00:00 - 00:02

Hello everyone, I am Anthony

00:02 - 00:03

Welcome to my channel

00:04 - 00:05

Previous two videos

00:05 - 00:07

We discussed Chinese patriotism

00:07 - 00:09

The Secret Connection to Pleasure

00:09 - 00:12

Of course, there is still a lot to explore in this direction.

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I will communicate with you slowly later

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In this video, I want to talk to you about Chinese aesthetics.

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I was chatting with a friend a few days ago.

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We talked about China being an aesthetic desert

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She said, there are always people saying

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We just lack the eyes to discover beauty

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But it is indeed difficult to find beauty in China.

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I don't have that kind of mood

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I agree

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Although

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In principle, one can find beauty everywhere.

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However, beauty is not just external sensory pleasure.

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It is inseparable from people’s inner freedom

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Critical consciousness and free consciousness

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It is precisely the key to achieving a higher level of aesthetic ability.

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That is to say

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one person

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Only when you realize that something is not beautiful

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To discover true beauty

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This process of negation is very important.

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certainly

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Aesthetics is a subjective thing

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If you think something is beautiful

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I have no opinion either

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But don't argue with me.

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Then this video

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We start from what is common in Chinese society.

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Let’s start with some ugly phenomena

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To explore the spiritual reasons behind

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So

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What are the characteristics of Chinese aesthetics?

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I think the first thing is soil

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Or rustic

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Soil is a concept relative to urban civilization

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In my opinion

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It represents a kind of unfreedom

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That is, the spirit is trapped in many constraints.

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Unable to obtain natural

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Transcend the physical factors such as matter

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Clinging to a narrow pragmatism

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Many friends travel to many cities in China

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It will create a sense of monotony and boredom

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That is, all cities are the same.

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The most typical Chinese urban landscape

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Maybe it's a propaganda slogan.

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Most of these slogans are in red with white text

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Or red background with yellow text

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There are some political slogans written on it.

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For example, "the people are the masters of the country"

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“Organic unity of rule of law”

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"Don't forget your original intention and keep your mission in mind"

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etc.

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In recent years

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Propaganda slogans more commonly seen on the streets of China

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The background is made of three red flags

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It says something like "Listen to the Party, be grateful to the Party"

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Slogans such as "Follow the Party"

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These words themselves are disgusting.

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Not only because of his moralizing style

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Empty content

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Because of his omnipresence

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It will severely damage the city

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The original harmony and unity of the streetscape

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A few years ago, I was strolling by the West Lake in Hangzhou.

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As I was looking at the mountains in the distance

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Suddenly look back

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Saw a

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Poster for implementing the overall national security concept

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The painting shows soldiers, workers, doctors, and mothers.

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They all surrounded the slogan and red flag in the middle

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The whole picture has a strong Korean aesthetic style

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That strong visual impact

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Instantly I lost all my feeling

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The direct and crude indoctrination of red political slogans

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The vagueness of the entire scenic area

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Subtle and beautiful artistic conception

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Complete destruction

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A strong aesthetic opposition

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Uglier than this poster

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It's one of those giant propaganda posters with political slogans embedded in it.

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These posters are often five or six meters high, seven or eight meters high.

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Large area

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People look so small in front of these propaganda pictures

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Background of the picture

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Almost all of them are Huabiao, the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square

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The Huabiao and the Great Wall symbolize the long history of the nation

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Tiananmen Square, red flags and red sky

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It symbolizes revolutionary ideology

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The meaning of these symbols

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It is quite straightforward and simple, without any depth.

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The propaganda system does not expect to

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To convey new ideas

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Or inspire personal emotional resonance

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Just to swear the presence of power

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in addition

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These propaganda posters particularly like to use red skies

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Visual bombardment through large areas and highly saturated colors

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Make the viewer feel

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I live under a red sky

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This creates a sense of oppression and insignificance

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Red Sky

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Represents the perfect illusion that the state apparatus attempts to present

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That is

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The state has the power to control everything in the world.

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But this is obviously not the case in reality

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This empty and boring visual language

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Instead, it further exposed the ideology

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The falsity of symbols

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Propaganda officers

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Maybe also realize

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The inherent weakness of this ideology

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Nor do we expect the audience to be truly inspired by the propaganda.

