TV Tuesday: Even Better than the Real Thing with "Running Man"

Welcome to TV Tuesday, a column devoted to following the newest and most notable Chinese mainland television shows. Each week, this feature examines notable television shows that are worth watching.

Watching Chinese reality television can be a bewildering experience for the uninitiated Western viewer. First-time watchers are tasked with making sense out of a chaotic narrative while being bombarded with random sound effects and a barrage of on-screen graphics. Despite being off-putting to Westerners, Chinese reality TV remains the most popular genre of television watched in China.

To answer why and how reality television differs from East to West, let's take a look at the top reality TV show in China, Running Man (奔跑吧, also known as "Keep Running"), and examine it from an abstract point of view in order not to get distracted by details.

To describe it simply, Running Man is a South Korean import localized for a Chinese audience, much like a lot of Chinese modern culture. Since its introduction, Running Man has become a runaway hit in China because its sense of fun immediately appeals to the Chinese sensibilities: a boisterous, festive occasion in which the lines of spectating and participation are blurred. Or, in other words, just think of it as your typical Chinese wedding celebration.

The first thing to realize about a Chinese reality show is that there are no stakes, and nothing matters. There's no money to be won like Survivor, and there's nothing to be learned like a Bear Grylls show. Unlike the "zero-sum mentality" that makes up much of Chinese society, the whole point of a Chinese reality TV show like Running Man is just to have fun. Losers of competitions aren't usually eliminated, but are saddled with the light consequences of having "lost face."

But being that this is a big industry, there is one thing that matters: for viewers to keep watching. And that brings us to the next fact of Chinese reality TV: they almost are all exclusively staffed by Chinese celebrities. Instead of serving as an avenue for average people to become famous (which is what live-streaming video is for), reality TV shows in China are just another promotional vehicle for Chinese actors and singers, enticing big stars like Brigitte Lin to come out of retirement.

With "real" people out of the picture, the "reality" part of these shows comes from the candid and "unscripted" way celebrities are depicted. Instead of acting as perfect role models, Chinese celebrities make dumb mistakes and are often seen reacting with slack-jawed astonishment, giving fans a chance to appreciate their idols in a new way.

But that's as "real" as it gets. Unlike the gritty and spontaneous nature of Western reality television, Chinese reality television is all glitz and glamor, something Running Man exemplifies with its sky-high production values. The show spares no cost in building an enormous set at the Hangzhou Future Science Center just to house its 400 audience members, each of whom are decked out in matching uniforms and provided an assortment of buttons to determine the fate of the show's stars.

Nevertheless, for Chinese reality television, it's well worth the cost. Chinese culture places a high a value on spectating as it does on participating. Because watching isn't regarded as a passive act, the Running Man studio audience (and by proxy the millions of viewers watching at homes around China) are as integral to the festivities as the merrygoers themselves, each one validating the other.

In fact, the relationship between a Chinese reality show's viewers and its stars is so tight that there's not enough room for anyone else, leading us to the last point: these kind of shows don't usually have hosts, allowing its stars to follow cues from written notes or disembodied voices. Without an authoritarian figure directing the action (like real life), the narrative of Running Man often meanders, taking ten minutes just to introduce its cast.

It may seem chaotic, but it's never aimless, especially when there's no actual finish line of Running Man ... despite what it's name seems to imply.

What is the show about?
Running Man is a collection of stunts and competitions that are too complicated to explain for something so simple. Turn your brain off and watch the pratfalls.

Mandarin level of difficulty
Couldn't be easier. Use of short phrases that cater to the lowest common denominator makes the language difficulty of Running Man comparable to children's cartoons. Rated 1 out of 5.

Where to watch it
Running Man currently airs Saturday nights on Hunan Satellite Television and can be watched online on v.QQ.com, iQiyi.com, and Le.com.

Images: v.QQ.com

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