"Dancing Discote" stills
In the field of highly involuted live broadcasts, PK live streaming is not so much a vent as a more involuted gamble, and the bet is their dignity.
"This year's outdoor PK live broadcast is now quite explosive."
Recently, a video made the live broadcast of outdoor PK on fire. In the video, a street is crowded with men and women broadcasting live to their mobile phones, screaming, roaring, and slapping. At the live broadcast scene, the anchors staged dramas such as beating, binding, and humiliation, while the "big brothers" watching the live broadcast frantically swiped out gifts, waiting for the losing party to be ugly and punished.
In mid-March, when a reporter from Xinzhou arrived in Changsha to look for the legendary "Fierce Street", the anchors had moved to another place a kilometer away, several ring-shaped white live broadcast lights marked a small bright space, and more than 10 anchors were hoarse in front of their mobile phones.
Live streaming. /@流浪的东子
An eldest brother was reprimanding a young female anchor, waving his index finger up and down in the air: "You dare to come to this territory in any capacity, my place can only come to big anchors, understand?" Not far away, a heavily armed helmeted man drove a motorcycle in front of another female anchor and threatened to take her equipment.
Is there really such an intensive, "saber rattling" conflict in life? In fact, they are only the most common warm-up link in PK live broadcast, commonly known as "fried script".
The fried script is the first traffic password arranged in the PK live broadcast, the core is to create contradictions, and its plots include but are not limited to the gangster teaching the little sister, the mother-in-law reprimanding the daughter-in-law... Once someone "pulls the fight", someone will want to go to the live broadcast room to see what happened.
Outside the live broadcast room, criticism of "vulgar" and "online beggars" was endless. Streamers hear and see this kind of criticism every day, but they rarely refute it. For streamers, this "faceless" life promises "decency" in the future.
The fried script is the first traffic password arranged in PK live broadcast, and the core is to create contradictions. /@二次元仓鼠
The fastest live stream for money
In 2021, Xiao Wenwen, a post-00s girl from a small southern city, decided to go to Changsha to test the live broadcast industry.
That year was the period of wild growth of outdoor live broadcasting. In the eyes of the anchors, Changsha is fierce and tolerant, and is particularly friendly to small-town young people from humble backgrounds and low education. The city is tolerant of the grassroots, even if you are poor and downtrodden, you will not feel "harsh" and "excluded".
Xiao Wenwen's first appearance in the circle was in a series of videos shot by "Brother Feng". From her, we can see a typical sample of a "ruthless anchor" - from the countryside, failed the high school entrance examination, and the financial pressure of her family made her learn survival skills earlier than her peers.
In the major live broadcast segments, outdoor PK is recognized as a field of "fast money" and "low threshold" - no academic qualifications, no skills, when applying for anchors, the master usually only puts forward a requirement of "high emotional intelligence".
Xiao Wenwen in the video shot by "Brother Feng". /@峰哥亡命天涯
The tension and intensity of PK and the large-scale punishment after PK can directly hit the user's pain points more than other "static live broadcasts", so that the latter can charge money and invest. "Outdoor" aggravates the watchability of PK - offline, anchors often pick a PK object in a provocative posture, and step forward to ask "dare to fight PK with me"? The punishment is also more immediate.
A PK is usually divided into three links: the warm-up session, which usually opens with a "script hype" or talent show; PK link, mainly responsible for canvassing votes, stimulating the audience in the live broadcast room to swipe gifts; In the penalty link, the party with the less gift is punished according to the rules agreed by both parties.
There is a saying in the PK live broadcast industry, "PK is the best way to detect whether a big brother really likes you, and it can make the big brother with a hilarious type nowhere to hide". In other words, the eldest brother who really feels sorry for you is absolutely reluctant to see you "beaten". (Note: "Big brother" refers to the audience in the live broadcast room)
A PK is usually 5 to 10 minutes long, during which the anchor has to shout non-stop.
A PK is usually 5 to 10 minutes long, during which the anchor has to shout non-stop. /Live screenshot
One second the shy Sven's long-haired beauty, the next second the volume rushed to overtake the speaker in front of the mall - "Family, what we hit is the cohesion of the live broadcast room" "Our eldest brother is very powerful" "Follow me smoothly" "People are united, Taishan moves, 1314 fight together"!
