An (un)romantic journey: Authentic performance in a Chinese dating show

This article examines the production and negotiation of ‘authenticity’ in reality television through a case study of a popular Chinese dating show If You Are the One. The study reconstructed the various stages of the show and collected perspectives from participating bachelors and production people. The ethnographic approach has enabled a relatively thick description of what happened on-screen and off-screen. Primarily, it details how four ordinary male participants entered the show and made sense of their experiences. It describes and discusses how they maintained a strong sense of authenticity while delivering anticipated performance on television. It uncovers the dynamics and interaction between the participants, producers and audiences and highlights the invisible scripts underlining the show. The recurring debates about authenticity, scripting and ordinariness in reality television are addressed with a renewed understanding of how the seemingly paradoxical ‘authentic performance’ and ‘extraordinary ordinariness’ work in the process.