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Inspired

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For them

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Work is just a rice bowl

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They don't believe what they say.

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However, work cannot be without results.

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So we can only pile up these empty slogans

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Through visual bombardment and repetition

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Make people passively accept its superficial meaning

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Training a conditioned reflex of obedience

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Of course, this cultivates

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Often a cynic who says one thing and means another

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Rather than a convinced follower

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In this regard

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This political propaganda is a failure.

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But in another sense it is quite successful.

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That is

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Maintained a superficial unity of thought

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and unified action

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Therefore, the totalitarian aesthetic

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The pursuit is a single, simplified symbol

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Exclusion of complexity and individual experience

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Because the more simplified the symbol

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The more you can eliminate

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Individuals find self-identity and emotional experience in it

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Space

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When people are faced with these symbols

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It is difficult to generate rich associations and emotional fluctuations

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There is no room for repeated interpretation and interaction

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And can only experience the insignificance of oneself

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Passively accepting a single statement

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Totalitarian

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Aesthetics can be expressed as bigger is better

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Uniformity is good

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All because it's not enough, not big enough

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Anything as long as it reaches a certain level

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Large to a certain size

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A sense of beauty and justice naturally arises

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For example, a larger building

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Larger-yield nuclear weapons

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Sacrifice on a Larger Scale

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More uniform urban layout, etc.

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Military parade mass movement

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Uniform clothing, neat lines, etc.

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These are all means of expressing this kind of totalitarian aesthetic

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The purpose is to use visual symbolism

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Communicates clear hierarchies and power structures

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The leader is placed at the center and pinnacle of vision

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Symbolizes supreme authority

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The masses are in a secondary, subordinate position.

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Centralization of power and clarification of hierarchy

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Reinforced by visual means

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This totalitarian aesthetic

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Of course, it is also a kind of aesthetics that advocates violence and order.

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Therefore, they also admire the military temperament and military style the most.

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As we mentioned in our April 26 issue

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In the video discussing the military discourse in Chinese society

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What was said

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Chinese government documents

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I particularly like to use war metaphors.

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That is to explain everything with military logic.

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For example, doctors and nurses are compared to white-coat warriors

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Comparing scientific researchers to innovation pioneers

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The leadership decision is compared to the deployment of troops and the mobilization order.

06:43 - 06:46

It is more common to compare social activities to war.

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For example, the fight against poverty

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“Protracted war against corruption”

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Flood relief encounter

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During the epidemic

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All kinds of war metaphors are flying everywhere

06:55 - 06:58

For example, the Battle of Wuhan, the Battle of Shanghai, etc.

06:59 - 07:01

Chinese middle schools have many management details.

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An obvious reference to the military

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Or in other words, it is developing in the direction of militarization.

07:06 - 07:08

For example, a quilt made of tofu blocks

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And mandatory running exercises

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In recent years

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A tight running exercise

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It has become popular in many middle schools.

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It is said to be the idea of ​​Hengshui Middle School

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During running exercise

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The distance between each student is less than a fist

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This forces everyone's hands and feet to swing

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Must be highly consistent and precise

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Otherwise you will run into someone else

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This aesthetic of uniformity

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It is spread across schools in China.

07:32 - 07:33

Enterprise and film and television works

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certainly

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It also includes national celebrations such as the Beijing Olympics.

07:37 - 07:39

Other Chinese urban landscapes

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Although it seems that there is no clear political tendency

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But it is still a product of power dominance and manipulation

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So it's also ugly

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As "Why Chinese Cities Love Unified Signs"

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What this article says

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Before the government's large-scale rectification of signs

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The signs of shops along the streets of China often contain mixed messages.

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Poor design

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Easy to fade

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therefore

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The government paid to replace the signboard under the pretext of improving the city appearance.

08:04 - 08:05

There was no resistance

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However

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The result of this rectification has led to even greater ugliness.

08:09 - 08:12

Although the original sign looked messy

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But each sign has a different color

08:15 - 08:17

Elements such as fonts and patterns convey information

08:17 - 08:20

People can design according to this variety

08:20 - 08:22

Quickly distinguish different types of shops

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Although

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Many shops also lack aesthetic appeal in their own signboards.

