Beijing’s crackdown on ‘sissy’ men could lead to a rise in gender-based violence, experts warn
[Joyce Cheng] ,
[Jordyn Butler] , and
[Will Jackson]
In recent weeks, a number of China’s most popular male idols have undergone conspicuous image makeovers to adopt a more masculine look.
Key points:
– Expectations of how men in China should dress have changed dramatically in the past decade
– The country’s leadership want them to return to a more masculine ideal
– Experts say the push has as much to do with power as it does with traditional values
Some are swapping black turtlenecks for leather jackets, others are getting hairstyles that are a little more hard-edged and there’s much less obvious use of foundation and lipstick.
It’s all come in the wake of the Chinese government’s order to banish so-called “sissy men” from television screens and the internet.
However, not everyone is as willing to take Beijing’s fashion advice, and experts warn the edict could have harmful outcomes that go deeper than superficial appearance.
‘Little fresh meat’
Men’s fashion has changed dramatically in China since the Mao era when a military uniform in olive green was de rigueur.
Back then, any kind of glamorous makeup or flashy jewelry would have been called out as “bourgeoisie”, no matter which gender someone identified with.
Since the mid-2000s, South Korean dramas and K-pop — which tend to feature more feminine or androgynous looking men — have become an increasingly dominant influence on Chinese pop culture.
The locally produced Korean-style idol that followed, referred to in China as “little fresh meat”, pushed the boundaries of what men were supposed to look like.
In Chinese tech giant Tencent’s hugely popular talent show Produce Camp, participants competed to be selected for an 11-member boy band, dressing in unisex clothing, wearing makeup and presenting a softer version of masculinity.
The slogan of show, in a format of which had been imported from South Korea, was “redefine male aesthetics”.
Other successful productions, like The Coming One, also by Tencent, and Youth With You by iQiyi, followed.
China is now the biggest male skincare and cosmetics market in the world.
Global industry research company IBIS World this month reported demand continued to rise with Gen Y the “key consumption group”.
As cosmetic brands hire more male celebrities to endorse their products, the business research firm Mintel forecasts the sector to expand 50 per cent to 18.5 billion RMB (about $3.9 billion) by 2025.
What’s the ‘sissy’ crackdown really all about?
Wang Shuaishuai, a lecturer in new media and digital culture at the University of Amsterdam, said the trend had opened a new space for China’s young men to explore different ways to express themselves.
Dr Wang said it was important to note that most of the widely acclaimed drama series and talent shows were being produced by non-state owned tech and media companies.
He said the problem for the Chinese authorities was that their success was coming at the expense of state media, and so eroding the government’s influence.
Similarly to the [crackdown on tutoring companies](/news/2021-08-20/china-crackdown-private-tutoring/100392352) and tech companies, the attack on “sissy” fashion was a way of diminishing a potential threat to state authority, he said.
‘Deformed aesthetics’
Last month, China’s National Radio and Television Administration instructed television and video streaming sites to “resolutely put an end to the ‘sissy’ and other deformed aesthetics”.
Media organisations were told to “strictly grasp the selection of actors and guests, performance style, costumes and makeup” and establish “the correct aesthetics”.
According to an editorial published in the state-owned newspaper Guangming Daily, the patriotic heroes and “wolf warriors” on Chinese TV screens were ideal examples of male aesthetics.
“This is what China’s young people should look like,” the editorial said.
While China’s television screens have not suddenly become dominated by Vin Diesel and Jason Statham types, the edict has not gone unnoticed.
Among those to get the memo was hugely popular singer Cai “Kun” Xukun, who has 36 million followers on social media platform Weibo and been described “too beautiful to be real”.
Kun recently started posting selfies with a new grittier look.Gone were the black turtleneck, earring, salon-perfect peroxide blonde quiff and makeup, and he had even grown some facial hair.
‘The culture in big cities is more inclusive now’
Beijing resident Meng Chang spends a lot of time every day choosing a good outfit.He likes quality shirts, nice accessories and sometimes wearing a little concealer to cover up blemishes and dark circles.
A self-described feminist, he is a journalist and has a podcast show called The Weirdos which discusses gender and culture and has more than 500,000 subscribers.
In the mid-to-late 1990s, Australians might have called him a “metrosexual”, or these days maybe a “hipster”.
Meng said young Chinese people like him were more accepting of diverse gender expressions, and he had no intention of changing the way he dressed or behaved.
“The culture in big cities is more inclusive now,” he told the ABC.
“Being style-conscious and grooming yourself is no longer a ‘sissy’ thing or limited by the traditional gender stereotype.
“When you walk down the street with your outfit, that is an expression of who you are.
“It’s natural to want to show people: ‘I have my own ideas.I have my own aesthetics.'”
Not everyone thinks the government’s push is a big deal, or even necessarily bad.
He Meiying, a 25-year-old Beijing resident and a fan of idol Luo Yizhou, said she was in favour of the move.
“I personally support the regulation of the ‘sissy men’ culture,” Ms He told ABC.
Ms He said she spent about 10 to 15 per cent of her income on supporting Luo in competitions or buying products that he endorses.
Even though he is the face of several cosmetic brands, Ms He said she did not see him as a “sissy” and so did not think the crackdown would affect him much.
However, his stylist team might still change his image because “there is no clear definition of what ‘sissy’ behaviour is'”, she said.
Potential for increase in discrimination
Dr Wang said he was surprised when he saw a gender slur being introduced into government policy.
“My concern is young people would think it is fine to use this gender slur to attack others,” he said.
“Because if the government condones this kind of behaviour and language, who else can say it is wrong to use it in schools and workplaces?
“I expect that gender-based violence, harassment, bullying will be very likely to increase.”
Nonetheless, Meng said he believed China’s progress towards a more open approach to gender identity would be hard to reverse.
“I think the criticism of ‘sissy men’ may not disappear in the broad policy environment and public discourse — it may get even worse — but progress in attitudes will continue at the same time,” he said.
“I am one of those who are building a more tolerant social culture, and I can’t see myself being influenced by this dominant social culture anymore.”
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