TV matchmaking show runs afoul of China's morality campaign

Public cynicism about the morality campaign has been fed by repeated reports of top Communist Party officials caught in embarrassing situations -- stories widely circulated on the Internet.

In March, for example, a popular Chinese online forum published the secret diary of the top official for the state tobacco company in Laibin, in Guangxi province. The diary recounted his exploits with six mistresses, some of whom worked in his office, and the official was quickly arrested.

"Publicly, they want to build themselves this high moral image," Li said. "But behind the scenes is a different story."

TV show controversy

The campaign against TV matchmaking shows began in May and was aimed largely at "If You Are the One," on Jiangsu Television, where a bachelor confronts 24 single women who pepper him with questions. The young women have lights placed in front of them, and they switch the lights on or off to indicate whether the contestant should remain on the show.

In the most controversial segment, a 24-year-old fashion model told a poor and unemployed bachelor who offered her a bicycle ride that she would "rather cry in a BMW than ride a bicycle while laughing."

The comment incurred the wrath of the censors, who said it indicated a materialistic, "gold-digging" attitude that was the equivalent of prostitution. Government authorities also told TV stations to bar the woman from future shows.

Her comment ignited a fierce debate in China, with the model's defenders saying she was merely stating openly what many others feel privately.

"I really don't think it was necessary for the government to get involved and try to tone down the show," said Li Xiao, 27, who was a contestant on another segment of the show and met his girlfriend there. "Even if the show is censored, these kind of thoughts exist in real life." He added, "She just asked for a BMW; she didn't ask for a Benz or a Ferrari."

"I think this kind of opinion is very common. And not wrong," said Yang Yijia, 25, who has twice been a contestant but is still waiting to meet her match. "But it should not be said on television. China is still a traditional country."

Another contestant, Alex Tian Li, who was born in China and moved to California as a child, said the show "is not that overboard," particularly compared with what's on American television. The problem, he said, may be simply that Chinese authorities aren't used to the genre.

"Reality TV is still very new in China," he said. "It's a very strong dose of reality for a lot of people."

Researcher Liu Liu contributed to this report.