"Doesn't act like a commoner, secular woman, she turned out to be an official queen."
"Menghualu" is popular, what's so good about "Menghualu"?
Some people say that it conveys "Song Yun", but the heavy makeup and richness in the play are by no means the same as the aesthetic spirit of self-appreciation and serenity in the Song Dynasty; some people say that the actors are "prosperous beauty", but Liu Yifei's other film and television works have not It has achieved the same popularity; some people say that the picture is exquisite and delicate, but it is not a day to make a TV series as a movie; some people say that the plot is reasonable, but Sun Sanniang (Liu Yan) committed suicide by throwing herself into the water. A cargo ship, a human torpedo...
In fact, the success code of "Menghualu" is hidden in the line quoted at the beginning of this article. It perfectly conveys the "privileged aesthetics", and it is precisely by selling the "privileged lifestyle" that it won a lot of applause.
"Audience relationship" comes from the arrogance of "sense of privilege"
"Privilege Aesthetics" is based on the social foundation of "differential structure".
China has thousands of years of farming tradition and has formed a unique social form. Mr. Fei Xiaotong, a famous scholar, used the "water ripple" to describe it, that is, with one's "self" or "home" as the center, layer by layer, like a piece The water ripples that the stones hit in the pond are like ripples, pushing out from near to far, from deep to shallow.
This "differential structure" is very different from the "group structure" of the modern society.
The "differential order structure" is embodied in two aspects: "difference" and "order".
"Poor" means treating different people differently.
"Order" means that the distribution of treatment is centered on imperial power, and whoever has the most power will automatically approach the center.
"Differential structure" shapes our national psychology, including aesthetic psychology, thus forming "privileged aesthetics":
First, there are many characters and a grand scene.
For example, in classical novels, there are as many as 1191 characters in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", 676 people in "Water Margin", 983 people in "A Dream of Red Mansions", and more than 850 people in "Jin Ping Mei"... Most of the characters are only mentioned, not even named, but This "swarming feeling" best fits the projection of "differential structure" in our hearts.
Second, there is no universal justice, only for the sake of personal killing, and killing the inferior for the sake of respect: the strong naturally have the right to insult the personality of others and violate the law and discipline.
The third is the preference for purity: the narrower the experience, the more perfect it is, and the more understanding it is, the less aesthetic it is.
"Privileged Aesthetics" will never be shared as long as it is monopolized.
Fourth, we only talk about sensibility and despise rationality. "Moving the audience" has become a measure, and is no longer a way to think about life.
"Differential structure" and "privileged aesthetics" are cause and effect and support each other.
The "differential structure" takes over people's feelings in a micro-colonial way. Writing novels and filming TV series is not only an aesthetic experience, but also an experience of power-in a universe where one has the final say, arbitrarily arranging the fate of others.
Who can read the "cool feeling" in it is a bosom friend.
Therefore, reading novels and watching TV series is to experience the kind of wantonness that cannot be experienced in real life, which has prepared a broad market for "Menghualu".
Just like the song "Wait We Have Money" sings: "Buy two helicopters, one hangs the other; when a listed company opens two, one crushes the other." Only arrogance can To concretize the "sense of money", "Meng Hualu" has loopholes in every detail, but it does one thing right: it also concretizes the "sense of power" - beauty, adventure, money, pure love, Officials...there will naturally be an audience relationship.
Is Zhao Paner really an independent woman?
It is not denied that "Menghualu" does have some content about women's self-improvement, but compared with "privileged aesthetics", it is just a condiment.
Taking the heroine Zhao Paner as an example, she is quite modern. She refuses to be Ouyang Xu's concubine, which is obviously a tribute to "Jane Eyre", but Jane Eyre looks ordinary and poor, while Zhao Paner is a good-looking and rich man.
Sun Sanniang and Song Yinzhang exist only to highlight the protagonists. One of them was married as a wife, and the other went astray and violated the standard of "privileged aesthetics" - purity.
Therefore, Sun Sanniang must combine with the dull-headed Du Fuzi to complete the funny mission set by "Meng Hualu", and Song Yinzhang will continue to show off his "scumbag physique" to highlight the correctness of Zhao Paner's path.
The "shuangjie" setting of Zhao Paner and the male protagonist is originally engraved in the character logic of the play - some people feel disgusted by this, and countless people feel relaxed and happy because of it.
But Zhao Pan'er revealed at least two points:
First of all, for material interests, Zhao Paner has a vicious side.
When she rescued Song Yinzhang, what she thought was not to get away as soon as possible, but she couldn't take Zhou She cheaply, and she would take all her family wealth.
The strategy is old-fashioned, vicious, and specializes in human weakness, but when he turns his face, Zhao Paner shows her purity in front of the male protagonist again, expressing her disgust for depravity by repeatedly washing her hands.
Even when the individual was not awakened, Guan Hanqing didn't feel embarrassed to write this.
Second, dependent personality.
Zhao Pan'er's clever plan has repeatedly failed, giving the protagonist Gu Qianfan the opportunity to make timely shots, which brings paradox: Zhao Pan'er claims to be independent, but when it comes to critical moments, she always relies on men to save her, and these "critical moments" are mostly made by her.
