'If You Are the One' touches the nerves of this generation

The effects triggered by a dating show

An older single girl had complained in her blog that every weekend her mother will sit in front of the TV to watch a dating show called "If You Are the One." It seems that her mother is pressuring her to find a boyfriend as soon as possible. Zhang Qiang, a 30-year-old man who works in Indonesia, also feels the same. His parents watch "If You Are the One" mainly in order to find a girlfriend for him. At first, they watched the program every weekend and wrote down the names and phone numbers of several girls they thought would be a good match.

This generation has too many older "leftover singles," and as a result, has generated extensive viewers for the dating show. It is also in line with the producer Wang Gang's motive and his team members. The dating show touches the sensitive nerves of this era.

"Some viewers are older singles who are hoping to find their marriage partners on the show and some are older people who want to learn about the values of young people and even find the right partners for their children," said Tang Yuanqing, director of the News Comment and Public Opinion Research Center under the Communication University of China.

"Of course, some viewers are attracted to some of the contestants through their private stories and individual words and deeds. Some are attracted by the drama and conflicts, and some want to learn about the younger generation's viewpoint on love and marriage, and their outlook on life," Tang added.

The show is a big stage that reveals human nature

Conflict, fun and suspense are the three characteristics of "If You Are the One"

Twenty-four girls and five boys, breaking through the traditional one-to-one dating shows, can cause some subtle confrontation. If the 24 female guests are a "TV series," the five male guests are "single stories." The former is comparatively stable and viewers know much about their characters and means of expression while the latter are different episode and can raise new topics every time.

"This kind of design is very ingenious. It creates a state of stability and variability that can coexist," said Yu Guoming, a professor at the School of Journalism and Communication under the Renmin University of China. Yu is a supporter of "If You Are the One" and he said that the show is more than a dating show which only talks about the marriage and love. To a greater extent, it reflects how this generation of young people judge good and evil, what is beautiful and ugly, and whether something has value or not. This is what is most attractive to viewers.

Indeed, compared with other dating shows, "If You Are the One" is more like a society and a big stage revealing human nature, which is the reason why the show is so successful.

There is always something that moves us

After adjusting the show, "If You Are the One" ushered in an era of "post-dating show"

Huang Han, a female professor at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, was invited to verify the identity of guests, select the topic of discussion and check the recording process. According to Wang Gang, a guest now must pass five rounds of verification from when they sign up to when they appear on stage. "We told female guests not try to be the focus of discussion and not to behave artificially, otherwise they will not find a suitable partner and even the viewers will not accept you. The first thing we emphasize is truth," said Li Zheng, assistant producer and chief editor of the show.

The second thing that is emphasized is ordinary. Before the show's adjustment, female guests were mostly city girls who have a decent career and a beautiful face, but now there are more ordinary girls.

Chang Xiaojuan is an ordinary girl from Luoyang, Henan province. When she first introduced herself on camera, she cried and said, "I am 24 years old. I've never been in love. I never thought I could stand on stage one day. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

The appearance of rural girls, peasant workers, private teachers and the disabled allowed viewers see more about human nature and warmth. "We want to tell viewers that the stage belongs to anyone pursuing love. They are equal to me," said Meng Fei, the show's host.

Many viewers are sad to see male and female guests that create a connection on the show but say good-bye after they leave. To this, the program staff has always held a consistent attitude, "We only provide opportunities but we do not arrange marriages. No one dares to say that they will succeed in their first love, let alone the 10 minutes on the stage. This is exactly the reality."