TV Tuesday: Gender Stereotypes the Biggest Obstacle in 'Boys and Girls Rush to the Ends of the Earth'

Welcome to TV Tuesday, a column devoted to following the newest and most notable Chinese mainland television shows. Each week, this features examines notable television shows that are worth watching.

Even if you're new to the Chinese language and have trouble following even the simplest conversation, there's always one alternative you can always depend on to deliver pure Chinese television entertainment: obstacle course racing shows.

Watching a competitor get disqualified by tumbling headfirst into the water below is something that transcends all languages, making shows like Boys and Girls Rush to the Ends of the Earth (男生女生闯天涯 nánshēng nǚshēng chuǎng tiānyá) a simple joy to experience when compared to alternatives that include weepy dramas and the severity of anti-Japanese Imperialism war serials.

The premise of setting up people to take spectacular falls is one that Boys and Girls Rush to the Horizon has been doing for nine seasons. This show and many of its peers have stuck to this basic formula to entertain audiences, with each new season setting up more elaborate contraptions with which to challenge its contestants.

This may imply that obstacle race TV shows are simply dumb entertainment to enjoy by shutting off your brain. And yet, the show Boys and Girls Rush to the Ends of the Earth becomes a fascinating study into gender stereotypes when you begin to examine it.

The show splits its competitors into male and female competitors, who both run different courses. However, the show goes to great pains to treat each gender differently. Female competitors are praised for their beauty and elegance, and urged to be careful and to take their time (in what is a timed competition). On the other hand, male competitors are encouraged to be aggressive and aren't unrestrained by requirements to wear white miniskirts like their counterparts.

The difference between male and female competitors couldn't be any more obvious. Male competitors emerge from a towering space shuttle model while female contestants are seen emerging on the back of a horse, riding side-saddle. Male competitors run over obstacles that are substantially quicker while women usually crawl to pass obstacles and are even given help in order to pass the obstacle course.

Along with its tendency to favor contestants from a lower income bracket with poor jobs, Boys and Girls Rush to the Ends of the Earth is an interesting example of the lack of agency afforded to poor people in China – that is, whenever they're not faceplanting into a watery disqualification.

What is the show about?

Contestants run an obstacle course in which the only rule is "don't fall in the water." And since most contestants don't appear to be athletes, much of getting through the course for the contestants entails falling to their knees. There's not much else to the show except for its commentators who have a habit of granting so much praise to the competitors that it can't help but sound condescending after a while.

Why should I watch it?

"The enjoyment of watching people fall" is the immediate answer, but a more fulfilling answer is that this show provides a glimpse into the heart of Chinese culture. To explain this, we must point out that Chinese obstacle race shows are not in any way like similar shows from Japan and the USA.

In shows like American Ninja Warrior and Ultimate Beastmaster, the contestant is simply not expected to finish a course which is designed to be exceptionally difficult; or, in the case of Wipeout, exceptionally unfair. However, the Chinese obstacle show is very different: Contestants aren't just expected to finish an obstacle course that is substantially easier than their international counterparts – they're shamed for not doing so. 

As enjoyable as it is to watch someone fail in spectacular fashion, it's not something that Boys and Girls Rush to the Ends of the Earth emphasizes. Instead of capturing the agony of failure, the Chinese obstacle race show quickly moves on to its next hopeful contestant, leaving the failed contestant to wallow in his or her own shame.

Representative dialog of the show

Beside the usual 加油 ("Let's go!"jiāyóu) and 漂亮 ("Beautiful!"piàoliang) that is heard at every Chinese sporting event by patriotic commentators, the most common phrase heard on this show is "Do you have any regrets?" asked of every contestant who get eliminated from contention.

Failed contestants each have an opportunity to deny their shame by saying things like:

I don't have any regrets because I have stood upon the highest platform, and have challenged myself to be successful. I don't think this failure means anything.

Or:

I think I have made the greatest effort; that's why I don't have any regrets 

Mandarin language difficulty

Easy peasy. Rated 2 out of 5 for difficulty.

Where to watch it

Boys and Girls Rush to the Ends of the Earth is currently broadcast on Anhui Satelite TV at 11.45am every day, and can also be streamed online via PPTV, Youku, LeTV, and QQ.

More stories from this author here.

Twitter: @Sinopath

Images: iQiyi