Chinese Dating Show 非诚勿扰

[rob07]

Interesting New York Times article on 非诚勿扰 and the TV regulatory changes that took effect yesterday. (link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/world/asia/censors-pull-reins-as-china-tv-chasing-profit-gets-racy.html?pagewanted=all)

Extract:

Under the new rules, each television station can broadcast only two “entertainment shows” during prime time each week. Only nine can be shown nationally per night, down from an official estimate this fall of 126 per week. A panel convened by regulators will decide which ones will remain if the stations do not trim. Ideas for new shows must be approved by censors. Satellite stations are also expected to increase their news programming and broadcast at least one show that promotes traditional Chinese virtues and the “socialist core value system.”

[renzhe]

I don't think that this particular show will be taken off-air, being one of the most popular TV shows in the country.

That article has a number of interesting behind-the-scenes perspectives, but is quite sloppily researched, which is a shame. Examples:

- the BMW comment which changed everything happened in episode 2. So the show was infamous since the very beginning

- 马诺 was not tricked into acting the way she did, in fact, the hosts were visibly annoyed with her and very often shut her up.

- the oldest contestant was there from the very beginning (she was 45), today's contestants are actually younger. The oldest one is 38, most are under 30.

- 佐藤爱 is not Ms. Zuo (佐), she's Ms. Sato (佐藤). She's Japanese

But interesting information nevertheless. I didn't know that 黄菡 came from a Communist Party school (what is that anyway?), but I have to admit that the current format (with two colour commentators who chime in from time to time) works much better than the original one, where 乐嘉 analysed people's personality based on silly quizzes and his own colour-based theory of psychology that was tacked on and didn't make any sense.

[feihong]

Yeah, I definitely learned a few things from the article.

Speaking of the show itself, I enjoyed the series of three 返场 episodes that were recently aired, saw quite a few familiar faces. And did anyone else notice how the Swiss guy's second video was basically an unpaid commercial for Pleco?

[roddy]

You never know, maybe it was paid

Was going to post that NYT article myself (happened across it on the excellent longform.org) but got beat to it.

[greenarcher]

SARFT killed my favorite shows.... Life will never be the same without Chinese dating shows.

[amandagmu]

A 老外 friend of mine ended up on 非诚勿扰 a few months back - some of you probably saw the episode. (I will not link to it for his sake.) The thing is not staged, at least it isn't staged for the contestant. After the show aired he got some hilarious e-mails FROM PARENTS introducing their daughters to him... ha.

The funniest thing now is that whenever I mention this to a Chinese person under the age of 30-35, I kid you not, they ask, "which one is he?" and when I start to describe him they instantly know who I'm talking about .

[rezaf]

which one is he?

[WestTexas]

The more I watch this show the more it seems completely arbitrary which guys get rejected by all 24 and which guys actually meet a girl. Personally I like 我们约会吧 more. It seems more authentic to me, and also seems to make more couples. Most people seem to like 非诚勿扰 more though.

[gato]

A 老外 friend of mine ended up on 非诚勿扰 a few months back - some of you probably saw the episode. (I will not link to it for his sake.) The thing is not staged, at least it isn't staged for the contestant. After the show aired he got some hilarious e-mails FROM PARENTS introducing their daughters to him... ha.

Was he the French one? That one didn't work out so well....

[amandagmu]

No.... but his didn't work out so well either.

[rezaf]

2/20: 此君奏樂否？

[greenarcher]

我们约会吧 featured 18 guys from the China National Space Administration which is probably because they want to keep the show going by sucking up on the government.

[WestTexas]

That sounds interesting Green Archer, what date is that from?

[greenarcher]

The most recent one, January 7.

[renzhe]

I am slowly beginning to understand why this show got so much heat.

In episode 13, a mentally handicapped male contestant comes to get 马诺 and offers to dig his eyes out for her, Jin Yong style (after 乐嘉 proposes it).

I have a hard time understanding why they thought it would be a good idea to allow him on the show.

[Areckx]

I ignore the show content and focus on learning Chinese. If I spend so much time thinking about WHAT happens rather than WHAT happens... well, I'll be preoccupied with my American English way-of-seeing-the-world.

[jiasen]

I do love this show. But it seem to be that regardless of how eligible the male contestant is, he will get rejected.

[minni]

Don't know if someone has already recommended this hilarious dating show 非诚勿扰 (If you are the one)? You can find it on Sohu TV among others. It's great. Each episode has 24 single ladies and 4 bachelors who come one by one to try and make an impression. If the 24 ladies aren't impressed, they can turn their lights off. In the end, the guy can choose a date from the remaining ladies, who kept their lights on.

 

Sounds simple? Maybe, but the interest for me lies in trying to understand why the lights keep being turned off. Sometimes the guys are too short, sometimes too skinny, sometimes they say something wrong... Also, you get to learn a lot about the Chinese society and values (especially concerning marriage). I recommend this series.

[skylee]

This thread is relevant - 非诚勿扰

[mtpastille]

It can be quite funny but, and now I'm spoiling it for you all, it's pretty staged. Also, check out the podcast Popup Chinese did: http://popupchinese.com/lessons/advanced/if-you-are-the-one.