Abstract
“Men should not shed tears” has been a deep-rooted motto for Chinese males. In Chinese culture, masculine men are honorable while effeminate males are abnormal. With the release of reality shows, like Idol Producer, exquisite and effeminate male images gain attention in public, challenging the conventional images of men of steel. Those exquisite male idols are criticized as effeminate and being lack of masculinity by Chinese mainstream media. This study investigates how mainstream media in China portrays effeminate males and how the media representation of effeminate males influences the self-understanding of this group of people. This study will employ discourse analysis as the research method. Interviews will be conducted to investigate how effeminate males constitute a self-understanding under the media representation constructed by mainstream media. In this article, the researcher contends that the mainstream media tends to create a narrow identity for men with effeminate quality and such identity imposes a negative influence on effeminate males'lives.
Author Information
Yanjun He, BNU-HKBU United International College, China
Liming Liu, BNU-HKBU United International College, China
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