Before getting into the topic of the blog, I would like to introduce myself first. My name is Chuah Bin Feng you guys can also call me Max. As you can tell through my name, I am a Chinese people but not Chinese from China, but Chinese Malaysian. I was born and raise in a traditional Chinese family and had been exposed under the Chinese popular culture, such as their reality shows, tv shows, and Chinese dramas. But why am I attracted by the Chinese popular culture? Maybe the Cultural Proximity Theory will give a good explanation for this question.
Cultural Proximity
According to research the definition of cultural proximity is cultures share the same history, racial, language, faith, and geography (Straubhaar, 1991). The cultural proximity clarify that media consumers will choose content that is reflecting their own culture especially languages.
For Chinese Malaysian, tv shows from China provide a familiar language environment. The usage of Mandarin or different dialects such as Cantonese and Hokkien in these shows giving Chinese Malaysians a better understanding and appreciation. Research also shows that people will incline towards media that matches to their cultural background. (Straubhaar, 1991)
Common Cultural Values
Tv shows from China often talk about themes that is deeply rooted in Chinese culture such as family drama and costume drama that highlights Chinese historical narratives. These kind of Tv shows will resonate with Chinese Malaysians.
Besides Chinese tv Shows, the Korean tv shows have their own unique themes such as love, friendship, and fantasy. These shows normally reflect Confucian Values such as respect for parents and be loyal to where you belong. These values will attract Chinese Malaysians as we share the same cultural values.
Cultural Representation and Identity:
While watching tv shows from China and Korea, we Chinese Malaysians will get an opportunity to maintain the connection to our cultural identity and heritage. I think it is important to remember where you are from and where your roots were, this will help us to reinforce our cultural identity especially when we were in a multicultural country like Malaysia. Their accessibility and presence in daily life offer doors to other worlds, diasporas, and home countries. Strengthening the sense of community is largely dependent on pictures shared across boundaries and constant, simultaneous communication. (Georgiou, 2006).
Accessibility and Quality:
Chinese and Korean Tv shows are well-known by their excellent production values, heartwarming stories, and strong characters. The Chinese online streaming platforms such as IQIYI, YOUKU and BILIBILI which is Chinese version of YouTube, give audience from all around the world easily access to the shows while boosting their popularity at the same time.
The popularity of Chinese and Korean television programs and reality shows among Chinese Malaysians is largely attributed to cultural proximity theory. The theory elucidates how linguistic and cultural familiarity, shared values and themes, cultural representation and accessibility contribute to the widespread appeal and consumption of these media forms. By understanding cultural proximity, we can gain insight into the preferences and media consumption habits of Chinese Malaysians.
Reference list
Georgiou, M 2006, Diaspora, Identity and the Media: Diasporic Transnationalism and Mediated Spatialities, Academia.edu, eprints.lse.ac.uk, viewed 24 August 2024, <https://www.academia.edu/79675829/Diaspora_Identity_and_the_Media_Diasporic_Transnationalism_and_Mediated_Spatialities>.
Straubhaar, J & Pastina, ACL 1991, ‘Beyond Media Imperialism: Asymmentrical Interdependence and Cultural Proximity’, www.academia.edu.