Melodrama in media

1. MELODRAMA IN MEDIA
Chang Meng

2. 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.

3. • “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.”

5. 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.

6. • 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.

7. • “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.

8. 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.

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

10. 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.

11. • 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”.

13. 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.

14. • 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.

15. 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.