Crossing the Cultural Divide

By Zhou Xiaoyan

American TV shows and their impact on the lives of Chinese youth

Not everyone is as lucky as Monica Wu, who knew exactly what she wants to do with her life since she was a little girl.

“I want to open a shop,” said Wu. “That’s what I want to do for a living. But I don’t know what kind of shop or where to make it happen.”

That was until American Tv dramas ignited her dream.

Wu met a close friend of hers,who shares her hobby of watching American Television. And Friends was their common favorite. The international hit sitcom attracted a devoted following in China during and after its 10-year run.

“She wants to open a shop too. When we sat down together,watching Friends, an idea struck us. I am like the character of Monica on Friends, who enjoys cooking. She loves drinking coffee and has to have it every day, while Rachel on the show works at a coffeehouse. So, why don’t we open a shop where people can enjoy topnotch coffee?”

The two began preparations. Wu learned how to make dessert from a New Zealand chef,and her friend followed a renowned barista to master coffee-making skills. In February 2012,a well-decorated and cozy coffeehouse named Monica’s Home opened in Beijing, with exactly the same setting as Monica’s apartment on the hit show.

Word spread on the Internet and fans of the sitcom showed up to show their support.

RELAX AT MONICA’S: Guests watch Friends at the Monica’s Home coffeehouse

“None of the first three guests at my coffeehouse lives in Beijing. One is from Tianjin and came to our shop after hopping on the train.The other two came to us after learning about us on the Internet. We were deeply touched,”said Wu.

“Many guests are die-hard fans of the show.One, with whom I only have contact with on the Internet, sent us the same poster as the one hanging in Monica’s living room after he learnt we wanted to open the coffeehouse. When he finally came to my shop and watched Friends here, he astonished us all by being able to remember every line.”

Chinese audiences got their first bite of American dramas through Man From Atlantis, which was first broadcast on China Central Television (CCTv) in 1980. With its fresh and exciting plot, the short-lived science fiction show won over the hearts of local viewers in no time.

And thanks to subtitle translations and online video sites, American Tv programs continue to gain great popularity in China.

COFFEE TIME: A scene out of the popular U.S. sitcom Friends

As the number of Internet users continues to grow considerably, more Chinese are turning to American Television to kill time, learn English and learn about Western culture.

Why do they watch?

Learning English is a key reason why so many young Chinese follow American programing, as watching them has proven to be an effective way to learn the language’s colloquial form.

Another reason is that Chinese viewers are disappointed with home-made programming. Chinese audiences believe that American Tv shows are strong in terms of story-writing, acting and creativity. In contrast, the stereotyped storylines and the lack of creativity of locally produced shows are routinely criticized by domestic audiences.

Qi Penghui is a Beijing-based radio frequency engineer. His favorite American Tv dramas include Friends, Breaking Bad, Arrow, and The Walking Dead.

“I love American Tv shows for their novel topics, ranging from ordinary people’s lives to the super natural. Chinese dramas, however,have very limited scope. Recently, there are too many domestic Tv dramas focusing on the relationship between women and their mothersin-law. I really don’t enjoy watching those.”

Shi Hailin, an investment project manager in Beijing, echoed Qi, noting that the sharp difference is a result of different production models. “In China, all the episodes were produced before being sold to Tv stations for broadcast. Good or bad, as long as it is allowed to be aired, it will be broadcast to the end,” Shi said. “In the United States, the destiny of Tv dramas is determined by audience ratings. If ratings fall, the show faces cancellation. It’s brutal competition. That’s why U.S.screenwriters exhaust themselves with their wild imaginations.”

Another attractive element for Chinese viewers is that shows can carry on for many seasons, allowing for viewers to better connect with the characters. In China, however,Tv shows are often broadcast in their entirety within a month. Cultivating fan loyalty thus becomes difficult.

How are they affected?

The prevalence of American Tv dramas has already weaved great power in the daily lives and social discourse of the Chinese people.

Zheng Yunfeng, an anchor with China Radio International (CRI), is a huge fan of American television. Shows he enjoys include The Big Bang Theory, Gray’s Anatomy, Chuck and The Bible. Today, watching American Tv dramas accounts for one third of Zheng’s English learning time.

Shi also benefits a lot in terms of building language skills from watching American Tv shows. Friends is also his favorite.

“At first, I would only watch it with Chinese subtitles. Later, I would watch it with English subtitles. Finally, I could understand most of it without subtitles,” he said.

For Li Xiaoyu, a Beijing-based girl working in the legal fields and also one of the partners of Monica’s Home, watching American television helped her to adapt culturally when she moved to the United States to study for a year.

“At first, I couldn’t understand the logic of sitcoms. I couldn’t see why they were funny at all,” she said. “Then one day, I was in a gym using the treadmill and watching The Big Bang Theory. I laughed so hard that I fell off.

“This turned out to be very helpful for me to adapt to U.S. society when I later went to the country for further study,” she said. “When my teacher told me a joke, I knew why it was funny.”

Shi agreed with Li, saying that American Tv dramas are a faster channel for people to learn about U.S. culture. “For instance, through dramas featuring superheroes, you can learn about the comics industry in the United States. By watching The Vampire Diaries, you learn more about folklore in the Western world.”

Zheng adds that in addition to knowing about Western culture, he aspires to live the lives of his favorite show’s characters.“When watching Friends, I tell myself this is my dream life!” he said. “I have similar friendships to those on the show. We have also talked a lot about the six of us living together renting a big apartment, or living near each other. But in real life, it’s difficult for us to do that, especially when we work in different districts in such a big city as Beijing.”

“I am most impressed by the friendship between them,” he adds, “They help each other get through hardships and joys. I share the laughter and tears of the show,” he said.

Coffeehouse owner Wu agreed. “American shows have a positive energy about them. If you are unhappy, watching several episodes of Friends can really cheer you up.” ■