Why is contemporary China still courting concubines? Exploring the reasons for Chinese audiences’ fascination with concubines’ infighting in television dramas

ABSTRACT

This note reports the results of a systematic exploration and evaluation of the reasons underlying the very high popularity among Chinese audiences of a particular television genre featuring infighting between concubines in ancient imperial courts. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 263 respondents to assess the value they perceived to earn from watching this type of drama. Factor analysis identified five categories of experiential value yielded from watching this genre, covering dimensions related to its exquisite visual and audio effects, intriguing plots, and aroused contemplations. Linear regression showed that experiential value positively predicted audience satisfaction with this type of drama and audience satisfaction affected their choice to make it a future leisure activity, despite the potential ban of this genre by the Chinese authorities. The findings suggest that Chinese audiences’ infatuation with dramas featuring concubine infighting expresses a dichotomy of both reflection and inflection of the realities of contemporary social and cultural dynamics, thereby articulating the unique functions of leisure in facilitating this social process.