SPECTACLE STATE AND ITS GOVERNANCE OF ATTENTION: CHINA'S OFFICIAL USES OF POP STARS

Abstract

THIS THESIS IS A CRITICAL STUDY OF CHINA?S INCREASING OFFICIAL USES OF POP STARS AS A TOOL OF POLITICAL PROPAGANDA, SINCE THE 1980S, AS THE PREVIOUS OFFICIAL ATTEMPTS OF EXPLICITLY INDOCTRINATING MORALIZING MESSAGES IS NO LONGER EFFECTIVE. I ARGUE THAT THIS CULTURAL PHENOMENON IMPLIES THE EMERGENCE OF A `SPECTACLE STATE? AND ITS CULTURAL GOVERNANCE OF ATTENTION. THIS THESIS PROVIDES A SOCIO-SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT STARS? IMAGES IN THREE OFFICIAL MEDIA SPECTACLES, DEMONSTRATING HOW THE STARS? PERFORMANCES ARE SHAPED, CIRCULATED, AND VIEWED WITHIN WHAT I CALL `OFFICIAL CULTURAL CIRCUIT?. THE DYNAMICS IN THIS CULTURAL CIRCUIT DEMONSTRATES THE OFFICIAL INTENTION, TECHNIQUE, AND DIFFICULTY OF GOVERNING AUDIENCES? ATTENTIONS VIA THE USE OF POP STARS. USING THE POWER OF THE STARS? SPECTACULAR BODIES, CHINA?S PROPAGANDISTS HAVE RENEWED THEIR VISUAL TECHNIQUES OF PRESENTING STATE IDEOLOGIES. THE AESTHETICIZED PROPAGANDA PRODUCTS AIM TO OUTSHINE OTHER ATTRACTIVE OBJECTS AVAILABLE IN THE T