"The word' shanzhai' has gradually evolved from an economic behavior to a social and cultural phenomenon", which has aroused widespread concern and heated discussion.
Two opposing views express their opinions.
In the face of shanzhai phenomenon, public opinion has two diametrically opposite views. Opponents regard shanzhai phenomenon as synonymous with counterfeiting, and believe that the essence of shanzhai phenomenon is pirated culture and robber logic; Praisers regard shanzhai as a symbol of grassroots self-awareness awakening, and an innovative force from the people who challenge authority, resist the mainstream and aim at checks and balances.
Why come to the opposite conclusion when facing the same phenomenon? After careful analysis, it is not difficult to see that the root of the differences lies in their own views: opponents pay attention to all kinds of cottage products, while critics pay more attention to the cultural connotation of cottage phenomenon.
Xia Xueluan, a professor of sociology in Peking University, believes that to analyze the phenomenon of shanzhai, we should first distinguish two concepts: one is shanzhai products, such as shanzhai mobile phones. In essence, they adopted other people's core technology, which should be a kind of infringement, but the fake products do not use genuine trademarks, which is actually a loophole in the law and a manifestation of chaotic market competition order.
The other is "shanzhai culture". In the final analysis, shanzhai culture is folk culture and grassroots culture, which is produced by the incompatibility between folk ideology and mainstream culture. In this sense, shanzhai culture is actually a subculture and a manifestation of cultural diversity, but it is not necessarily opposite to the mainstream culture, but a supplementary form of the mainstream culture.
To some extent, the rise of "shanzhai" expressed people's demands.
Pan Zhichang, director of the Institute of International Media of Nanjing University, believes that the rise of shanzhai reflects the basic demands of ordinary people in China.
Lu Guoping, a network commentator, believes that the closed and autocratic society in the past suppressed the individual spirit of grassroots culture in the bud, and grassroots culture was unable to compete with mainstream culture and had no chance to express its voice. However, in modern society, multi-cultures are integrated with each other, and grassroots culture is advancing by leaps and bounds. In this relaxed cultural environment and background, shanzhai culture naturally came into being.
Geng Xin, deputy director of the Research Center for Cross-Strait Relations, analyzed that the society is in a period of rapid transformation, and the actual differences are becoming more and more extreme. Some people lose confidence in adopting "reasonable and legal" means, but they don't have the courage to try the law by themselves, so they use teasing means to resist in a soft way, use the skill of edge-ball and vague norms, and express their views at the same time. The shanzhai phenomenon is actually trying to survive by disturbing the existing order, and then calling for the establishment of a new order and even the emergence of a truly fair society.
When the channels for people to express their needs are not smooth enough, there is no export, or the export is too small, when a few people control and monopolize the export of public opinion, and when their thoughts and views are not recognized by the mainstream, they must choose some channels.
The future of "shanzhai" depends on whether it can realize self-innovation.
The phenomenon of shanzhai originates from the imitation of successful brands, but this imitation is not simple plagiarism and imitation. Zhang Yiwu, a professor of Chinese Department in Peking University, believes that shanzhai is an unorthodox parody and an ironic copy of the brand. Imitation is not a bad thing, any cultural creation is based on imitation, and the domestic cultural industry has grown up under the background of the increasingly mature global cultural industry, belonging to backward areas. "Counterfeiting" is one of the ways we have to take to attack the enemy from behind and turn defeat into victory. Only by learning from imitation can we have better creation. Therefore, it can be said that shanzhai phenomenon is an inevitable stage for the development of China's cultural industry.
Some scholars predict that there are only two trends of shanzhai phenomenon, one is from entertainment to comedy and then to extinction, and this shanzhai phenomenon is just "garbage" covered with a gorgeous picture; The other is to go out of imitation, move towards innovation, and finally become the main body of market competition. This shanzhai phenomenon is a "cultural journey of folk wisdom" with a bright future. So the future of shanzhai phenomenon depends on whether it can realize self-innovation.
Reflection: What can we learn from "shanzhai"?
Nowadays, the debate about shanzhai phenomenon continues. Agreeing with shanzhai phenomenon does not mean that counterfeiting can escape punishment, and opposing shanzhai phenomenon does not mean that the challenge of grassroots to mainstream discourse will be put to rest. The purpose is not to make a simple value judgment on shanzhai phenomenon, but to constantly reflect on what enlightenment the popularity of shanzhai phenomenon can give us.
New things often sprout in the old system, and the disadvantages of the old system are often the nutrition of new things. As Zhou Dongfei, a media person in Hunan Province, said, the competitors of shanzhai products and shanzhai culture, as well as the regulators of economic order and social and cultural order should benefit the most from this discussion. The sudden emergence of shanzhai is not because shanzhai itself has invincible genes, nor because people have changed their attitudes or positions in an instant. The essential reason is that the pattern of economy, society and culture has produced some variations and gaps, and the endogenous power has contributed to the rise of shanzhai. Seeing your own problems from the phenomenon of shanzhai, you are not even ashamed to learn some innovations of shanzhai. This is the attitude that mainstream, elite and orthodox people should have in the face of shanzhai phenomenon. Only in this way can we truly eliminate the negative impact of shanzhai phenomenon and promote the progress and perfection of the whole society, which is also the ultimate significance and value of shanzhai phenomenon.