Stardom in the view of media power

: reproduction of media power in the case of Li Yuchun

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the stardom of Li Yuchun, a star from Super Girls' Voice (an American Idol-type show), which in 2005 was one of the most successful television entertainment programs in China, in the view of media power. Based on Couldry's (2000) framework of media power, which focus on the symbolic boundary between the media world and the ordinary world, this study attempts to explore how audiences of ordinary people and media people, respectively, construct the stardom of Li Yuchun, how she became well-known with the support of audience votes, and whether the constructions of the audience and that of media people vary. Moreover, the questions of whether the symbolic boundary between the media world and the ordinary has been maintained in the case of Li Yuchun' stardom, and whether the media or the audience represent the main supporter of this boundary also will be explored. The difference between Li Yuchun and other stars from talent shows, and other stars made in traditional ways, and its implications for the Chinese entertainment industry and popular culture, will be discussed as well.

Date of Award	16 Jul 2012
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Xigen LI (Supervisor) & Lap Fung Francis LEE (Supervisor)