Abstract
While the world is getting into the post-COVID19 era, the social structure has been reconstructed in many forms, particularly shifting everything into virtual. Precisely, it would be essential to digest the changes of human culture under various regional public health policies implemented. Started with masks shortage at the beginning of 2020, “Mask” has turned into many ways of symbolic meanings. In this paper, the focus would be that dating intimacy is related to the effects of wearing Masks and several anti-virus policies. The new form of intimacy is proposed as “Masked Intimacy (MI)”. I would discuss MI in its formation, struggles and changes of people’s cultural identity and its representation. How could “Masked Face” affect the dating culture both physically and virtually? In MI, the form of its subjectivity and objectivity of people would be explored, including the mobilities and manipulation. Thereafter, I would move into the discussion of the gaze created by Masked Intimacy. This paper argues that the gaze of Masked Intimacy would be sexually increased due to filling with mystery and curiosity during the masked dating. However, some changes in response to the masked intimacy have been made in the dating apps and in real life of Hong Kong and Taiwan could be examined as the resilience of Masked intimacy.
Author Information
Ki Chau Shek, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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