Too Pretty for the PLA?
Late last week, in a move that signaled future regulatory trends for the industry, China’s film and television regulator summoned major production companies and streaming platforms — including iQIYI, Mango TV, and Tencent Video — for a symposium on “wholesome aesthetics” in drama production. Though it is unclear whether the two events are connected, the symposium came just six days after sharp official criticism was directed at the hit costume drama Pursuit of Jade (逐玉), primarily from an account affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
In the April 2 symposium, the National Radio and Television Administration (中國廣播電視總局), or NRTA, criticized what it called “lookism” (顏值至上) — referring to the casting of actors for their looks rather than their talent. It also spoke out against “traffic dependency” (流量依賴), the practice of centering productions on social media celebrities with substantial existing fan bases, which are expected to drive viewership. The readout from the NRTA meeting seems to suggest such an approach was being pursued without care to quality. “What the people demand of television dramas has never been merely that they look good in terms of appearance,” it said, “but that the story holds up to repeated viewing.”
As the NRTA stated that actors must “look the part” (演什麼要像什麼), it was impossible for media not to relate these latest signals to the controversy recently surrounding Pursuit of Jade in China. While the drama has been a genuine streaming phenomenon in China and across the region, even topping charts in Taiwan, its male lead, Zhang Linghe (張凌赫) — who plays a battlefield general — has prompted amusement with his flawless, K-pop complexion even in the midst of battle. This has earned him the affectionate or mocking online nickname “General Foundation” (粉底液將軍). The portrayal seems to have rankled some in the military, and on March 27, “Junzhengping” (鈞正平), a social media account linked to the PLA, complained that such portrayals undermine “the spirit of masculinity.”
