Douyin dramas are notorious for proliferating the domineering/overbearing CEO 霸道总裁 trope and the first thing one concludes after weeks of watching is that they tend to be variations of a theme. Arguably every drama that gets packaged on the platform revolves around to a large degree, a domineering CEO story despite it being told from the perspective of the FL. I’m aware of its popularity among young women from the mainland — it has to be to have evolved into a beloved sub-genre. Truth be told, the utilization of this trope is a very mixed bag. In the right hands, the domineering CEO story speaks effectively and humorously to issues like family dysfunction, marital strife, greed and the blessings of having children. The CEO is meant to be a prince among men slaying dragons and rescuing the damsel in distress. Moreover it can also highlight the havoc that tyranny wreaks when power is abused in visceral fashion. Power can’t be wielded by just anyone. A prince is also a man. In that vein, folktales, nursery rhymes and fairytales have been the staple of cultures and civilizations. The tales of the domineering CEO is very much located in that tradition of storytelling: Suspicious deaths, genius children, overpowered leads, crazy coincidences, caricatures of good and evil all wrapped up in a hero’s journey.
Why We Tell Stories Part 5: Taming the Tyrant
Why We Tell Stories Part 5: Taming the Tyrant
Why We Tell Stories Part 5: Taming the Tyrant
Douyin dramas are notorious for proliferating the domineering/overbearing CEO 霸道总裁 trope and the first thing one concludes after weeks of watching is that they tend to be variations of a theme. Arguably every drama that gets packaged on the platform revolves around to a large degree, a domineering CEO story despite it being told from the perspective of the FL. I’m aware of its popularity among young women from the mainland — it has to be to have evolved into a beloved sub-genre. Truth be told, the utilization of this trope is a very mixed bag. In the right hands, the domineering CEO story speaks effectively and humorously to issues like family dysfunction, marital strife, greed and the blessings of having children. The CEO is meant to be a prince among men slaying dragons and rescuing the damsel in distress. Moreover it can also highlight the havoc that tyranny wreaks when power is abused in visceral fashion. Power can’t be wielded by just anyone. A prince is also a man. In that vein, folktales, nursery rhymes and fairytales have been the staple of cultures and civilizations. The tales of the domineering CEO is very much located in that tradition of storytelling: Suspicious deaths, genius children, overpowered leads, crazy coincidences, caricatures of good and evil all wrapped up in a hero’s journey.