Online review: The good old days

The Good Old Days, a television drama produced by Hong Kong Broadcaster Asia Television (ATV) in 1996. Directed by Yeung Siu Hung and it have 105 episodes. It was one of the most famous TV Drama which produced by ATV in 1990s. This drama timeline took place around the days of the Republic of China, and also Warlord Era till World War II. Those eras itself was considered as the most turbulent and chaotic period in modern China’s history.

The story is about a poor woman, Tse Sau Hau, married with a landlord’s son Fong. Like most of the couple in traditional China, their marriage was decided by parents and the must accept it even though they did not love each other. After married, Fong joined the army for Anti-Warlord War and also the Sino-Japanese war. As the wife of Fong’s family, Tse was responsible for caring her parents-in-laws and the whole family, due to the sickness of Fong’s farther and Fong’s leaving, she even had to work outside and take care the business. As an observation, the traditional ideologies towards gender and family values, says, the Confucianism was blended into the Good Old Days, for example, collectivism and gender stereotyping.

First of all, collectivism is the core value of Confucianism. The Classic stated that all individuals are belonging to the group, and they should obey to group such as country and nation, and even family. In contrast with Western style Individualism, honor and disgrace of family is far more important than personal interest. Therefore freedom, equality, independence and individual characteristics were being avoided. For instance, in The Good Old Days, Tse took her family as the most important issue in her life, and she tried her best to maintain her family living quality, even worked in quarry.

Moreover, gender ideologies were another important element to construct this TV Drama. Since Confucianism is the fundamental of rural China, the guidance was being so important in society. All human being should act with appropriate way towards their gender. For example, men should be breadwinner and women should be responsible to care the family. In this drama, Tse act as a perfect wife who obey and be loyal to her family, and caring the family well. Yet, she sometime playing a man’s role in the family due to the absent of her husband. For instance, she works in the quarry since Fong’s family had not enough money to maintain their life quality. Quarry was being gendered since it is a work place which required physical power. And women were always described as weak due to the weakness on physical power. We therefore can see the changes towards gender in this drama; women status was changed from subordinate to comparatively independent.

To conclude, beside the character and story line, social changes and value could be shown in TV such as gender ideologies and family value. Those values might last for many years, yet, it is still changeable with the development of society. For example, the gender stereotyping towards female had changed in 1990s era, except caring family, working and earning money is necessary for female. Since TV is one of the most popular entertaining means, people may being affected by its programme unconsciously and definitely TV can spread ideologies to public. 

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