08:26 - 08:27

But in the market environment

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This aesthetic ability can be gradually improved.

08:30 - 08:31

However

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The results of government intervention are even uglier

08:34 - 08:36

Although it looks more neat

08:36 - 08:38

However, the unified sign

08:38 - 08:40

However, due to the use of the same background color

08:40 - 08:41

Even the font

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Therefore, the ability to transmit information in layers is lost.

08:44 - 08:47

No auxiliary information to help customers identify

08:47 - 08:50

Different types of stores look almost the same

08:50 - 08:52

This causes people to have difficulty identifying shops.

08:52 - 08:53

It takes more effort

08:54 - 08:55

This neatness and order

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It only reflects the government's bureaucratization of aesthetics.

08:58 - 08:59

Understanding

08:59 - 09:01

It not only fails to convey beauty

09:01 - 09:04

Instead, it feels mechanical and lifeless.

09:04 - 09:05

certainly

09:05 - 09:08

The motivation for this kind of rectification is not to satisfy the citizens.

09:09 - 09:10

As the article points out

09:11 - 09:12

Since 2005

09:12 - 09:15

China begins selecting "National Civilized Cities"

09:15 - 09:18

This title is the highest level of the competent unit

09:18 - 09:20

Strict selection and limited places

09:20 - 09:23

It is the highest honor in the current domestic comprehensive city evaluation.

09:23 - 09:26

Has great influence on the careers of local officials

09:27 - 09:28

Since the establishment

09:28 - 09:31

It has received great attention from all over the country

09:31 - 09:34

In order to achieve the political goal of creating a civilized city

09:34 - 09:36

Under the pressure of examination

09:36 - 09:38

Improve the city appearance by unifying the signs

09:38 - 09:41

It is the easiest to produce visual results.

09:41 - 09:44

"Incentives and Cooperation of Government Officials in Promotion Games"

09:44 - 09:45

This paper mentioned

09:45 - 09:48

Local officials at the same administrative level in China

09:48 - 09:51

Regardless of province, city or county

09:51 - 09:52

At the township level

09:52 - 09:54

They are all in a political promotion game

09:54 - 09:56

Or in a political tournament.

09:57 - 09:58

In official circles

09:58 - 10:01

Only a limited number of people can be promoted

10:01 - 10:04

One person's promotion will inevitably squeeze out another person's opportunity

10:04 - 10:07

The participants are facing a zero-sum game.

10:07 - 10:09

Reflected in urban construction

10:09 - 10:11

It manifests itself as vicious competition

10:11 - 10:12

Due to the promotion of officials

10:12 - 10:14

Depends on short-term economic growth

10:14 - 10:16

And hard achievements that can be seen with the naked eye

10:17 - 10:18

Therefore, local governments

10:18 - 10:20

Often pay more attention to the scale and speed of the project

10:21 - 10:21

Impatience

10:21 - 10:24

To pursue the aesthetics of projects and urban layout

10:24 - 10:26

Quality is even less likely to be explored

10:26 - 10:28

The personality and characteristics of local culture

10:28 - 10:30

Under pressure from the promotion tournament

10:31 - 10:33

Local officials tend to adopt those

10:33 - 10:36

A standardized model that has been proven to deliver results

10:36 - 10:39

Once a project or policy is passed somewhere

10:39 - 10:40

Achieved success

10:40 - 10:42

Other officials quickly followed suit.

10:42 - 10:43

Crowd up

10:44 - 10:45

Trying to replicate the same achievements

10:46 - 10:48

Competing to build projects that can attract outside attention

10:48 - 10:50

Tasks at each level

10:50 - 10:52

Layer lamination index

10:52 - 10:54

Governments at all levels mobilize all administrative resources

10:54 - 10:56

To complete the quantitative indicators

10:56 - 10:58

This inevitably leads to short-sightedness and narrow-mindedness.

10:58 - 11:00

Urban design style

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It also created countless ugly and tacky urban landscapes.

11:03 - 11:06

In addition to the unified signs mentioned above

11:06 - 11:08

Another common method is to build a building

11:09 - 11:10

You build wonders

11:10 - 11:12

I'll build a bigger one than yours.

