{"version": "1.0", "type": "rich", "title": "Despite the growing popularity of effeminate males in Chinese youth culture, the portrayal of masculinity in Chinese media has...", "author_name": "kontextmaschine", "author_url": "https://kontextmaschine.com", "provider_name": "kontextmaschine", "provider_url": "https://kontextmaschine.com", "url": "https://kontextmaschine.com/post/178107332998/", "html": "

argumate:

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Despite the growing popularity of effeminate males in Chinese youth culture, the portrayal of masculinity in Chinese media has received a strong pushback from powerful players in Beijing.

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Last week, Chinese state media Xinhua published an editorial slamming the portrayal of men in Chinese media, claiming the popularity of the \u201csickly aesthetics\u201d in effeminate celebrities was having an adverse impact on teenagers.

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Xinhua said that \u201csissy pants\u201d or \u201clittle fresh meats\u201d \u2014 who they describe as effeminate young men who use makeup, are slender and wear androgynous clothing \u2014 were hurting China\u2019s national image.

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The comments also received strong opposition from another state media, People\u2019s Daily \u2014 which is often referred to as the China Communist Party mouthpiece \u2014 which denounced Xinhua\u2019s use of derogatory terms like \u201csissy pants\u201d.

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\u201cA valuation based on gender characteristics, which equates male quality with appearance, is a simplistic approach,\u201d said People\u2019s Daily.

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They added that masculinity came from within, citing \u201ccourage and responsibility\u201d and the \u201cbehaviour of abiding by the law\u201d as more important factors of masculinity.

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broke Xinhua: masculinity is about how you look

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woke People\u2019s Daily: masculinity is about what you do

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