Trend alert: Losers take it all

A rundown of 2012's pop culture events reveals the rise of the underachiever mentality and a preference for excesses.

Related: Doom is where you find it

The year 2012 was supposed to bring about the end of the world; instead, it brought us galloping horse-style dance moves. Well, you can certainly interpret it as the end of civilization as we proudly hail it. Gangnam Style is tawdry, and everyone loves it - to the point of becoming sick and tired of it, and that includes both the authentic one and its countless imitations.

If real dance is what you crave, 2012 saw the return of Shen Wei, the Chinese modern-dance choreographer who made it big in the Big Apple. His Near the Terrace Part I was originally staged topless.

Had he been allowed to do the same in Beijing, his show would have turned into a mass media event. Another dance to remember, a full-length dance drama in this case, was Yang Liping's Peacock, which elevates ethnic performing arts to a new height. A snippet shown on the national television was the only segment during the New Year's Eve gala, watched by a billion or so people, that could be called high art.

Those with vocal talent have found renewed hope as the Chinese edition of The Voice gained an audience never matched in size since television singing contests made the first splash in China in 2006.

It minted a slew of new stars. But how far each of them can go remains to be seen. A new trick, or a new program format licensed from overseas, usually works for a fraction of the time it is effective elsewhere. Credit it to Chinese-style speed, which accelerates everything, not only the buildup of bullet train networks but also the shelf life of entertainment products and even the downfall of certain officials.

Related:

For more coverage by Raymond Zhou, click here