11:12 - 11:13

So all over the country

11:13 - 11:16

Competing to erect all kinds of ugly giant buildings

11:16 - 11:17

for example

11:17 - 11:19

Baoding City, Hebei Province once built a Golden Turtle Hall

11:19 - 11:21

It looks like a giant turtle

11:21 - 11:24

The building was later demolished

11:24 - 11:27

Bacheng Crab Culture Museum built in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province

11:27 - 11:28

View from the air

11:28 - 11:31

Like a giant crab lying on the ground

11:31 - 11:32

Not only is there no aesthetic

11:32 - 11:35

It can even evoke a fear of giants.

11:35 - 11:38

Guizhou Dushan County Government has a debt of 40 billion

11:38 - 11:40

Created the "No. 1 Water Company Building in the World"

11:40 - 11:42

The county's annual income is only 1 billion

11:42 - 11:44

Hubei Jingzhou in 2016

11:44 - 11:47

A statue of Guan Gong, which is said to be the largest in the world, was erected.

11:47 - 11:50

The statue, including the pedestal, is 58 meters high.

11:50 - 11:51

Weight 1,200 tons

11:52 - 11:54

Considered a landmark building in Jingzhou City

11:54 - 11:56

The investment in the entire park is about 1.5 billion yuan

11:56 - 11:58

However, the annual income after completion is only several million yuan

11:59 - 12:00

Much lower than cost

12:00 - 12:03

In 2020, the statue was also illegally constructed.

12:03 - 12:07

Negative news such as failure to pass fire inspection has attracted attention

12:07 - 12:08

besides

12:08 - 12:10

There are countless Tiananmen Square protests in various places.

12:10 - 12:12

The Great Hall of the People and other symbols of power

12:12 - 12:14

Buildings for copying

12:14 - 12:16

These huge buildings

12:16 - 12:18

With a sense of absurdity that is out of touch with reality

12:18 - 12:19

They not only have no sense of beauty

12:20 - 12:22

Even scary and weird

12:22 - 12:23

When the design of the building

12:23 - 12:26

Just for the pursuit of "biggest" and "first"

12:26 - 12:29

When we ignore the actual humanistic care and aesthetic logic

12:29 - 12:31

It has become an ugly symbol.

12:32 - 12:35

Gives people a visual experience of indifference, alienation and oppression

12:36 - 12:38

Edward Ralph emphasizes authenticity

12:38 - 12:40

and sense of place in aesthetic experience

12:40 - 12:41

sense of place

12:41 - 12:43

In the book Place and No Place

12:43 - 12:44

He said:

12:45 - 12:47

Authenticity as a form of existence

12:47 - 12:48

Its meaning is

12:48 - 12:50

Man's responsibility for his own existence

12:50 - 12:52

Complete acceptance and recognition

12:52 - 12:55

"Everyone needs more than just a piece of ground...

12:55 - 12:56

It's a place -

12:56 - 12:59

There, talents can enrich themselves

12:59 - 13:00

And become himself

13:00 - 13:02

In this sense,

13:02 - 13:04

Places cannot be bought and sold.

13:04 - 13:06

It can only be used for a long time

13:06 - 13:08

Through the ordinary daily affairs of people

13:08 - 13:09

Continuously generating

13:09 - 13:11

It requires people to love

13:11 - 13:13

To give specific boundaries and meaning

13:13 - 13:15

It also requires careful care from people.”

13:16 - 13:18

Inauthenticity is the opposite of authenticity

13:19 - 13:21

Individuals are in an unconscious subjective state

13:21 - 13:24

Unconsciously being influenced by the "anonymous other"

13:24 - 13:25

I don't know it myself

13:26 - 13:28

Ralph identifies two inauthentic attitudes:

13:28 - 13:30

Kitsch and technologization

13:30 - 13:34

Kitsch refers to things that are mediocre and vulgar.

13:34 - 13:36

Including music, architecture and literature

13:36 - 13:38

For many people

13:38 - 13:39

Purpose of travel

13:39 - 13:41

Not for experiencing a unique place

13:41 - 13:43

Just to collect those places

13:44 - 13:45

Many tourists

13:45 - 13:47

Immersed in such a superficial link

13:47 - 13:49

Their experience of place

13:49 - 13:52

In the scenic spots and hotels planned by the tourism department

13:52 - 13:54

Visit the largest and highest

13:54 - 13:57

But in fact, the building sculptures and commercial streets lack connotation

13:57 - 14:00

Stuck in a souvenir shop selling bulk

14:00 - 14:03

Take a group of the most exquisite photos and post them on Moments

14:03 - 14:05

But I am interested in the places I have visited.

