When dating shows encounter parents: A reception study of Chinese Dating among Chinese young female audiences

Chinese Dating, a TV dating show that premiered on Shanghai Dragon TV by the end of 2016, highlighted the role of parents in their children’s mate selection process. By conducting in-depth interviews with 40 never-married, heterosexual, and educated women between the ages of 20 and 30 in urban China, this study discusses how the young female audiences interpret the show and how they relate it to their lived experiences. The results indicate that the female audiences strongly criticize the traditional gender division of labor emphasized by the parents on Chinese Dating. Celebrating individual freedom and self-actualization, young women today have made every effort to break down stereotyped gender roles and strive for an egalitarian marriage. However, the results show that the interviewees agree with the young guests on Chinese Dating and widely accept parental interference in mate selection due to the Confucian doctrine of filial piety and strong emotional bonds with parents. This study concludes that there has been little attempt to challenge patriarchal parental authority in contemporary China. The younger generation still has a long way to go before achieving full autonomy and including individualized marriage.