The rise and fall of variety shows: from the peak to the curtain call
Behind the excitement of TV screens and online platforms, some once smash hit variety shows have gradually faded out of the historical stage. They once made the audience laugh and burst into tears, but they also ended up being off the air due to various controversies and problems. Today, we're going to take a look back at these once-popular shows and explore the untold stories behind them.
The first is "Let's Chase Me", a sports-themed show that has attracted a large number of fans. However, with the frequent incidents of guest injuries caused by insufficient safety protection measures, the public has questioned the sense of responsibility of the program team. In particular, boxing champion Zou Shiming was in distress in the show, and actor Gao Yixiang unfortunately passed away due to excessive physical training, which pushed the safety issue to the forefront. In the face of strong repercussions and pressure from the outside world, the show finally announced its discontinuation.
Then there's Metamorphosis, a show that explores social reality by having children from wealthy and poor families swap living environments. But in reality, this "life swap" setting often has a negative impact. The children of the poor indulge in a life of luxury, while the children of the rich do not change their bad behaviour as expected. In addition, the producers of the program were accused of deliberately creating conflicts and trampling on the bottom line of morality, causing widespread dissatisfaction among the audience. As a result, it was discontinued without rectification.
"Happy Camp" is perhaps the most nostalgic name. Hosts such as He Jiong and Xie Na have brought countless happy moments to the audience. But as time went on, the longevity show began to show fatigue - the content was monotonous, and the host's performance was uneven. When Du Haitao knelt down to cater to Korean stars, it aroused public outrage, and thus uncovered a series of scandals including ratings fraud. After CCTV named and criticized, "Happy Camp" officially entered the period of suspension and rectification.
As for "The Voice of China", it was originally highly anticipated as a platform to explore the potential of civilian singers. However, problems such as unfair internal operations and the transfer of mentor interests have gradually been exposed. Singer Eason Chan even publicly broke the news that the results of the competition were manipulated by the director, and the Coco Lee incident also revealed the chaos and shady scenes within the show. In the angry cries of netizens, "The Voice of China" has also entered the road of rectification.
In summary, in the process of pursuing high ratings and online clicks, these variety shows ignore the principles of safety and security, moral bottom line, and fairness and fairness, which ultimately leads to the loss of audience trust and the damage to brand image. While they have brought us laughter and emotion, the lesson is just as profound – finding a balance between entertainment and commercialization is crucial.
At this moment, we can't help but think: with the advent of the new media era and the improvement of the audience's aesthetic needs, how should variety show producers innovate content while ensuring quality? How to ensure that ethics and safety standards are not ignored? Only by thinking deeply about these issues and putting them into action, and sticking to the bottom line and principles in the pursuit of traffic and benefits, can we win long-term and stable development space in the future, and once again win the real applause and support of the audience.