Sinking into my couch after a hard day's work, I was eager to unwind with the latest buzz-generating series, "My Heroic Husband". It was advertised as a female-centric drama, those kinds of Chinese TV shows with compelling female leads navigating the twists and turns of personal growth and experiences. "Finally," I thought, "a show that gets it, a show that understands the complexities of being a woman."
On the surface, the series presents smart and beautiful female characters who run business, marry less powerful males, and aim to strive for themselves. All characteristics lead me to expect a narrative that advocates for women's rights and empowerment. As I dove deeper into the episodes, however, my initial excitement started to wane. The narrative had a recurring theme: these seemingly strong and independent women always needed a man to sweep in and resolve their crises. The pattern was all too familiar, all too disappointing.
Our female lead, poised to be this trailblazing character, appeared more and more like an early Disney princess - waiting for a male protagonist to step in and save the day. And it wasn't just her; this trend extended to other female characters as well. The underlying logic of this series is still steeped in wealth and patriarchy, yet it is packaged with many humor points to try to please female viewers. This phenomenon is so common among Chinese dramas nowadays. The term "female-centric dramas" becomes so popular yet the dramas tend to merely project an illusion of female empowerment, without actually embodying a meaningful feminist core.
The 'Virtuous Men Institutes' woven into the plot, seemingly intended as a comedic reflection of gender roles, ironically underscored real-life, unresolved gender conflicts and dilemmas. However, comedy is tragedy in disguise, and this series could only provide temporary relief by cloaking these serious issues in humor.
I found myself asking, "If the show's approach to feminism feels so awkward and contrived, why even promote it as a female-centric drama?" I not yet had an answer but I have a guess.
TV culture over the past decade has subtly but surely conditioned its main audience, women like me, to accept - even anticipate - these male-centric narratives. It was a clever tactic, really. Label it as feminist to draw in viewers, but keep the plot safely within the confines of the time-tested, profit-guaranteed prince-rescues-princess trope. The producers, directors, and scriptwriters may not necessarily support gender equality or understand the diverse, vibrant female characters. But the principle "capital itself is unattributed; it just caters to what's profitable" could not be wrong.
There's no doubt in my mind that television series have the potential to craft characters that are beautiful, intelligent, and independent female leads. Yet, they often script a knight in shining armor (or a male lead on metaphorical seven-colored clouds) to swoop in, 'save' her, and 'transform' her life. It's as though these dramas insist that no matter how successful I am as a woman, my worth is ultimately determined by love.
It's clear to me that there's a gap between pandering to female viewers like me and embracing genuine feminism. Here's to hoping this trend of faux-feminist-themed TV dramas is just a phase. And here's to a future where more authentic, representative, and truly empowering feminist works grace our screens.