Why are cool novels and cool dramas so popular? What does their popularity reflect?
Some time ago, the Xiaomi SU7 car was launched, which triggered heated discussions in the public opinion. Subsequently, various cool articles related to Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi, appeared on the Internet, and some people called him "the walking cool article male protagonist". Lei Jun later responded in a live broadcast, "When I learned that the outside world called me the 'first cool article male protagonist', I felt uncomfortable all over."
In fact, cool stories and cool dramas are nothing new. The martial arts and romance novels we have read since childhood and the Hong Kong and Taiwan TV dramas we have followed have many "cool points" hidden in them. The protagonist, who is mediocre, unexpectedly gets the guidance of a hermit master and becomes a peerless master. With fine wine in one hand and the rivers and lakes in the other, he fights for justice and takes pleasure in revenge, which makes people feel refreshed and relieved.
So, how have cool novels and cool dramas developed in the Internet age? What does their popularity reflect?
"All martial arts skills were wasted in the morning, and he became the leader of the martial arts world in the afternoon", "The family property was taken away today, and a huge inheritance will be received tomorrow", "The little palace maid who was beaten and scolded by everyone finally became a favorite concubine"... In the Internet age, such routine plots are common in various exciting articles.
The trend of film and television adaptations has also spread to the "cool" field of literature. Cool stories on themes such as fairy tales, time travel, and workplaces have been adapted into TV series, giving rise to a large number of cool dramas. The rise of short videos has brought new opportunities for "cool culture". The "climax at the beginning" mini-program short dramas have brought the routine of traditional cool stories to the extreme, making a large number of viewers willing to pay for them.
Although the subject matter and styles are different, "cool novels and cool dramas" have similar basic routines, and are highly formulaic and templated in content design.
For example, the "satisfaction point" is clear. This "satisfaction point" can be the domineering president falling in love with Cinderella, or the "rebirth" transformation of a housewife, or the successful "counterattack" of a small person saving everything. In short, many viewers want to watch another episode after watching one episode, and want to read another chapter after reading one chapter. They are unconsciously immersed in the pleasure created by it, "feeling so good" that they can't stop.
For example, the plot is compact. The fast pace of the cool novels and cool dramas is in sync with current life, providing the audience with fragmented "electronic pickles". From abuse to revenge, from fantasy to satisfaction, from obscurity to success, the "big counterattack" must be achieved within one or two chapters or one or two episodes. Even in many short dramas, there are dense "cool points" of "a small climax every three minutes and a dramatic reversal every five minutes".
For example, emotions get the better of you. “Shuang culture” products often have the characteristics of low material value and high emotional value. Many Shuangwen and Shuangju are relatively simple in production, with almost no foreshadowing and blank space, and some even have a lot of typos and rough pictures, but because the character design and plot development meet emotional needs, they have attracted a group of stable users.
Statistics show that the online novel "Fights Break Sphere", which is known as the "pioneer of cool novels", currently has a total recommendation volume of more than 7 million on a certain website, and has been adapted into animation, movies, games, etc., releasing considerable IP commercial value.
The popularity of cool stories and cool dramas as a social phenomenon is not accidental, but to a certain extent a necessity based on current social culture and social psychology. What is the reason for the popularity of "cool culture"?
Anxiety and stress reliever. The hectic life makes many people "unable to slow down" like a wound-up spring. Anxiety, tension, depression and other emotions inevitably come, and they need an outlet to relieve. Compared with the plots in some long-running TV series such as "the misunderstanding that can be solved by saying one more word is not solved until 15 years later" and "the protagonist is always tortured by the supporting role again and again", the simple and direct narrative style and clear-cut plots of some refreshing novels and refreshing dramas may indeed be a faster way to "decompress" and "recover blood" for "workers" who have finished a tiring day of work.
Traffic-driven "creative wave". The popularity of cool articles and cool dramas is also driven by the platform. Through algorithms, the platform accurately pushes a large number of cool articles and cool dramas to target customers, and conducts a new round of screening and recommendation through feedback information. Today, cool articles and cool dramas have formed an industry, and there are even cool article and cool drama generators available. Under the business logic of "coolness-based" and "traffic first", some creators exchange "cool points" for click-through rates, turning the audience's "heart flow" into cash flow, thus creating a phenomenon of hot supply and demand in the "cool culture" market.
The "daydream" of modern people. Whether it is a cool novel or a cool drama, the protagonist can often "change his fate" and achieve a "cheating" life. This routine also creates an opportunity for people to "daydream", which is in line with the "projection identification" in psychology. In the fictional world, people temporarily put their own thoughts and ideas into the protagonist, and immerse themselves in how the protagonist easily "passes the levels". As one reader said: "There are too many things in life that you want to do but can't do, but cool novels allow people to escape reality for a short time, and their inner hopes can also find a place to rest."
In the public opinion field, cool writing and cool dramas have always been a controversial topic. Supporters believe that they can relax the body and mind; while opponents compare them to "spiritual opium", believing that excessive indulgence in cool writing and cool dramas is not conducive to the cultivation of healthy personality and the shaping of values of young people. How do you view cool writing and cool dramas? The author thinks of three sentences.
We should look at the prevalence of "cool culture" rationally. We should look at this cultural phenomenon dialectically and rationally, and we should not "blame it with one stick" or over-praise it. On the one hand, the emergence and development of cool stories and cool dramas are the result of both social demand and the promotion of traffic logic. They are the product of multiple factors.
On the other hand, we must know that everything is too much or too little. The popularity of some cool novels and cool dramas that are created for quick results and exciting effects may have a certain impact on the creation and market of serious literature and film and television masterpieces; for readers and audiences, "temporary cool" may not necessarily be "constant cool". Indulging in "cool culture" products not only wastes time and affects study and work, but may also make people fall into nothingness and lose touch with real life.
Accept the ups and downs of life. To a certain extent, refreshing stories and dramas have relieved the anxiety and pressure of some people, bringing pleasure and excitement. It is understandable to read refreshing stories and watch refreshing dramas to relax and relieve stress, and to satisfy one's "hero dream" and "rich dream" in fantasy.
But the overly powerful aura of the protagonist comes more from the needs of the plot setting of the work. "Fun logic" cannot replace the "real logic" of the real world. In real life, no one can succeed casually, and no one can always "cheat" in life. The ups and downs of life are the norm. Put aside fantasy, face the difficulties bravely, do more hard reading and deep thinking, and look for answers in the classics of ancient philosophers. This process may be painful and requires a certain amount of patience, but this is where the tension and value of life lie.
Standardize the creation of Internet content. The popularity of cool articles and cool dramas is because they have captured the psychological needs of some netizens and found the traffic code of the Internet space, but the harm caused by "rushing in" and "being happy" has begun to emerge.
For example, in the micro-short drama market, some dramas have lines, pictures, and plots involving soft pornography, violence, blood, and bad values, and have been rectified and removed from the shelves. Creation cannot be born only for "fun", "fun" for "fun", or even skirt the rules and gain traffic. Fun stories and fun dramas should also abide by social ethics, have correct values, and provide users with more positive and good quality content.
In fact, traffic is constantly changing, and following traffic is not a long-term solution for content creation. Works that can "fight" time and influence the growth of generations are often more extensive and profound. I look forward to the development of Shuangwen Shuangju towards a more standardized path, and I also hope that everyone can have fairy tales in their hearts, but not indulge in fantasy, and harvest a beautiful and tenacious life in the struggle of reality.
