From leftover women to cuihun – audience reception of TV representation on marriageable single women in China

ABSTRACT

“Leftover women” have not only become a social phenomenon for wide discussion, but also a source for TV production in China recently. The term “leftover women” was given based upon the collision between the value of traditional Chinese marriage and the empowerment of marriageable single women nowadays. Chinese TV series have taken full advantage and represented “leftover women” in order to get attention and a high audience rating. The wide TV representation, however, has generated increased anxiety, concerns, and pressure on Chinese single women about early marriage (cuihun in Chinese). It has meanwhile acted as an amplifier of the marriage pressure on the female in today’s China. Our finding shows that a certain percentage of the female audience did not welcome the inclusion of such a misrepresented female image in the TV, which further intensifies the tension between marriageable single women, traditional marriage pressure from Chinese families, TV productions, and society. “Leftover women” in China have been examined to different extents, while the implications of TV representation are under-researched. This article thus calls for academic attention to this field for future exploration.

KEYWORDS:

• Cuihun
• leftover women
• TV representation
• chinese marriage
• female audience

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank the journal editor for the valuable and helpful feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Social Science Fund of China under Grant No.: 20BXW109.

Notes on contributors

Shiyu (Sharon) Zheng

Shiyu (Sharon) Zheng is a lecturer (assistant professor) in PR, Media and Communication at Newcastle University, UK. Her research focuses on qualitative research, British/Chinese TV, gendered/transcultural fandom, digital media and cultural policy studies. She has published articles in Qualitative Inquiry, Information, Communication & Society, Feminist Media Studies, and Cultural Trends, etc. E-mail: [email protected]

Min Xu

Min Xu is an assistant professor at the School of Journalism and Communication in Yangzhou University, China. Her research interests include media discourse, audience reception, and digital labour. She has published her research in book chapters and in journals such as Celebrity Studies, Chinese Journal of Communication, and Tourist Studies. E-mail: [email protected]