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Testing Thread Writer for Bluesky Consuetudium lectorum Mirum est notare. Eodem modo typi qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari fiant sollemnes in futurum? Assum Typi non habent claritatem insitam est usus legentis in iis. Claritatem Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius Claritas est etiam. Nam liber tempor cum soluta. Est etiam processus dynamicus qui.

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Sun, 24 Sep 2023 01:11:50 GMT

I finally finished watching Wave Makers 人選之人—造浪者. For those who don't know, this show is widely credited with having launched Taiwan's belated #metoo movement.

There have been stories about this in almost every major paper. (I'd recommend the one in the LA Times.) But I was a bit surprised in watching it to find that the workplace harassment story is something of a minor sub-plot.

SPOILER ALERT... stop here if you don't want to know.

The same character who is involved in the workplace harassment incident is involved in a much more involved story that deals with a consensual love affair with a powerful older man, and the threat of "revenge porn."

To get herself out of this situation she resorts to some rather underhanded and extreme measures. These measures lead both her boss and the daughter of the man she had an affair with to both feel deeply betrayed by her - and with good reason.

This makes me feel that much of the appeal of the story to Taiwanese audiences is precisely because of its moral complexity, and the fact that (in the end) these other women choose solidarity.

They support her and help her get out of this bad situation in ways that stretch credulity, but are emotionally satisfying. I suspect that it is this fantasy of female solidarity that is the real secret of the show's success.

Another fantasy involves a subplot in which a successful man eventually comes to understand that he was wrong to put his own career over the needs of his wife and family.

Going so far as to say that his wife's career is as important as his and that he should support her in this even though she works from home.

I've long argued that one reason for Taiwan's low birthrate is the fact that men in Taiwan are largely unwilling to take on household responsibilities. I don't know if that is changing now? I hope so.

Finally, I want to say something about the production itself. Despite some excellent (if uneven) acting and writing throughout the show, it was a bit of a slog to get through.

I think part of the reason for this is that much of the show was shot and directed like a traditional TV soap opera, with slow pacing, long shots of people staring off camera, etc.

On the other hand, some of the show felt like a fast paced, documentary-style, workplace drama. I've only seen a few Taiwanese dramas, but it seemed to me that this kind of stylistic genre-mixing has become quite commonplace.

I hope they eventually get the confidence to drop the soap opera part altogether...

The show is available on Netflix and I strongly encourage everyone to watch it, even if it can be a little trying at times.

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