Summary in One Sentence:
Recent events, such as Jia Zhangke publicly praising short-form dramas and Wang Shuo admitting his addiction to short videos, have caused a significant backlash among those who consider themselves "artistic youths," leading some to jokingly describe it as the "darkest moment for artistic youth." In essence, this is not about the collapse of an idol's image but rather the breakdown of an old rule that has been in place for decades—one that relied on niche aesthetics to create a sense of superiority. This rule has been directly challenged by the rise of popular content, shattering the illusions many have held for a long time.
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Four Easy-to-Understand Expllications:
1. The "collapse" of artistic youth is actually the loss of their "identity pillar"
Many people think the backlash is about the collapse of an idol's image, but that's not the case at all. Jia Zhangke has never promised to only watch art films and never touch short-form dramas, and Wang Shuo has never said he would never watch short videos. These so-called "elegant" images are merely self-imposed by the artistic youths themselves. For them, these cultural figures were like "guarantors" that proved their superior taste. For example, by showing off that they watch "Xiao Wu" instead of popular dramas, they implied, "I am different from those who consume cheesy content." Now that the figures they admire have joined the camp of the content they despise, the standard they used to distinguish themselves from the masses has been undermined, causing a much more profound sense of disappointment than the collapse of a typical idol.
2. The "niche identity game" played by artistic youths for decades is no longer valid
There used to be an unwritten rule: aesthetics were not for enjoyment but as a tool to distinguish one's status. If others listened to pop music while you listened to underground bands, or if others watched commercial blockbusters while you watched black-and-white art films, it wasn't necessarily because the latter were of higher quality, but because fewer people knew about them and the barrier to entry was higher. Having access to such content gave you a VIP pass that showed you were more cultured and tasteful. However, this rule has expired. Now, algorithms determine what is popular, and the massive engagement of hundreds of millions of users has given short-form dramas, once labeled as vulgar, the legitimacy they needed in the content market. The VIP card that artistic youths once used to exchange for a sense of superiority is no longer valid.
3. No one has ever said you can only live with one type of aesthetic
Artistic youths have been so entrenched in their niche that they have a misplaced belief: they think someone who touches even a bit of "vulgar" content loses all their taste. But in reality, it's perfectly fine to spend two hours on an obscure art film on the weekend and cry over its nuanced emotions, only to then watch a popular drama on Monday to relax. These two preferences are not contradictory. It's like enjoying fine French cuisine and occasionally having grilled skewers with ice beer—both are enjoyable. The notion that those who like grilled skewers are not worthy of French cuisine is absurd. The perceived hostility between "elegant" and "popular" content was simply due to the isolation of the two communities. Jia Zhangke and others have broken down these barriers, making people realize that their supposed "single aesthetic" was just a self-imposed constraint.
4. The era of pretending to be superior through aesthetic disdain is over
This "darkest moment for artistic youth" may seem like a trivial matter within a niche community, but it represents a major shift in the entire content industry. For decades, the content market was top-down, with a few elites defining what was good and what was bad, and the aesthetic disdain chain was built on this foundation. Now, algorithms reflect the real preferences of hundreds of millions of users. Short-form dramas and videos, once dismissed as inferior, have gained legitimacy. The era of using aesthetic disdain to distinguish oneself from the masses is over. In the future, the content market will be more diverse, with people choosing what they want. No one will be able to claim superiority based on their taste preferences. The attempt to use "I’ve never seen this” as a sign of superiority will only be increasingly unconvincing.