The (Dead) Spirit of Radio

Yesterday, I blogged about how some government control of the book market in Germany leads to a flourishing and varied literary culture there. Now for the, "but what about . . ." counterpoint. Today's New York Times reports on the state of popular music in China, which is heavily regulated and censored by the state. The result isn't pretty:

Marxists once referred to religion as the opium of the people, but in today’s China it is the music promoted on state-monopolized radio that increasingly claims that role. China’s leader, Hu Jintao, has talked since he assumed power five years ago about “building a harmonious society,” an ambiguous phrase subject to countless interpretations.

But Chinese musicians, cultural critics and fans say that in entertainment, the government’s thrust seems clear: Harmonious means blandly homogeneous, with virtually all contemporary music on the radio consisting of gentle love songs and uplifting ballads.

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Many say one result has been the dumbing down and deadening of popular music culture. Fu Guoyong, an independent cultural critic in Hangzhou, likened today’s pop music culture to the politically enforced conformity of the Cultural Revolution, when only eight highly idealized Socialist 'model operas' could be performed in China.

'Nowadays singers can sing many songs, but in the end, they’re all singing the same song, the core of which is, ‘Have fun,’' Mr. Fu said. 'Culture has become an empty vessel.'

Say what you will about the modern American music scene, it's not an empty vessel. Lots of it may not be all the "good," however you define that term, but it at least does a better job at reflecting reality.