The trick of canvassing is easy to get started, and the secret is to make the live broadcast room a "community of destiny" - the anchor is right, the eldest brother ascends to heaven, and the people who meet Pingshui instantly become relatives whose blood is thicker than water in the live broadcast room. In this way, the eldest brother can willingly "get the ticket" (brush the gift).
The PK link pays attention to momentum, and the most taboo anchor is soft-spoken. "You are the leader in the live broadcast room, and you still cower?" Xiao Wenwen said.
When she first started, she "lost all the time." However, no matter how large the punishment proposed by the anchor of a PK, she must accept it, "otherwise no one will play with you."
Once, Xiao Wenwen lost two games in a row, according to the regulations, he needed to drink three bottles of mineral water in one breath, and in the third bottle, Xiao Wenwen felt that the water could no longer be swallowed from the esophagus into the stomach according to the will of the brain, and the feeling of vomiting rushed to his heart, feeling that his bladder was about to explode immediately.
When playing the third game, a "passerby big brother" in the live broadcast room could not bear to see her punished again, so he brushed her a "carnival", and a virtual "pink stage" fell into the live broadcast room gorgeously. This is a dream gift for all streamers, and it is also the most expensive gift in the live broadcast room - about 4800 yuan.
A carnival worth 4800 yuan. /Live screenshot
Many streamers will record and save the moment when they first received the "carnival" in the live broadcast room, and regard it as the first highlight of their career - it marks the growth of an anchor from a fledgling to a mature anchor with certain influence.
This night was the first time Xiao Wenwen received the "Carnival", only two months after she entered the industry.
Tears are shameful
The experience of "drinking 3 bottles of mineral water in a row" tells Xiao Wenwen that the harder he plays, the more chances he has to brush up on "heavy gifts".
In outdoor PK circles, each punishment has a corresponding "black word":
Blossom - spanking, shaking hands - beating hands, chicken wings - hitting arms, chicken legs - hitting calves, calm - mineral water topping, 8+1 - drinking, four-in-one - soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, foot wash and wash hair.
These black words are not scary at first hearing, so they often make newcomers underestimate the pain of punishment.
A female streamer lifted her pant leg at me, her thin calf covered with purple bruises of varying shades. This is a physical imprint left by the punishment, reminding her of the consequences of PK failure.
This is a physical imprint left by the punishment, reminding her of the consequences of PK failure. /short video screenshot
"Pain" is not worth mentioning in the PK live broadcast world. Ask an outdoor PK anchor casually, roll up your sleeves, pant legs, and nine times out of ten there are bruises. "This industry is like this, don't come if you can't afford it," she said in a light and breezy tone.
The most embarrassing punishment Xiao Wenwen remembered was "flour paste". That night, it took her two hours to wash the gnocchi from her hair.
Winter is even harder. In December, the temperature drops below zero in the early hours of the morning, and after standing outside for a while, the cold and humid air penetrates the bone marrow and the human body will unconsciously shrink into a ball. But even so, there will be anchors who propose to "play calm".
Mineral water is poured on the body, and after a few minutes it will freeze into ice skates - "especially frozen, frozen to death, shivering, the water will not dry at all." If you are "calmed down" at the beginning, the one-night live broadcast will end here.
Outdoor PK anchor Li Million is from Ningxiang, Hunan Province, after entering the industry, colds are common for her, at most 3 times a month.
The most embarrassing punishment Xiao Wenwen remembered was "flour paste". /Live screenshot
In addition, the daily routine of eating a cap of salt in one breath, drinking half a bottle of aged vinegar in one breath, and eating an egg in 30 seconds also makes her suffer from numb tongue, sore teeth, acid reflux, vomiting and stomach pain from time to time.
Not all "masochism" guarantees returns. Li Million said: "Sometimes I am beaten very badly, and PK can't play a ticket. Really, I really want to cry. ”
Xiao Wenwen recalled that the longest live broadcast was 6 hours long and ended after dawn. After a whole night, my feet were numb, I couldn't walk, and I didn't make much money.
In the industry, the situation of PK male anchors is very different from that of female anchors.
Since most of the audience is male, they want to watch female anchors, which leads to a very different logic between casting for male anchors and casting for female anchors.
In most cases, PK male anchors play the role of "bounty thugs", satisfying the audience's subconscious primitive pleasure by staging spectacle-style violence.
In most cases, PK male anchors play the role of "bounty hitter". /@峰哥亡命天涯
Xiao Wenwen revealed: "Some men beat girls to cry with one hand. If he doesn't play these ruthless, no one will watch him in the live broadcast room. But few streamers protest, and the basic rule of walking is "play": accept the established rules, do not resist, do not refute it.
