Chinanews client, Beijing, February 1st (Reporter Yuan Xiuyue) It seems that there are very few variety shows in China that do the fifth season without letting the audience feel bored, and even fewer people are still worried about the audience after the suspension.
In addition to the instability of creative output, it is also difficult to maintain the freshness.
But there is one type of subject that has a solid audience base since the birth of popular culture, and that is imitation shows.
Data map: Andy Lau's imitators are singing.
Photo by Liu Mingzhao Image source: CFP Vision China
Jacky Cheung's singing, Fei Yuqing's voice and movements, Andy Lau's words, Jay Chou's mantra, these have become artists' reserved items in variety shows.
Even if you perform it many times, you can still get excited applause next time.
Imitation shows entered the mainland variety show, which started earlier with Southeast TV’s ace variety show "Happy 100".
At the end of the 1990s, this was a variety show comparable to "Happy Camp".
There is a link in "Happy 100" called "Happy Star Face", which allows ordinary people to imitate celebrities, and once became the focus of "star faces".
Many "cottage stars" have emerged here, and some real stars have also been discovered. For example, Ye Yiqian imitated Carina Lau and Fan Xiaoxuan in the show.
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To let the imitation show flourish, there is another variety show that I have to mention-"The Variety Show", which re-broadcasts on Friday.
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"Bianchang Big Coffee Show" is introduced from the original foreign variety show "Your Face Sounds Familiar", which is different from the previous programs where ordinary people imitate stars. It allows stars to imitate stars.
For ordinary people to imitate celebrities, often everyone's point of view is "like or not", either in appearance or sound.
When "Various Big Coffee Show" was first broadcast in 2012, its competition system was also based on this, and the stars participating in the competition were divided into "Xingjia Team" and "Shengjia Team".
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If "The Variety Big Coffee Show" only follows this line of thinking, then it may be just an upgraded imitation show, a star costume show.
In fact, the first season of "The Variety Big Show" has just started. Perhaps it is inexperienced. In addition, many stars seem a little shy and cautious in their performances. In terms of imitation skills, some are no better than Taiwan. The imitation masters under this are excellent.
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Therefore, after a few episodes, the more brilliant is Wang Zulan as a guest.
His imitation lies not only in the appearance, but also in the magnification of the characteristics of the imitated object, as well as the nonsensical and playful reproduction.
For example, why Jacky Cheung sang his fingers because he had a sensitive nose, and there was no place to put things in his nose, so he kept holding it in his hand.
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When asked why Eason Chan frowned when he sang, Wang Zulan said with a smile that because Chen’s agent didn’t pay him, he didn’t know if he had any money, so he often looked for money in his pocket during performances. When he found out that he didn’t have money, he was “crazy”.
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And why Tengger always squinted his eyes when singing, because the weather in Inner Mongolia is too comfortable and easy to get sleepy.
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Wong Cho Lam’s performance is not surprising. In 2010, Hong Kong once broadcasted an imitation program "Quan Jia Fu Lu Shou". Quan was Wang Mingquan and Fu Lu Shou was Ruan Zhaoxiang, Wang Zulan and Li Sijie.
This show is bolder, often mimicking hot events in the entertainment industry and spoofing well-known artists.
Wang Zulan has repeatedly appeared as female celebrities in "Quan Jia Fu Lu Shou", and his career has taken a step further.
"The Detective Case of Tsuen Ka Fu Lu Shou" poster
As an entertainer from TVB, Wang Zulan has the spirit of entertaining the audience, is more open, and pays more attention to the output of laughter.
After that, the style of "Various Big Coffee Show" also gradually developed in the direction of weird and hilarious. As the executive director Andersen said at the time, "there is no bitterness, deep hatred and tearful storytelling."
In addition to Wang Zulan, "The Variety Big Coffee Show" also discovered artists who are good at imitating such as Zhang Wei, Jia Ling, Shen Ling, Qu Ying, and Bai Kainan.