Exposed, because of the bug that comes with the "differential structure": in the differential sequence, men must be higher than women. When "love" is alienated into "admiration", if Zhao Paner hadn't repeatedly hit the nails, the emotional drama could not unfold.
People who are shrouded in a differential structure hope to see a process from offense to love, starting with quarrels and misunderstandings, forming friendships in trapping and saving, and finally breaking through restrictions and becoming each other's exclusive - love is master vs. low surrender and victory.
In the eyes of "privileged aesthetics", women's beauty, courage, and wisdom are only valuable when they are destroyed.
It is understandable why "Meng Hua Lu" deliberately used slow motion close-up to express her helpless expression lyrically when the county magistrate sentenced Zhao Pan'er to be punished, because that kind of "beauty" can scratch the audience's itch— - Make them feel like they're about to play.
Pseudo love between two mentally disabled people
Obviously, Zhao Paner in "Menghualu" is more like a medal. Who should wear this medal?
Of course, it was Gu Qianfan, the "living Yama".
Gu Qianfan is a typical creation of "privileged aesthetics".
He is extremely cruel, he can stun prisoners with a nickname, but he is gentle and considerate to Zhao Paner; he kills like a numb, but he refuses to hurt Zhao Paner; Ripple; he is suspicious, but he never doubts Zhao Pan'er... Why is Zhao Pan'er so "exceptional"?
Why can Gu Qianfan deviate from the track of character logic?
Because Zhao Paner is reduced to a symbol of male success.
Gu Qianfan's series of abnormal behaviors, including violating principles for Zhao Pan'er, killing people, and cooperating to deceive, are actually the transfer of privileges.
Zhao Paner gave Gu Qianfan the privilege of being cruel, cruel and violent because he was a "good person", while Gu Qianfan gave her the privilege of deceit and rashness because Zhao Paner was a "stunner".
In short, if Gu Qianfan can kill someone who is "lower" than him, Zhao Paner will not condemn her morally; Zhao Paner can also lie to "bad people", but Gu Qianfan will not condemn her morally.
From a modern perspective, Zhao Paner and Gu Qianfan both have mental disabilities.
At first, Zhao Paner hated Gu Qianfan's domineering, and was dissatisfied with a secret agency like Huangcheng Division, but as long as Gu Qianfan helped her unconditionally and without principle, she was also willing to give up herself, moved by philistine logic, and pretended to really fall in love with him.
There are too many privilege transactions in the so-called love between Zhao Paner and Gu Qianfan, who regard brutality as heroism and conspiracy as wisdom.
With the fading of justice, morality, self and other issues, "Menghualu" had to return to the old routine of "two factions in the court fight for power and profit, everyone is a conspirator", and became a "Dongchang" transplanted into the Song Dynasty. play".
Times of suffering should not be glorified
Refuse to go deep into the spiritual world of people, and have to cling to the surface.
But the more you rely on appearance and scenery, the more you fall into the rut of "privileged aesthetics".
The Imperial City Division (formerly known as Wu Desi), where Gu Qianfan is located, is a spy agency. Song Taizu "was not at ease at the beginning of the foundation, and he was afraid that there would be a big traitor and conspiracy. It is more professional than the Jinwuwei and Shencejun of the Tang Dynasty, and it is the first of its kind to open the secret police.
The Imperial City Division often "sneaks and listens to the people of the city to slander and punish them," and "the detectives investigate the civil affairs of the capital in this way, no matter how small or small, they are all up to Shengcong".
Song Renzong was known as a virtuous monarch, but because the song "Side Jinzhan" was circulating in the capital, he could not understand the meaning of it, so "the official of the imperial city department thought it was unknown, and there were singers who took it."
Afraid of Huangcheng Si's lewd power, when Fan Zhongyan was demoted, relatives and friends who came to see him off did not dare to speak. Only Wang Zhi "stayed alone for several nights, reaching the extreme to discuss the pros and cons of the world." Friends warned that someone was eavesdropping.
Wang Zhi laughed and said, We are all talking about the way of governing the country, and it is the blessing of the country to report it in secret.
Even the prime minister, Wang Dan, had a night drink with others. The next day, Song Zhenzong (the prototype of the emperor in "Meng Hualu") said something in his words: You drank well yesterday, and the ministers were in harmony. I am very happy.
Those who heard it were horrified.
During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, the people of the capital were imprisoned for a little complaint. "Meng Hualu" described such a period of suffering as "the whole people's literary youth", and depicted the imperial city's eagle dog as a most affectionate hero. It shows that the creators have not yet gotten rid of the yearning for privilege in their hearts.
The foundation of modern personality is self-awareness, and there should be a clear sense of criticism towards tradition.
To get rid of the "differential structure" and move towards the spirit of the rule of law, we must start by eliminating the distortion of our spirit, feeling and aesthetics caused by the "differential structure".
Film and television should be related to the moral sensitivity of human beings, and it should be related to the self, immersed in the "coolness" of "privileged aesthetics", which is not far away.
Author: Chen Jianxin