methods of running an organized fan club are fairly similar around China.
“We try and dominate social media with positive comments about the idol, and attempt to persuade others to vote for her,” Feng explains.
“We track hot topics online and then write advertisements with related words to promote the star, and we also encourage fans to give their idols clothes, gifts and letters.”
Seven years ago, when Feng was a follower of South Korean girl band Girls’ Generation, fans simply supported their idols by buying their albums or tickets for their concerts.
“These days fans are much more aware about how to help their idols develop their careers,” she says.
Guo’s fans love her fashion sense, and often buy her fancy outfits to wear in public, in the hope that one day Guo will be lionized by the fashion industry.
Xu Miaomiao, a research associate from the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences says fans these days are better educated and have more disposable cash — which has fueled their “upgrading power”.
Zhang Yuxuan, 24, offers her understanding of the phenomenon: “Social media allows fans to join forces and spread their opinions more effectively. This gives them a better understanding of how the industry works and helps them raise the profile of their idols.”
Experience gained
Every weekend in the past three months, Zhang has made the journey from Shanghai to the reality show’s shooting base in Hangzhou, just to take photos and make videos of her favorite contestants.
Staying up late to see the contestants return from their training sessions, she usually had to catch the night train home on a Sunday to get back in time for work the next day.
“I post photos and videos online, so more fans can see their ‘sweeties’,” says Zhang.
When she was a student and couldn’t afford to follow her idol in person, photographers from the fan club fulfilled this role.
“It’s time for me to pay them back and help other fans,” she says.
For Shi, being part of a fan club allows her to escape her work routine and make new friends.
“I wasn’t so talkative before, but now I’m more willing to communicate with others,” she says.
But Feng gained more practical experience from being involved with a fan club, as the process of decision-making gave her valuable management experience.
“My role as project coordinator has given me the confidence to look for jobs outside journalism,” Feng says.