Most people don’t know the name of the champion of Hunan TV’s 2003 Super Boy, which is considered China’s first commercialized TV music talent show. In the last 10 years, music talent shows have become one of the most celebrated forms of TV entertainment in China.
大多数人都不知道湖南卫视2003届《超级男声》的总冠军是谁，该节目被称为国内首档商业化音乐选秀节目。在过去10年间，音乐选秀节目已成为最为家喻户晓的电视娱乐节目之一。
Talent shows like The Voice of China, The X Factor, Chinese Idol, and Super Boy are bombarding TV audiences.
像《中国好声音》、《中国最强音》、《中国梦之声》和《快乐男声》这类选秀节目正在对观众进行轮番轰炸。
Apart from providing entertainment, these shows also reflect the country’s cultural and societal transformation as it strides toward modernity. But despite their commercial success, experts are skeptical as to the potential of TV music talent shows to boost the country’s struggling music industry.
除了娱乐大众之外，这些节目还反映出当今中国在步入现代化进程中文化与社会的转型。然而，尽管这些节目在商业上大获成功，专家对于选秀节目能否重振乐坛雄风仍持怀疑态度。
Transformed culture
文化变革
Zheng Xin, professor at the School of Journalism &Communication at Nanjing University, says a grassroots-oriented rather than elite-based culture is emerging in China. While individuality and personal opinions are now tolerated and celebrated, audiences still yearn for a collective recognition of their own identity.
来自南京大学新闻传播学院的郑欣教授表示，相比精英文化，草根文化在中国正开始崭露头角。虽然当下个性化与独到见解深受认可且备受推崇，但观众们仍渴望自我能够得到大众的广泛认同。
“The popularity of music talent shows is inevitable in an era in which audiences seek out ‘idols’ with a similar social background to their own, ” says Zheng.
“在一个观众热捧‘平民偶像’的时代，选秀节目的走红是大势所趋。”郑欣说。
Luo Gang, professor in Chinese literature at East China Normal University, agrees.
华东师范大学中文系教授罗岗十分赞同郑欣教授的观点。
“When participants who belong to the same class as them take the spotlight and succeed, it resonates with mass audiences.”
他说：“当草根选手一夜成名并大获成功时，便会使得大批观众产生共鸣。”
Luo adds that the new generation is changing its attitude toward showing off talents, which is also fuelling the phenomenon. Chinese tend to be shy and are reluctant to demonstrate their talents due to a traditional value of humbleness. But recent decades have witnessed an increasing willingness among young Chinese to show off their talents, highlight their individuality and be unique.
罗岗教授还表示，新生代年轻人正改变着自己对于施展才艺的态度，从而推动了这股“选秀潮”。由于传统价值观中的谦逊态度，中国人往往很内向、不愿展现才华。但近几十年来，越来越多的中国年轻人自发地施展才艺，突出个性与独特魅力。
Wu Mochou, for example, from 2012’s The Voice of China expressed strong willingness to show off her talent on stage.
例如，从2012年《中国好声音》中走出来的吴莫愁在舞台表演时就具有很强的表现欲。
“We are entering an era in which the demonstration of talents can be consumed like a product, ” says Luo.
“我们正在进入一个‘才艺消费时代’。”罗岗说。
Troubled industry
困境中的产业
According to the Chongqing Economic Times, more than 22 music talent shows are scheduled on various TV stations across the country this summer. Beijing Youth Daily reported recently that The Voice of China, broadcast by Zhejiang Satellite TV, has generated more than 100 million yuan in net profits since the show completed airing last year, mostly through concerts and commercials.
根据《重庆商报》报道称，今年夏天预计将有超过22档音乐选秀节目登陆全国各大电视台。近日，《北京青年报》报道称，浙江卫视的《中国好声音》自去年播出之后已创造了超过1亿元的净利润，大部分来自于演唱会和广告。
But Shen Lihui, president of Modern Sky, a record company, doesn’t think the booming business of music talent shows is a cure for the music industry, which has long been haunted by a lack of innovation and unequal profit distribution.
但摩登天空唱片公司总裁沈黎晖却认为，中国乐坛长期处于创新匮乏、利润分配不均的病态下，选秀节目的勃勃商机并非一剂“良方”。
“Music is nothing more than a platform, or a tool, for entertainment, ” says Shen. “These shows are not helping to fundamentally tackle the problems in China’s music industry.”
“音乐只不过是一个娱乐平台或娱乐工具，”沈黎晖说，“这些选秀节目没有从根本上解决中国乐坛的问题。”
Wang Lei, a veteran music producer and critic, warns of the risks entailed in TV music talent shows.
资深音乐制作人、乐论人王磊提醒道，电视选秀蕴含风险。
“No matter what form they take, talent shows are just shows at the end of the day, ” Wang told Beijing Daily recently. “The monopoly of TV stations in signing and marketing artists is suffocating the industry.”
“无论是什么形式的选秀节目，它们不过是一天下来的尽兴节目，”王磊在接受《北京日报》采访时表示，“电视台对于艺人签约与宣传的垄断阻碍了乐坛的发展。”
Song Ke, a renowned music producer, acknowledges these problems but also believes that music talent shows are pushing the industry in a new direction. While record companies do not have the financial resources to promote new artists, TV music talent shows have become an alternative for discovering new talents.
著名音乐制作人宋柯也承认的确存在这些问题，但他依然相信音乐选秀节目正将整个乐坛推向一个新方向。虽然唱片公司没有资金来推广新人，但是电视选秀节目已然成为发掘新人的新途径。
“TV shows have an obvious edge in promoting music artists among the public, ” Song told CBN Weekly.
“电视选秀在向公众推广歌手方面优势显著，”宋柯在接受《第一财经周刊》采访时表示。