161: The 161st day of being popular
Xie Wan'er said, "This story may seem extremely poisonous, but if you delve into the underlying logic, you will find that all the pain and injustice suffered by the female lead actually carry a deeper metaphoric meaning."
The roommate couldn't help but feel puzzled.
With such a toxic plot, what deeper metaphoric meaning could there be?
Xie Wan'er organized her thoughts and began analyzing the few places in the script that needed modifications.
"First, the oppression and abuse that the female lead suffers as soon as she enters the brothel. This is the true representation of feudal society. The idea of 'selling art, not the body' is just a way to deceive the uninformed."
The roommate lowered her head in contemplation for a moment, realizing the truth in those words.
Even in a more open and free modern society, students are still "voluntarily" attending cram schools, and working individuals are "voluntarily" working overtime every day.
Moreover, for those at the lowest rungs of society living under the feudal system, the only option they have apart from "voluntarily" serving clients is no option at all.
"Secondly, the female lead leaves her lowly background and marries into the royal family. This should have been an exciting moment, but it was changed to her quietly entering through a side door."
"It may seem like the removal of a satisfying element, but it actually signifies that the female lead hasn't truly escaped the mire of the red-light district. She has merely moved from one quagmire to another."
Xie Wan'er paused, looking at her roommate with a pensive expression before continuing.
"This point is further validated in the subsequent plot."
"The female lead doesn't have a pleasant time in the royal palace because she hasn't shed her lowborn status. As long as she remains oppressed by the feudal system, she can never truly stand up or become a winner in life."
As Xie Wan'er spoke, a complex expression flashed in her eyes.
"And in the final act of the plot, when the male lead gives the female lead away as a gift, it may seem like the most poisonous element, but it actually serves as the finishing touch. Because it is precisely this plot point that pushes the tragedy to its climax!"
"The female lead is oppressed throughout by the feudal system itself. In fact, she can't even be called a 'person'; she is just an object belonging to the privileged."
After delivering this long string of content, Xie Wan'er let out a slow breath, feeling relieved.
She looked at the electronic document sent by the client, her tone serious and her eyes shining.
"So, in summary, the central idea that this story aims to convey is obvious—this is a critique of the oppression imposed by the feudal society on the lower class!"
"It is the cannibalistic feudal system that has led to the tragic fate of the female lead!"
The roommate gradually came to understand. Her heart was stirred up with turbulent waves.
Exactly! When you think about it, how could the female lead of this drama willingly add toxic elements to the script?
The other party wasn't interested in increasing the toxicity at all. They wanted to transform this mindless face-slapping and wish-fulfillment story into a narrative reflecting feudal society.
Following this line of thought, some of the previous perplexities gradually unraveled.
The roommate's eyes brightened. "If that's the case, it's easy to understand why the client requested a modification to the female lead's identity."
"Only by transforming the female lead from a young lady of a noble family into an ordinary commoner can this superficial fairy tale become a reality."
"Indeed," Xie Wan'er nodded. "And I believe the change in the female lead's identity has another profound meaning."
"Throughout history, there have been countless stories centered around talented scholars and beautiful ladies, but how many stories revolve around women from the lower classes?"
"Especially the identity of a courtesan, which is the most discriminated group. Even in today's modern society, whether in online novels or TV dramas, the female leads who are courtesans must always sell their talents, not their bodies. They must be 'pure' maidens."
"This unconscious choice actually reveals the deep-seated biases in people's hearts. We subconsciously believe that a woman should be 'pure and innocent,' and if they are raped or defiled, then they are no longer 'pure' and not deserving of being a protagonist in a story."
"What's the difference between this thinking and the old ideology of the feudal era?"
As Xie Wan'er spoke, her eyes sparkled brightly.
Has modern society truly eradicated all remnants of feudal ideology? Perhaps not entirely.
This drama critiques not only the institutions of feudal society but also the outdated thoughts and customs associated with feudal ethics. It is not merely a trivial complaint; on the contrary, it holds significant real-world significance.
A slight smile formed on Xie Wan'er's lips. "That's why we deliberately choose this 'not pure and innocent' woman as the protagonist this time. She is a flesh-and-blood individual, just like all the oppressed people who became playthings of the privileged under the oppression of feudal society."
"It is this society, which eats people alive, is the one 'not pure and innocent,' not her!"
*****
After finalizing the new script with Mo Yougan, Yao Bianliang regained her energy.
In her opinion, a script with such a toxic theme was almost destined to have no chance of redemption.
Although she would have to wait for two months of rest before knowing the specific task, the system's missions were limited to a few types, and the ultimate outcome was always to become cold-hearted.
So, at that time, she only needed to make slight adjustments to the task, and she could quickly become cold.
"Ding dong."
Just when she was relaxing, the screen of her phone slowly lit up, displaying an incoming call request.
Yao Bianliang glanced at the displayed contact name and couldn't help but furrow her brows.
Mother Yao? Why would this person suddenly contact her?
If she remembered correctly, Mother Yao was very eager to send the original host away when they first met. The original host even gave Mother Yao a large sum of money, emptying their entire estate, as a gesture of gratitude for raising her all these years.
Now, they should have no debts or connections between them.
Moreover, in the original novel's plot, Mother Yao never actively sought out her daughter, completely disregarding her existence until the end.
Yao Bianliang furrowed her brows and pondered for a moment, suddenly remembering something, and her eyes brightened.
Right, how could she forget such an important plot point?
In the original novel, Mother Yao couldn't stand her meek and face-losing daughter, and her strong controlling nature made her want the original host to leave the entertainment industry. She never stopped suppressing the original host.
So, this person reaching out to her now is actually trying to force her out of the industry?
With this thought in mind, Yao Bianliang's eyes brightened, and she immediately answered the call.
Mother Yao's voice came through on the other end of the phone. "Liang, how... have you been lately?"
Hearing this opening line, Yao Bianliang couldn't help but pause, and three question marks appeared in her mind.
What does she mean? Mother Yao not only didn't scold her but also took the initiative to show concern?
This seems different from the other party's style.
"It's been alright," Yao Bianliang couldn't grasp the other person's intentions yet, so she cautiously responded, "Is there something you need?"
If she came to suppress her, then they should get to the point quickly and not waste time on small talk.
Mother Yao also sensed her impatience in her tone and paused before saying, "I heard that your recent drama aired on TV?"
Yao Bianliang nodded and responded with a low "Mm" as a reply.
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