Foreword: When the stars are dim, who controls the aesthetic scales behind the scenes?
In this era of bizarre and entertainment-oriented, a storm of "aesthetic downgrade" has quietly swept in, and people can't help but ask: Who quietly turned the scales to measure beauty and ugliness behind the scenes? Is it the giant hand of capital, or the change of the audience's taste? When the role of "Gao Xiaochen" in "Hurricane" caused ridicule, and when the actor of "The Mountain Has a Wood and a Heart" was labeled as a "resource coffee", we can't help but ask, when did the threshold of the entertainment industry become so low-lying? And where did the actors who used to speak with their works go?
1. The shadow behind the starlight: the game between capital and acting
Back then, on the stage of the entertainment industry, the stars were glittering, and every actor was like the brightest star in the night sky, and they won the love and respect of the audience with their solid acting skills and deep-rooted character building. At that time, the actors were like craftsmen who had been tempered for thousands of years, carving their artistic lives with each work. Today, however, this clear stream seems to be drowned by a torrent called "capital".
As a high-profile TV series, "Hurricane" should have become a masterpiece in the hearts of the audience due to its tight plot and bright rhythm. But on the contrary, the appearance of the role of "Gao Xiaochen" is like an anachronistic stone, disrupting the harmony of the whole play. The actor of this role was nicknamed "the ugly boy of capital" by the audience, and his acting skills were blunt and his image did not match, which made people surprised. This can't help but make people sigh, when capital becomes the only criterion for measuring the value of actors, how much weight is left in acting?
And the actor of "The Mountain Has Wood and the Wood Has a Heart" vividly interprets the word "resource coffee". He may have a good appearance and background, but he seems to be inadequately acting skills. Whenever he appears on the screen, the audience's eyes are no longer expected and appreciative, but full of doubts and puzzlement. Such a phenomenon can't help but make people think: Is the threshold of the entertainment industry really so low?
2. The "down-to-earthness" and aesthetic fatigue of female frequency dramas
If the "capitalization" of male actors is a microcosm of the aesthetic downgrade of the entertainment industry, then the casting trend of female frequency dramas is even more surprising. In order to attract the attention of female audiences, the producers seem to prefer to choose ordinary people who seem to be more down-to-earth as the protagonists. However, such a choice did not win the audience's love as expected, but made the cast lineup of costume idol dramas unacceptable.
The beautiful men and women in ancient costumes who once made the audience crazy seemed to disappear from the screen overnight. Instead, there are some actors with ordinary images and mediocre acting skills. They may have real life experiences, but they seem out of place in costume dramas. This kind of casting not only makes the audience feel aesthetic fatigue, but also makes the costume idol drama lose its original charm.
3. Aesthetic alienation in the digital age: the carnival of Internet celebrities and traffic
With the rise of digital media, aesthetics seem to have been given a new definition. In this era when traffic is king, aesthetics and ugliness seem to stand at both ends of the scale, competing for people's attention. Fueled by the platform's algorithms, "beauty" has been quantified and labeled, and aesthetics have become singular and stereotypical.
This trend has been exacerbated by the rise of the influencer economy. Those amateurs who were originally just ordinary people have become "stars" with millions of fans overnight. Their appearance not only satisfies people's pursuit of freshness, but also changes people's aesthetic concepts to a certain extent. However, this change has not been entirely positive. When "beauty" is quantified and labeled, can we still maintain the ability to think and judge beauty independently?
Fourth, the aesthetic discourse of the brand: the double kidnapping of consumption and aesthetics
In addition to the entertainment industry and digital media, brands also invisibly control the aesthetic discourse. They guide consumers' aesthetic perceptions through careful marketing strategies and product design, which in turn drives consumer behavior. BM's "white, thin and thin" aesthetic bullying created with S-size clothing is a typical example. This kind of aesthetic standard not only makes women fall into the whirlpool of body anxiety and cannot extricate themselves, but also exacerbates social prejudice and discrimination against beauty to a certain extent.
The success of brands such as Zhongxuegao, AJ, and Supreme is closely linked to aesthetics and consumer behavior. Through their unique brand culture and product design, they attract the attention of consumers, and then promote the generation of consumer behavior. However, this kind of consumption behavior is not completely rational, but is kidnapped by the brand's aesthetic discourse. While we are enjoying the material satisfaction brought by these brands, do we also realize that we are losing the ability to think and judge for beauty?
5. Public Awakening: A Clarion Call for Aesthetic Counterattack
Faced with the wave of "aesthetic downgrade", mass consumers did not choose to remain silent, but began to wake up and rebel in their own way. Actions such as "disconnection and removal" and "consumption downgrade" are not only reflections on material consumption, but also a re-examination of aesthetic concepts. People are beginning to realize that the aesthetic standards that have been imposed on others are not suitable for them. They began to use their own eyes to discover the true beauty and their own hearts to feel the color of life.
This awakening is not only reflected in the field of consumption, but also in all aspects of social culture. People began to pay attention to those actors and artists who are really talented and powerful, and they use their works and talents to win the love and respect of the audience. And those actors who only rely on their appearance and background, but lack strength, are gradually eliminated by the market. This change not only makes the entertainment industry healthier and more orderly, but also makes the entire society and culture more diverse and inclusive.
Conclusion: Find the true beauty and let the aesthetics return to the original
In this era full of uncertainties, the importance of aesthetics as an important window for us to perceive the world is self-evident. However, when the wave of "aesthetic degradation" sweeps in, can we still maintain the ability to think and judge independently about beauty? The answer is clearly yes. As long as we dare to challenge the aesthetic standards that have been imposed on others, and dare to discover true beauty with our own eyes, we will definitely be able to find our own aesthetic path.
Let us keep a clear mind in the complex entertainment industry and consumer market, and use our own hearts to feel the colorfulness of life. Let us believe that beauty is never singular, but as colorful as a kaleidoscope. Only in this way can we truly return aesthetics to their true nature and make the world a better and more harmonious place.