A Study Of Hot Television Programs In 1990s

AbstractA series of hOt television programs of high rating, wide impact and strongreaction have emerged and been one of the most important cultural phenomena inChina in the l990s. This dissertaion makes a general survey of those hot televisionprograms, and intends to find out the popular culforal featllIes of those programs,discuss reasons for this phenomenon, and analyze the pros and cons brought bythose programs profoundly.Firstly, this dissertation defines 'popular culture', and points out the seculaprecreational, cormercial and other obvious featUres of popular cultUre. Then, thisdissertation studies those progrffos as cultUral phenomena. Based on this study, thecommon popular cultUral phenomena of those hot television programs are foundOut.After analyzing common featUres of those hot television prograxns, thisdissertation discusses reasons for this phenomenon from the aspects of receptiveaesthetics and market economy It is believed that viewers' psycho1ogy, appreciativeability and the supermarket have influenced and forhered the emergence of thosehot programs. Besides, this dissertation compares the social cultural practice in thel980s and that in the 1990s, points out that there exists a social cultUraltransformation in China, and emphasizes that the emergence of those hot teIevisionprograms are closely related to this transformation caused by economicaldevelopment.What's more, this dissertation profoundly analyzes the pros and cons broughtby those hot television programs. Based on the narrative theory, this dissertationexamines the narration in hot TV plays, and holds that many plays of thes kind sharethe saxne narrative theme and pattern. This phenomenon proves the patteming andreproducibility of popular cultUre, but it is maintained in this dissertation that thiswill not lead to 'uni-directional' viewers, because the narrative fethee of those TVplays gUaratees seemingly similap but acthelly differeni plays for TV viewers. It isdiscovered that mAnage-seeldng prograrns enriches hurnan commtrication whichIIIis deficient in real life in some degree. At the same time, it makes use of the nosy psychology of human beings. Those entertainment programs can free people from the heavy load in modem society; on the other hand, they have gone from the significant and honorable.At last, it is pointed out that television, as a kind of modem media, has penetrated into human lives, and has been influencing human life styles, values, and modes of thinking. Therefore, it is very important to acknowledge the pros and cons brought by those hot programs, and make an appropriate and reasonable comment. Nevertheless, hot television programs are so complex and the style of television culture is still changing, hot television programs in the 1 990s should be studied further and thoroughly.