MELODRAMA IN MEDIAChang Meng

2008 Sichuan Earthquake• On May 12, 2008 a great earthquake hit Wenchuan, Sichuan in

China with magnitude 8.0 Ms/8.3 Mw. • 69227 dead, 374643 injured, 17923 missing according to stats on

Sep. 18, 2008. Tens of thousands lost their family members. Homes, schools and buildings were destroyed.

• This earthquake raised global attention. Media all over the world reported the severity and aftermath of the earthquake. Through lenses of people’s suffering, the audience feel sympathized with the people who lost their lives, homes and loved ones.

• May. 19th became the national mourning day when every form of entertainment was stopped and the national flags all over the country were lowered.

• The slogan “ 抗震救灾众志成城“ which basically means “Fight with the disaster, unite as one” was used to gain national strength in rebuilding the ruins and support victims.

• “The villain thus becomes the catalyst for state action, and hence for what it means to be American. For, without a villain, there is no victim and thus no hero or heroic feat.” (Anker, 26)

• The earthquake was a national disaster and it united Chinese citizens of all age, sex and profession. Thousands of Chinese troops were sent to Sichuan area. Soldiers from other countries(Japan, South Korea, Singapore…) also arrived for the rescue. Volunteers all over the country donated life necessities to the victims.

• Just as as media coverage for 9/11, the Chinese media used melodramatic narrative which highlighted China’s “unequivocal moral positioning and signifies the images of attack and collapse through melodramatic practices.”

1994 Karamay Fire ( 克拉玛依大火）• On December 8, 1994, a fire broke out during a performance in

Youyi Theatre holding a total of 796 people (736 pupils, 18 teachers, 25 officials from the board of education, 3 city governors and 14 staff members) in Karamay, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

• A total of 323 people (284 pupils, 17 teachers, 17 officials and 5 others)died in the fire.

• China Youth Daily reported that during the incidence of the fire, an official stood up and shouted “Students sit down; don’t move. Let the leaders walk out first” , which has become a popular internet catch phrase.

• This media report raised national sympathy for the pupils who died in the fire and severe criticism who escaped the fire leaving the pupils behind. People all over the country began to mourn for the deaths of pupils and condemning the selfishness of the leaders.

• The truth was, one of the teachers said at the beginning of the performance “when the show is over, the pupils should remain still until the leaders have left”, which was misused by the media. Death rate of officials was 17/25=68%, higher than that of pupils: 284/736=39%

• The tragedy took place in an era of frequent corruption, therefore the news stories aroused questioning of the government’s morals among citizens. The media characterized the pupils as victims not only of the fire but also of the selfish leaders, but in fact the leaders were also victims.

• Pupils are believed to be the hope of the nation, but the media took power away from the audience by assuming that the pupils are more innocent and worthy of saving than the officials.

• “As citizens, we must begin to question the seductions of this national self-understanding that feeds on an attachment to victimization and generates vengeful heroism.” (Anker 36)

• The Karamay Fire media news raised attachment to the pupils’ victimization and generated fervent for pupils and hatred for the officials who were also victims.

Thallium poisoning case of Ling Zhu• In November, 1994, Ling Zhu, student of Tsinghua University

began to have symptoms of thallium poisoning including stomachache, pain in leg and dizziness.

• The hospitals in Beijing could not find a way to cure her. Therefore, Zhu’s high school classmates translated her symptoms and the baffling disease into English and spread onto the internet to call for help.

• By describing Zhu’s sufferings at such a young age, her friends successfully received attention. Dr. Xin Li at the UCLA hospital set up a long-distance diagnosing forum for Ling Zhu, which was of great impact for the her recover.

• . Williams mentions that melodrama is a powerful and persuasive tool for the audience. This event shows how the proper use of melodrama can bring about attention and save a person from severe disease.

Pictures of Ling Zhu suffering from sequel. Who poisoned Ling Zhu is still unknown today.

USC Murder• The murder of Ming Qu and Ying Wu happened on April 11, 2012,

when the two Chinese graduate students were shot to death in their BMW parked one mile outside of the University of South California.

• At first, the Chinese media focused solely on their sitting in the BMW, saying that the two students were showing off their wealth in the luxurious car and were a shame in Chinese students overseas. Some commented that the two “deserved” to be killed.

• Later, truth was discovered that the two students were hardworking and thrifty. The BMW they bought was a used one worth only $10000.

• Some media took words out of context and failed to deliver truth, stimulating the audience’s hatred for the wealthy. After the two students’ innocence was justified, people started to focus on their death itself.

• After the truth was brought to attention, the contrast between the moralities of the two students and their tragic death became so clear that everyone began to sympathize with their suffering.

• The proper portrayal with melodramatic elements of the incident has resulted in a gathering of Chinese people in California to mourn for the tragedy.

• The initial media description of the incidence is similar to Williams’ argument on a trial, which “cannot express the totality of truth beneath the surface of reality…cannot offer a pure recognition of virtue.” (264) As a form of entertainment like what the trials have become, the media can easily get lost between “innocence and reasonable doubt”.

One-Child Policy and Loss of Only Child

• In the 1980s China began to exercise the one-child policy. Couples are only allowed to have one children regardless of their profession, wealth and status.

• On one hand, this policy reduced the rate of population growth tremendously, allowing more room for the economy to boom. On the other hand, the policy seems to be a disregard of human right and has resulted in an aging society of China.

• There are also a group of people who lost their only child, meaning that they have lost the only “hope” of their family. These people will have to face their old age alone and possibly lack appropriate financial support.

• One might blame the one-child policy to be the villain, I believe that this is not so easy. The child raising ideas, poverty and lack of social welfare were the villains. Melodrama should be used to expose the sufferings of people who lost their only child.

• There has been argument about whether the one-child policy should be kept. Melodrama is a good approach to be used in this controversy.

• By emphasizing the victimization of the people who lost their only child, one would easily raise a huge amount of sympathy. By focusing on the importance of economic growth, one would not fail to persuade the audience that something need to be done to ease the population tension.

Dog eating• In some areas of China, people have tradition to eat dogs.• There has been great controversy over this issue. Some

believe that dogs are the best friends of human being and eating dogs would be inhumane. Some contend that the dogs to be eaten were fed up to be eaten, just like pigs, chicken and cattle.

• To some people, dogs are the victims. Families keeping dogs as pets considers dogs as a form of emotional support. However in towns where producing dog products, if dog eating is banned, their economy would suffer and become the victim.

• For either side, melodrama could be used to justify their points. I personally cannot make a decision because I was raised in an area where dog eating is prevalent, but I could also definitely understand why some people are opposed to it.