Resonating Ideologies: The Role of Musical Reality TV in Contemporary China

Abstract

In contemporary China, reality television shows have emerged as significant cultural products that reflect and shape societal values and beliefs. This essay explores how popular culture serves as a potent medium for disseminating and contesting ideologies, focusing specifically on the Chinese musical reality shows “Singer 2024” and “Infinity and Beyond”. Utilizing Althusser’s concept of ideology and Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model, the research investigates how these two shows function as ideological apparatuses that reinforce dominant cultural and political ideologies and evoke emotional resonance among viewers, elucidating the intricate interplay between media, ideology, and society.