On the surface, all anchors are "voluntary admission", following the spirit of the contract of "willing to gamble and lose". But the reality is not so "free".
"If you don't play with this, no one will play with you." Xiao Wenwen said helplessly. Those outrageous abuses are hidden under the seemingly relaxed word "play".
Not falling in love is the basic requirement of the industry for female anchors
Each anchor has his own fan base, and "close and far relatives" are often divided according to the value of the gift given by the big brother.
On the live broadcast platform, a "level 40" user must swipe at least 89,000 yuan in gifts, and if he can meet a "level 50" big brother, it is undoubtedly "extremely rich" - if it is not for childcare, a person has to swipe 1.3 million yuan to reach this level.
Sending "condolences" and "blessings" from time to time will make the anchor more "humane", and also make the eldest brother willing to pay money and give tips.
Sending "condolences" and "blessings" from time to time will make the anchor more "humane". /Figureworm Creative
Big brothers who brush gifts are usually divided into "emotional big brother" and "love big brother", the former has nothing else to ask for, and the reward all depends on feelings; The latter is greedy for love, has a strong desire for control, and wants to have a substantial relationship with the anchor.
Xiao Wenwen said bluntly: "The outdoor ones are some emotional big brothers, and the indoor ones are the love big brothers." But in the message area of outdoor PK female anchors, the big brothers are the gold lords and the bosses - the anchors must be able to "catch" all the comments from the big brothers, including the endless yellow cavity.
The female anchor faced some harassing comments and could only convince herself that it was just a "joke". After all, the live broadcast room is a place where "unhappiness" is not allowed. Not intimidating is the first lesson for anchors to enter the industry.
"Emotional intelligence should be high, take care of everyone's emotions in the live broadcast room," Xiao Wenwen said, "Just like your superiors talking to you, can you scare back?" It's all one truth. ”
But later, Xiao Wenwen also found that his emotional state was getting worse and worse. There were some eldest brothers who showed love to Xiao Wenwen, but they were decisively rejected by her. She ridiculed: "The eldest brother is so old, more than 60 years old, and married again, who wants it?" ”
Nowadays, female anchors of the younger generation like Xiao Wenwen will firmly put "economic independence" and "personal development" first, and generally have no illusions about "marrying a rich man". Female anchors often complain: "Men are liars." ”
Not falling in love is the basic requirement of the industry for female anchors, and the logic behind it is the same as that of "rice circle idols". A recruiter at a live streaming studio said, "In love? If you follow the eldest brother, who will watch you in the future? Can't broadcast it in the future? ”
"Thin-skinned, don't be an anchor"
In a live broadcast union, a reporter from New Weekly once saw the training big brother educating the new anchor: "What is dignity? Without money is the greatest lack of dignity. ”
In the live broadcast room, "face" is the high-frequency word of the anchors - "Brothers, what we are fighting tonight is a face!" One female anchor who won shouted to another female anchor who lost: "For 3 minutes of punishment, your face and body must be handed over to me, and I will let you live like a year." ”
These are most likely the "routines" arranged by both sides of the anchor, but they also reveal the core of PK punishment - the loser must hand over his dignity.
Xiao Wenwen said frankly: "(thin skin) You don't want to be an anchor, the anchor is to earn this money, is a thick-skinned." ”
Before entering the industry, Xiao Wenwen's father had a car accident riding a motorcycle. When she received the news, Xiao Wenwen only had a second-hand mobile phone in her hand, which was replaced by her brother and gave it to her. Because she had no money to treat her illness, she and her brother could only launch a drop of money on WeChat, begging good people in the circle of friends to help their father tide over the difficulties.
"Poor" is Xiaowen's biggest memory of childhood.
Xiao Wenwen is from the countryside, and the roof of his home leaks rain, so he can only use plastic sheeting to paste it, and he usually has to buy pork on credit. When she was in the fourth grade of primary school, the first cement road was built in the village. Since junior high school, she has walked 8 kilometers a week to school, including climbing over a "gloomy" mountain.
Screenshot of the video "Female anchor coming out of the mountains, documentary of remote rural areas in Hunan Province"
During the summer vacation of the first year of junior high school, Xiao Wenwen entered the factory for the first time and made candles on the assembly line. Not old enough, she asked an agent to get a fake ID card. After a busy summer vacation, the boss gave her 500 yuan, citing that "the funds could not be turned".
