Mass Literature and Arts

Author: Liu Ye
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: The reason why popular literature has taken root and spread in the subculture layer and attracted their interest is mainly due to the role of its inherent entertainment value. People read popular literary works and appreciate the various forms of popular art with clear purposes. This purpose is neither to seek profound truths nor to achieve transcendence through change. Their primary consideration is to pursue spiritual entertainment and gain rest through it. This demand is neither vulgar nor lowly; it is entirely normal, and we cannot and should not deny the positive significance of entertainment in life. For people who have been busy all day or week, reading popular novels to relax, and restoring their physical and mental energy from pleasure and satisfaction, balancing life's imbalances, and adjusting their own pace—this in itself is a positive goal.
Famous cultural anthropologist Bronis?aw Malinowski, through his analysis of adult games, pointed out that in addition to entertainment, there are significant contributions to social organization, the development of art, skills, knowledge, and inventions; to the cultivation of etiquette, ethical norms, self-esteem, and a sense of humor. Throughout history, the entertainment needs of the Chinese people have been regarded as improper. Some classics not only do not mention entertainment but repeatedly emphasize its unpropriety. For scholars, it is "excellence comes from diligence, decline from play"; for officials, it is "obsession with play leads to ruin." In every aspect of life—sitting, lying, eating, and sleeping—one must uphold the great way, understand the great principles, act according to great righteousness, and remain vigilant in times of peace, reflecting on one's faults when closing one's eyes. This education fostered a calm, introspective, and reserved temperament in the Chinese people, whom they considered superior to others. Conversely, all forms of entertainment were viewed as minor, lowly, or contemptible, something that Confucian scholars would not engage in.
Verses could directly express one's emotions, openly writing down thoughts and scenes without touching on the great way, so they were regarded as "minor arts." As for entertainment-oriented lyrics and other artistic activities, they were considered contemptible, and even those who enjoyed popular literature were deemed lowly and unacceptable. In ancient times, actors in operas, theatrical plays, southern dramas, zhuqin tunes, singing and storytelling, and dance performances were often seen as entertainers—lowly professions. Those who engaged in these art forms or wrote novels were dismissed as the "lower rungs" of society, unworthy of equal status, labeled as "immoral" and "vulgar." Thus, ancient novelists often used pseudonyms, and performers frequently adopted stage names, partly to avoid disgracing their ancestors.
Therefore, if we compare popular literature with "orthodox literature that embodies the great cause of governing the state," we can draw the following conclusions: Literature once claimed to be orthodox and was accustomed to it, emphasizing aesthetic and educational aspects, becoming what is today called literary literature. On the other hand, popular literature developed alongside entertainment, interest, and leisure. The essence of orthodox literature is didactic, self-appreciation, and primarily focused on textual expression; the essence of popular literature is entertainment, catering to the entertainment needs of the masses, and a combination of artistic and popular appeal. Orthodox literature is a mentor or philosopher above the audience, while popular literature is a friend, colleague, or neighbor among the audience.
The revival and rebirth of the entertainment essence of popular literature is a challenge to the disdain for entertainment in orthodox literature, representing a renewed recognition and supplementation of the fundamental function of literature. The establishment of this didactic yet entertaining function in popular literature is based on the actual experience of literary appreciation by the audience. From the perspective of the audience, reading literary works or enjoying other art forms with the purpose of entertainment is the primary and clear goal. Popular literature is created for a broad readership, most of whom are outside the artistic circles, each with their own professions and occupations. Among them, there are very few who, with a purpose, compare and learn from various artistic methods, as few aspire to literary creation. Their appreciation of literary works is a shift in spiritual perspective and also a physical rest. Thus, whether great figures or laborers, few are exceptions.
In 1962, Premier Zhou Enlai said in his speech to playwrights in Beijing: "Chairman Mao said that theater is like a meeting—then why have plays? Chairman Mao doesn’t like Peking opera because it’s too much like life, and also because the language isn’t good. Chairman Mao watches plays for rest, not for education." Great figures are like this, and ordinary people are even more so. Very few people read literary works or watch plays and listen to music specifically for self-education or deepening their thoughts. For literary appreciators, appreciation is rest, and knowledge and education are gained subtly through entertainment.
In terms of the inherent characteristic of entertainment, popular literature has been fully and long-standingly expressive, which is why it naturally follows the masses without coercion and has also gained immortal vitality. Most literary works have the function of alleviating sorrow and boredom, and subtly influencing people—this is the nature of literary works. Even the simplest folk tales, from the earliest forms, possessed such a function. Engels, in his youth, wrote that the entertainment aspect of literature is its essential attribute. The demand for entertainment is a fundamental human need, also known as human nature. After basic living conditions are met, people always seek leisure and entertainment, creating a "second environment." The demand for entertainment has given rise to worldwide competitions and artistic activities, enriching various program contents and forming numerous folk customs.
Art, from its very inception in labor, has contained the purpose of entertainment. Lu Xun, in "The Historical Evolution of Chinese Fiction," discussed the origins of poetry and fiction as follows: I believe that in the order of the emergence of literary works, poetry likely came before fiction. Poetry originated from labor and religion. First, during labor, people sing while working, forgetting their fatigue, so it evolved from simple cries to expressing their thoughts and emotions, with natural rhythms. Second, as primitive clans grew fearful and respectful of deities, they began to praise their power and achievements, which became the origin of poetry. As for fiction, I think it originated from rest. When people labor, they sing to entertain themselves and forget their fatigue. During rest, they must find something to pass the time—talking about stories with each other.
From the above discussion, it is clear that Lu Xun had a clear understanding of the entertainment aspect of literature from its very origins. He explored the essence of literary entertainment from the perspective of historical development and literary genesis, presenting a clear and convincing argument. In discussing the origin of poetry, he emphasized that poetry born from labor not only coordinated labor movements and mastered their rhythms but also served as a self-entertaining function to alleviate fatigue. As for storytelling to pass the time, it combined both entertaining others and entertaining oneself.
Dance initially imitated labor and animal movements. Accurate, powerful, agile, and flexible movements brought joy and a sense of success. Familiarity with and imitation of animal movements re-experienced the process of hunting and combat, as described by Plekhanov as "a rediscovery of a joyful impulse" (in On Art, page 73). Especially in the vivid depiction of "three people holding ox tails and throwing their feet to sing eight odes," the entertainment nature is self-evident.