14:05 - 14:07

Lack of real experience

14:07 - 14:08

Authenticity in the West

14:09 - 14:12

Facing the challenges of technocracy and popular values

14:12 - 14:15

But in China, we still have to face the threat of power

14:15 - 14:17

Power-driven urban layout design

14:17 - 14:20

Often related to individual aesthetic experience and self-identity

14:20 - 14:20

Conflict

14:21 - 14:21

because

14:21 - 14:24

A city is not just a place to live and work.

14:24 - 14:26

It is also an extension of individual identity.

14:27 - 14:28

When a city is designed

14:28 - 14:30

When the symbols of power are everywhere

14:30 - 14:33

It often deprives individuals of their sense of identity in this place.

14:33 - 14:34

and continuity

14:34 - 14:36

No matter how magnificent the landscape is,

14:36 - 14:39

Can't hide this nouveau riche temperament

14:39 - 14:40

And the inner emptiness

14:40 - 14:43

That's all for today's video

14:43 - 14:44

Next video

14:44 - 14:46

We will also discuss the topic of Chinese aesthetics

14:46 - 14:49

If you have any questions or personal confusion

14:49 - 14:50

Want to consult me

14:50 - 14:51

Please contact my email

14:51 - 14:54

If you are unable to pay or join the membership

14:54 - 14:55

Please contact me too

14:55 - 14:57

I will provide other ways

14:57 - 14:59

Please refer to this picture for details

15:00 - 15:01

I will post this video

15:01 - 15:03

Put it in the list of "Psychology and Education"

15:03 - 15:04

Also recommend to everyone

15:04 - 15:07

Go watch my other videos in this list

15:07 - 15:09

Thank you for watching, goodbye!

The Essence of Chinese Aesthetics: A Critique on Totalitarian Influence

In this insightful video, Anthony delves into the topic of Chinese aesthetics, exploring how the aesthetics of a society can reflect deeper cultural, political, and social issues. He starts by discussing the prevalence of ugly phenomena in Chinese society, particularly focusing on the dominance of totalitarian aesthetics.

Totalitarian Influence in Chinese Aesthetics

Anthony highlights the characteristics of totalitarian aesthetics in Chinese urban landscapes, such as the omnipresent political slogans and propaganda posters. He critiques the visual bombardment of red political symbols and the limited depth and meaning behind these propaganda images. The discussion extends to the use of war metaphors in Chinese government documents and the militarization of various aspects of society, from management details in schools to architectural designs of buildings.

The Ugliness of Uniformity in Aesthetics

The video further explores how the quest for neatness and order in Chinese urban signage, driven by the desire to project a civilized image for political gain, often results in a loss of aesthetic appeal. The uniformity enforced by bureaucratic interventions leads to a mechanical and lifeless urban environment. Anthony draws attention to the negative consequences of government-mandated standardization, which sacrifices individuality and creativity in urban design.

Aesthetic Absurdity: The Race for Grandiosity

Anthony sheds light on the trend of constructing oversized and bizarre buildings across China, showcasing examples like the Golden Turtle Hall and the Crab Culture Museum. These architectural endeavors, aimed at outdoing one another in size and grandeur, often lack aesthetic sensibility and fail to resonate with humanistic values.

The Urgent Need for Authenticity in Urban Design

Finally, Anthony emphasizes the importance of authenticity and local identity in urban aesthetics, citing the work of Edward Ralph. He warns against the dangers of inauthenticity in urban spaces, caused by the imposition of power-driven designs that overshadow the unique essence of a place. The video concludes with a call for a reevaluation of Chinese aesthetics, urging viewers to consider the impact of totalitarian influence on urban beauty.

As we reflect on Anthony's insightful analysis, we are reminded of the profound influence that political systems can have on the aesthetics of a society. In the quest for beauty, may we strive to preserve authenticity, individuality, and cultural richness in our urban environments.