Starting from the third season, they formed the "Five Heroes" and collaborated on a lot of classic hilarious imitation stages.
The objects of imitation are diverse, including classic songs and dances, such as Da Zhang Wei and Shen Ling imitating Na Ying and Faye Wong's "Meeting 98" in the Spring Festival Gala.
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Shen Ling and Jia Ling imitated Phoenix Legend to sing "Freedom to Fly".
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Also imitated the popular film and television dramas, hot characters and topics at the time, such as Jia Ling and Shen Ling imitating Du Minjun and Qian Songyi in "You from the Star".
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Wang Zulan imitated Venus Comments, Jia Ling imitated the ghost and beast clips of Aunt Xue in "Deep Love and Rain".
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In "The Variety Big Show", they often use spoofs and counter-strings to perform creative performances.
For example, Jia Ling, Qu Ying, and Shen Ling imitated Liu Huan, Dai Yuqiang and A Bao, and let the "three major tenors" perform on the same stage.
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Da Zhangwei and Bai Kainan imitated Yi Zhongtian and Ji Lianhai in "Hundred Schools of Forum" and performed in a historical way.
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Later, the program often invited the imitated object to the scene, so that the imitator and the deity were on the same stage.
For example, when Jia Ling imitated Tengger, Tengger suddenly appeared. When Sun Jian imitated Aunt Xue, Wang Lin, the actor of Aunt Xue, also came to the scene to perform together.
This contrast also created a different spark.
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When "Various Big Coffee Show" was broadcast, Zhejiang Satellite TV's "The Voice of China" became popular, singing talent shows were gaining popularity, and blind dates such as "If You Are the One" were also popular among audiences.
The status of Hunan Satellite TV was once challenged, and "Big Variety Show" can be said to have high hopes.
Although it didn't hit the spotlight, the "Big Variety Show" gradually opened up the market after it was broadcast, and its ratings have been rising all the way, bringing some viewers back.
Some netizens also said that this is their favorite mainland variety show.
Many viewers went to revisit previous shows after the suspension of the "Big Change Show".
In the previous topic of "Variety Shows You Most Want to Rebroadcast", "The Variety Show" also leads with high votes.
After the latest episode of the program was broadcast, Da Zhangwei and Bai Kainan's "Hundred Forums" performances quickly became popular.
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Why do you love imitation shows so much?
First of all, this is related to the program. Talented and interesting guests ensure the quality of the program. Under the pressure of life, many viewers prefer relaxing programs.
Of course, the more important reason is that the happiness people get from imitation is endless.
Aristotle once pointed out in "Poetics" that imitation is an instinct in our nature, and it is also one of the differences between humans and other animals. Humans first learn through imitation, and imitation often brings fun to people.
Many of Stephen Chow’s nonsensical comedy movies that we are familiar with, such as "A Big Story Westward Journey", "Tang Bohu Spots Autumn Fragrance", "The God of Cookery", and "Kung Fu" all use parody techniques. This technique is also called "parody".
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The greatest charm of parody lies in the deconstruction of classics. It invites classics from the altar through ridicule, irony, and games.
In the process of breaking the classics, the audience experienced the pleasure of being free from fetters.
As the Bakhtin Institute pointed out, parody is an enjoyable downgrade game.
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In the Internet age, spoofing has become an important means of expression for young people. Netizens use emoticons, short videos, P pictures and other means to create a second time, setting off a carnival.
In "Big Variety Show", the audience also values the impersonator's personality interpretation more than the appearance. What they need is not a formality, but abandoning the burden. They see unexpected surprises in the familiar imitation. .
However, today when there are jokes everywhere, the difficulty of imitation is also increasing.
After all, sometimes, trying to be funny will not make people laugh.
and.
The sense of boundary of imitation is also very important.
These will all be the propositions to be answered in the new season of "Big Change Show".
(Finish)