Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

A Study on the Simulacra Construction Mechanism of “Multiple Identities”: A Case of “One-Person-Multiple-Roles” Short Dramas

Ruoshan Guo Southwest University*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

With the rapid development of short video platforms, narrative micro dramas featuring “one actor playing multiple roles” are emerging and swiftly occupying a dominant position in content traffic. Based on Jean Baudrillard’s theory of “simulacra”, this paper examines representative creators on platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu — including figures like Ren Zhida, Zhouzhou Nanjiao, and Li Ruru — to explore the mechanism of simulacra construction in this genre across content, audience, platform and socio-cultural dimensions.It aims to uncover the logic of identity recognition and emotional transmission embodied in this emerging content form. The study reveals that micro dramas featuring “one actor playing multiple roles” align with the logic of simulacra production: the identity construction involved is not a reproduction of real-life identities, but rather a mechanism of identity generation that is highly adapted to platform-driven dissemination logic and the sensory demands of the audience. However, when “identity” becomes a mass-produced, labeled, and algorithm-driven commodity, the boundaries between individual and society, as well as between the real and the virtual, are being redefined.

Keywords: Simulacra; multiple identities; micro dramas; identity construction; emotional identification
Published: October 23, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.KM28229
Volume: CHR Vol.86
pp. 30-39
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