Recently, new faces such as Zhang Ruonan , Jia Bing , Ma Xudong , Jiang Shimeng , Liu Tianchi and other new faces have appeared in the rehearsal of the 2024 Spring Festival Gala, but it has attracted doubts from the audience. Netizens are not optimistic about these newcomers' participation in the Spring Festival Gala sketches, but are more looking forward to seeing old faces such as Shen Teng and Ma Li. This also reflects the audience's nostalgia for the classic older generation of comedians.
Although Jia Bing is a national first-class actor, his Spring Festival Gala works have a mixed reputation. In particular, "Wind and Snow Dumpling Love" was controversial back then. Ma Xudong's "First Sight Photo Studio" brought last year was also mediocre. Viewers are worried that he will continue his old tune this year. In contrast, the cooperation between Shen Teng and Ma Li is seamless, and the quality of the works is stable. They regret the audience every time they are absent.
As more and more post-80s and 90s generations set foot in the comedy industry, the Spring Festival Gala sketch actors have accelerated their blood change. But it is not easy for newcomers to break through the huge influence left by their predecessors. The lack of success is the root of the audience's reaction. Audiences would rather look through the highlights of previous years than give up familiar faces just for the sake of novelty.
This year's Spring Festival Gala sketches are full of newcomers, which also highlights the withering of the older generation of comedians. Zhao Benshan has not appeared in the Spring Festival Gala for many years, and Song Dandan has only occasionally appeared in variety shows. Zhu Shimao has faded out of the audience's field of vision for a long time. They are being missed by the audience day by day. These comedy elites collectively left the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, and it was difficult for the Spring Festival Gala sketches to reproduce their past glory.
Zhao Benshan can be described as a legend in the sketch world. He has participated in the Spring Festival Gala for 21 consecutive years, completing the gorgeous transformation from a harlequin to a positive character, showing the witty and humorous rural image to the fullest.
The cooperation with Song Dandan is particularly tacit, the works are delicate and vivid, and the characters are exquisitely portrayed. Chen Peisi and Zhu Shimao also have a very tacit understanding, and the works they starred in are still classics.
These older generation actors used their talent and hard work to create a golden age of Spring Festival Gala sketches. And when they withdrew from the stage one after another, there was a fault in the Spring Festival Gala sketches. It is difficult for newcomers to completely fill the void they leave behind. Therefore, when the Spring Festival Gala arrives every year, the audience is still Xi to rummage through the classic works of previous years and recall those familiar faces.
An era will eventually pass, and it is also the general trend for newcomers to appear. We need to give the new forces time to grow, not be prejudiced against them. At the same time, we should also cherish the joy brought to us by the older generation of actors. Their brilliant artistic achievements are always worth remembering.
However, while we accept newcomers, we should not forget the contributions of the older generation of actors. They laid the aesthetic foundation and concept of the Spring Festival Gala sketches. The older generation of actors, represented by Zhao Benshan, are good at integrating traditional Chinese culture and modern context, telling the life stories of ordinary people, and showing the unique sense of humor of the Chinese nation. This sets the direction for those who come after it.
The older generation of actors represents the collective memory of a historical stage. Through the vivid images they depicted, the audience saw the customs of that era. This shared memory and emotional connection is also the fundamental reason why the audience is faithfully watching. There is no substitute for novelty and gimmicks alone.
We need to inherit the rigorous work style and dramatic accomplishment of the older generation of actors. Not only do they have solid basic skills, but they are also diligent in studying the characters and repeatedly scrutinizing the details. It is this persistent pursuit of art that has achieved the high standard of the Spring Festival Gala sketches. If newcomers want to go further, this is the threshold that must be passed.
Finally, the transition between the old and the new is a gradual process. We should not abandon the past altogether, but innovate in the inheritance. Let the newcomers cooperate more with their predecessors, learn from experience, and pass on the excellence.