4/9/2024 0 Comments Asian sissy tasksTo understand the nature of this controversy, we must first understand how Chinese have traditionally viewed masculinity. State news agency Xinhua then poured gasoline on the fire when it published a commentary last Thursday lambasting the popularity of young male celebrities who have slender figures and an interest in makeup, calling them “sissy pants” and emblematic of a “sick culture.” Later that day, Party-run news outlet People’s Daily published a rebuttal of Xinhua’s piece, dismissing terms such as “sissy pants” as derogatory, stating that a man’s value should be measured by his character, not his outward appearance. Online, many parents criticized the decision to feature the group, calling them poor role models for China’s young boys. The gala was mandatory to watch for many school-age kids and their parents - who in some cases had to provide photographic proof that they had viewed it together - and the program incensed parents, first by subjecting them to 12 minutes of ads for expensive private tutoring classes, and then by prominently featuring members of the new F4 boy band - seen by some as overly effeminate. 1 by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) and co-produced by the Ministry of Education. However, this particular long-simmering issue blew up in the aftermath of the annual back-to-school gala program, aired on Sept. The current anxiety and debate over China’s so-called crisis of masculinity, for example, can be traced back to the 1980s - when it emerged as a reaction to the rising status of women and the consequent decline in men’s own relative social standing. Part of the reason for my surprise is that China has a long history of acceptance toward men that might be considered androgynous or effeminate in other cultures, whether in ancient literature and opera, or in today’s TV shows that star “ little fresh meat.” Then again, that general acceptance hasn’t prevented the country from experiencing periodic bouts of backlash. As a researcher at a journalism school, I must admit I am surprised to find myself having to weigh in on the issue of whether Chinese state media outlets should be referring to Chinese citizens as “sissy pants,” but here we are.
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