CHINESE authorities issued a notice last week cautioning against the trends of money worship and power flaunting in a number of ultrashort dramas, particularly those centered around the theme of “romance with macho entrepreneurs.”

Ultrashort dramas — cheesy soap operas divided into bitesize episodes less than 10 minutes long — have exploded in popularity in China over the past few years.

This rather new form of entertainment, often viewed vertically on a smartphone, tend to be fast-paced and melodramatic, with each episode finishing on a cliffhanger.

The National Radio and Television Administration urged production companies to shoot fewer ultrashort dramas, focusing on enhancing their quality, and refrain from using tags like “ba zong” (“macho CEOs”) in the titles. Video platforms like Kuaishou and Douyin, where the genre has produced big hits, are asked to tighten oversight and stop releasing over-the-top productions deviating from the mainstream societal values.

“Such trends as promoting materialistic pursuits, extravagant lifestyles, sudden wealth, and the idea of changing one’s fate without hard work, should be prevented,” said the notice that was issued Nov. 22.

The recent warning followed an October notice that cautioned against ultrashort dramas targeted at older adults and perpetuating social biases and stereotypes.

“We encourage ultrashort dramas with older protagonists who embody wisdom, kindness, courage, and resilience,” that notice read. “It’s detrimental to focus on conniving, greedy, and biased mother-in-laws favoring male offspring.”

Ultrashort dramas have seen a surge in popularity among older viewers this year, with series like “Cleaning Mom, The Return of the Infinite” gaining huge popularity.

In that show, a 45-year-old cleaning lady has a one-night stand with a much younger man, who is later revealed to be the CEO and heir of a wealthy family. Soon, both the man and his father begin to court the cleaning lady, who turns out to be a martial arts master and the top rich on Earth.

“Finally, the authorities are overseeing these series,” a Chinese netizen wrote on Sina Weibo, the equivalent to X, adding that it’s painful to watch them.

Meanwhile, Zhou Hongyi, founder of 360 Security Group, said he acted in an ultrashort series shot by his firm’s marketing department to be broadcast on a product launch event. Ultrashort dramas can be powerful tools in sales promotions, he added.(Li Dan)