Why do we (I) watch Asian dramas? ft. Radway's "Reading the Romance" PART II
Last post - I discussed some of the reasons Radway explains why women read romance novels, which I then transfered/referenced in my arguments in why we watch dramas/soap operas.
This time, I am going to use Radway once again (that’s how I much I love her writing! Her arguments are so accurate! AHHHHH). But I am going to focus on the “language and narrative discourse” of dramas.
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Have you ever thought of why the heck do the same things happened in dramas? Why do the writers use similar plot lines, similar character backgrounds, similar “‘dramatic incidences” and so on? One can argue that because those plot lines are the most successful, so they keep writing it that way.
Radway points out that romance novels has a similar phenonmenon. Romance novels are usually dominated by “cliche, simple vocabulary, standard syntax” (189) and basic narrative techniques. These all contributes to easier and quicker reading, meaning the earlier one can finish the whole story. In other words, readers “seems to judge writing solely on the basis of the efficiency with which it gets its job done, that is tells the story” (189).
I can see that happening in dramas.
Often times, watching the first episode gives me enough information to guess the outcome of the drama. This is mostly because of how the characters are set up in dramas.
- Main male lead is often the not-so-lovable guy in the story. He and the female lead usually starts out with some disagreement - or they simply dislike each other.
- Second male lead is always the sweetheart of the story. He is usually a close friend of the girl, or the BFF of the male lead.
- The female lead’s BFF(s) usually the characters who brings laughter to the show. Characteristics range from chatty, noisy, brave, dumb to quiet, meek, smart etc. Nonetheless, they are always there for the female lead (aww).
- The affair - beautiful person, attracts everyone’s eyeball EXCEPT the main lead… and is super good at creating disasters/spreading unfounded myths.
- Parents of the male lead (usually the mother in Korean drama) has immense power in their hands. In the beginning of the story, they probably have huge control over male lead’s life, including marriage prospects. This will change as the drama goes on.
These narratives basically acts like the simple vocabulary in a romance novel - they help viewers immediately comprehend who is who and what viewers should expect from those characters.
This idea goes with Radman’s:
… the fictional characterizations depend on these previously known codes, they also tacitly legitimate them through simple repetition,… (193)
The reason why drama viewers can quickly catch on each person’s role is that they are often reenforced whenever one watches a drama. When most dramas describes the male lead as stubborn and arrogant in the beginning - Stubborness and arroganance in turn became “essential shorthand” for “Main male lead” to the viewers.
Events in a drama can also become shorthands that help viewers understand the plot lines. As said before - the main male lead and the main female lead starts off hating each other. How do they end up falling head to toes for each other in the end? There has to be a transition, and basically, the drama is about how they fall for each other. (Sometimes, the transition is so abrupt that I’m like - What on earth happened to them that they start liking each other so much?)
Writers usually employ common events to assist that transition. Common ones are events that involve the male lead risking his life to save the girl (hence the car crashes), the male lead disregarding his all-mighty image to be on the same side with the girl (disagree with his friends/the affairs) basically whenever the boy decides to do something out of the line for the girl. Whenever you see something DRAMATIC like occurs, you know it, the girl will fall for the boy. And part of it is that the guy probably likes the girl enough so he did that.
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“The Technique of Aimless Glance”
Romantic authors often squander lavish amounts of space on the description of foreign environments and historical customs that are very likely not already known except in them ost skeletal way by the reader. (195)
I think there is something similar in dramas too. Just something that I seldom notice. But yes, locations play huge role in dramas. The house/apartment that the leads reside in, the company the leads work in, the school they go to etc. usually become a famous tourist spot. These places play a huge role in the drama because many romantic/memorable incidents happen there. The atmosphere of the location and the structure of the building effects how those little episodes are presented.
Classic scenes like - kissing across the hand rails of the long staircase, embracing each other in the middle of the road (yes with cars running next to them), tripped on [insert item] and lead to close bodily contact… etc
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Among those Radway interviewed, a big portion of them indicates that they have the practice to read the last page of the novel before buying it. Radway explains that these women wants to make sure the story is going to end happily ever after. This is because one reads those novels to relive joyful moments/reassure true love exists etc, it would be against those purposes to read a book that the lovers don’t end up together.
I really think there is that component in dramas too. But the thing is, I have yet to see a drama that the main male lead does not get the girl.
Dream High possibly created some heated debates because there are 2 equally important main leads - JinGook (performed by Taecyeon) and SamDong (SuHyeon) - in the story. They are fighting for the same girl HyeMi. The first part of the drama, JinGook seems to be going ahead in the race, but SamDong eventually ends up getting the girl.
Question to ponder: Will you watch the show if you know the ending is not a “happily ever after” one??
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One final quote that sums up a lot of ideas:
Because romances are always novel-like narratives of the yet-to-be-determined destiny of different heroines, they suggest to the reader that all women, like the heroine about who she reads, are unique individuals who live in ignorance of their own future and who are quite capable of living orignal existences. (207)
Once again, Radway brings up the argument that women read romance novels to assure themselves that they are unique, they have potentials to create a life of their own, and they are going to be loved by men they themselves love.
If drama does the same to us, then dramas are pacifiers of the culture. We watch dramas so that we can live through those scenes of intense romance, those scenes of the female leads breaking through old traditions and the control of males, those scenes immense happiness and sadness.
We must also ask - why do women have to use drama as a way to justify their own importance in the society? Do we watch drama because we lack those things in our lives? I am sure this would lead to another can(s) of worms - about the roles of female in the society.
until then…
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pheewwww.
If you read through the whole thing, I must say Thank you!!! :) It’s unthinkable to me that people would want to read this monster post. But if you did, really, thanks and please leave a comment!
If you just jumped from the beginning sentence to here… then, let me assure you, there are some good parts in the essay. And actually, a part that talks about why you’re reading this ending before you even read the whole thing.
