Lovely heteronormative families in a harmonious society? The docudrama representations of the human‐pet relationship in contemporary China

Abstract

AbstractThis study examines docudramatic representations of human‐pet relationships in China, applying the conversational storytelling research method. The study takes Modern Furry Tale (MFT, 2021), a controversial docudrama streamed on the Tencent Video platform as its targeted case. The article argues that contemporary Chinese docudramas do not so much “document reality” as continue a “cinematic tradition” of presenting “selected reality” by showing an idealized view of the pets“ living conditions and their owners” family lives. Describing and constructing friendly and companionable pet‐human relationships, these docudramas reinforce the dominant “positive energy” state ideology, propagandistic mainstream family values, and repressive gender ideologies.