In the middle school entrance examination, Xiaowen Wen failed the list, she signed up for a vocational high school, specializing in image design. The tuition fee is more than 10,000 yuan a year, and my father can only borrow money from all over the village. Under financial pressure, Xiao Wenwen dropped out of school the following year.
Later, Xiao Wenwen entered an electronics factory in the south to work. Work 10 hours a day, sit in a position from morning to night, test electronic products, label them, and the butt cannot be moved for half a step, and the same action is repeated tens of thousands of times in a day. Once, she was a few minutes late, and the supervisor withheld her salary for three days.
She also thought about learning something else. After dropping out of vocational high school, Xiao Wenwen spent more than 10,000 yuan to sign up for a dance class, but unexpectedly, the dance studio ran away with money.
All of the above are the moments of "deprivation of dignity" that she has experienced. For most young people who enter the outdoor PK industry, "being respected" is a luxurious feeling.
For most poor children who enter the outdoor PK industry, "being respected" is a luxury feeling. / "Shorty" stills
"Children without umbrellas, run hard", in the outdoor PK rivers and lakes, many anchors regard this sentence as a motto. The ridicule on the Internet that "people live a face, trees live a skin" seems too light.
Author Jim Wallis has pointed out that a man struggling to survive cannot resist insults and discrimination because he has no choice. From another perspective, "outdoor PK live broadcast" provides a way to make a living - by "mortgaging your dignity", thereby making money to "buy back your dignity".
Someone transforms, someone continues to gamble
Therefore, outdoor PK live broadcast once "took in" many desperate people.
"Wu Dalang", who is only 1 meter tall, unexpectedly found confidence in this industry; A long-term worker brother whose factory closed down played a professional supporting role in the "script speculation" in the PK live broadcast, and quoted 60 yuan for 10 minutes.
"Wu Dalang", who is only 1 meter tall, has unexpectedly found confidence in this industry. /@二次元小文文
A restaurant owner who went bankrupt due to the epidemic, after the live broadcast ended at 3 a.m., this big man sat on a stone pier on the side of the road, and suddenly expressed sadness: "I came out (society) at the age of 14, I had ups and downs, a total of 4 times (entrepreneurship)... In fact, in the earliest days, I was also a successful person. ”
Li Million used to be a preschool teacher with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan. In order to make a living, she went to Chongqing to work as a rider, and in the summer the heat of 40 degrees Celsius, she fainted several times. In the end, with her heroic looks, she decided to be a streamer to hit her luck.
For anchors, Changsha still has many opportunities, after all, it is the "entertainment capital", and the entertainment industry and Internet celebrity economy are unique in the country. Standing on Wuyi Square, the brilliant neon lights shine on everyone's face, making people feel that those who come here have the opportunity to "get ahead".
But with the end of the era of barbaric growth of video live broadcasting, anchors also feel that PK live broadcast is becoming more and more difficult to do, and sometimes they can't even wait for PK canvassing, "once the script is fried, click, the number is gone." The live broadcast platform can accurately monitor the anchor through geolocation, and the popular live broadcast scenic spots are all "high-risk areas" that are banned. As a result, many streamers are moving to other cities or returning from outdoors to indoors.
In the movie "Keep You Safe", live video broadcast does give many ordinary people the opportunity to become famous and get attention.
Since this year, Xiaowen has transferred the live broadcast from outdoor to indoors, singing, dancing, and chatting with others. The popularity of the live broadcast room has not been as popular as before, and the number of viewers has dropped from the once high of more than 10,000 to more than 100. Now, she just wants to work hard to cultivate "iron fans".
There are also many anchors who have just entered the industry and are just starting out, and they are in a state of confusion: "After signing a contract with the studio for 3 years, you can't just do it for nothing." "Before the PK live "crash", they still want to try again.
But in the highly involuted live broadcast field, PK live broadcast is not so much a vent as a more involuted gamble. Its internal logic is "pitch competition", the party with less gift value is automatically out, and the platform always encourages anchors to exhaust methods to compete with each other. Half of the gifts received by each anchor will be taken by the platform, and the remaining 5-15 percentage points will be taken by the live broadcast union.
In this set of traffic games that take money as the standard and money as the goal, the anchors are not destined to become the biggest winners.
Author | Gordo
Edit | Liu Chezi Yan Fei
Proofreading | Sunning
Typesetting | Lu Zirui
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