"Focusing Only on Looks Doesn't Fit the Story"... China Criticizes 'Lookism'

"Eradicate Lookism and Study Xi Jinping Thought on Culture"
China Issues Directive to Video Platforms

The Chinese government has urged its domestic drama industry to move away from "lookism" and establish a "healthy aesthetic perspective." This directive is based on concerns that the industry tends to focus more on actors' appearances and flashy production rather than on storytelling.

The Chinese government has urged its domestic drama industry to move away from "appearance supremacy" and to establish a "healthy aesthetic perspective."

According to the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), a State Council agency in charge of Chinese media, the Drama Department held a "Symposium on Healthy Aesthetics in Drama" on April 2, 2026. The meeting was attended by representatives from major online video platforms such as iQIYI, Mango TV, Tencent Video, and Youku, as well as executives from production companies like Zhengwu Yangguang, Linmon Media, Huace Media, and GHY.

During the meeting, participants pointed out that "undesirable creative trends that pursue 'lookism' still exist within the industry, and some works display problems such as actors' excessive makeup or costumes and makeup tools that are disconnected from the characters' personalities, stories, and backgrounds."

The Chinese government has urged its domestic drama industry to abandon "appearance-based supremacy" and establish a "healthy aesthetic perspective."

They further stated, "'Worship of appearance' must be eradicated, and the principle that 'content is king, and character is fundamental' should be maintained. The industry must avoid 'lookism' and 'traffic dependence,' and focus more on acting and the quality of works." The requirement was also made to "ensure that costumes, makeup, and props serve the purpose of character portrayal and story delivery, and that, overall, healthy and positive spiritual qualities are emphasized to reflect the spirit and character of China and to strengthen cultural confidence."

Additionally, they emphasized that "establishing a healthy aesthetic perspective is a major issue related to the direction of literature and art, cultural confidence, and the future of the industry," and ordered that "the drama industry should thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping's cultural thought and adhere to a creative direction centered on the people."

The photo is unrelated to any specific expression in the article. Pixabay

In this context, Chinese media outlet The Paper highlighted the urgency of these measures by noting that the NRTA unusually released the meeting results late at night.

The outlet explained that, "Recently, debates over the aesthetic orientation of some dramas have become quite intense. The 'Symposium on Healthy Aesthetics in Drama' was held, and a statement was issued on the same day, setting a very direct stance and clear requirements for the entire drama industry, drawing a 'red line' for healthy aesthetics." The report added, "It also serves as a clear warning to video platforms or production companies that might try to challenge this red line in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.