Media representations of the ‘little fresh meat’ phenomenon in China: a feminist critical discourse analysis of the masculine nonconformity discourse

ABSTRACT

‘Little fresh meat’ (LFM or xiǎo xiān ròu), which describes a masculine aesthetic rooted in ‘soft masculinity’, is a phenomenon across Asia that challenges prevailing concepts of masculinity and patriarchal discourse. This study furthers previous research by using feminist critical discourse analysis to evaluate the construction of LFM masculine nonconformity, via data collected from 42 news articles from China’s English-language news media, including: China Daily, Global Times, People’s Daily Online, Shanghai Daily, and Xinhua News Agency. The analysis generated three key themes: (1) market driving a female consumer fan base, (2) challenging hegemonic masculinities when men wear makeup to imitate their ‘idols’, and (3) criticisms of gender stereotypes. These themes show how a masculine nonconformity discourse is developed by using a variety of discursive strategies in China. This study highlights the need for increased awareness and education regarding gender diversity and the harmful impacts of gender stereotypes on Chinese society.

KEYWORDS:

• Masculine nonconformity
• media representations
• metrosexuality
• soft masculinity
• the ‘little fresh meat’ phenomenon

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their very useful comments on an earlier version of this paper.

Notes

1. Idols are young performers who are advertised as role models and have a strong fan base, frequently in the music, acting, or modelling industries. They frequently participate in idol bands or groups and undergo rigorous training and promotion.

2. Those interested in full citation information can contact the authors.

3. Conceptual metaphors are written in capitals.

4. Neo-Confucianism in the post-Mao era reproduces the patriarchal power relations associated with Confucianism that had been employed to uphold for two millennia in order to preserve harmony, social order, and the dominance of the State bureaucracy.

5. Under the influence of Marxist philosophy, China’s state feminist movement was a top-down initiative arranged by male leaders of the State/Party for the purposes of fostering national development and economic growth rather than women’s self-interest (Yang, 1998).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yating Yu

Yating Yu is a research assistant professor in The Department of Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau. Her research interests are in corpus-assisted discourse studies, critical discourse analysis, and gender studies. She has previously published in SSCI-indexed journals such as Asian Studies Review. Feminist Media Studies, and Social Semiotics.

Todd Lyle Sandel

Todd Lyle Sandel is an associate professor in the Department of Communication, The University of Macau. He is a Scientific Committee Member of the Global Council on Anthropological Linguistics (GLOCAL), and past editor-in-chief of the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication (2017-2020). His research has appeared in such journals as Journal of Pragmatics, Language in Society, Language & Communication, and Discourse, Context & Media.

Tayden Fung Chan

Tayden Fung Chan is a Core Centre Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD in Politics and International Relations from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His research primarily focuses on Hong Kong Studies and Chinese society.