Androgyny from the inside out

[Nira Sun]

Prof. Miyake presented rich information in 3-hour lecture. It was fascinating to learn how societies in different countries were in similar pace even though the communication among the countries were not as developed as nowadays.

One of the topics that was mentioned was androgyny in Asian countries. As described by the professor, this phenomenon wasn’t solely existing in Japan. If you are a fan of Asian dramas or pop culture, you will notice the change in men’s appearance in recent years. The trend is mainly demonstrated as male actors having smooth and clear facial skin and pink-ish thin lips. A lot of these changes were done by minor plastic surgeries. My mom used to say “Why do they look so famine and similar to each other?”. From her traditional perspective, this soft masculinity is definitely not acceptable. China definitely follows the trend as well which leads to our screens filled with young soft looking men who are around 18-20 years old.

In addition to androgynous appearance, the popularity of soft masculinity images also reflected on major traits/characteristics that are promoted in modern China society. One major trait is called “暖男” which is literally translated to “warm man”. To qualify as an ideal warm man, one must be sensitive to women’s material needs as well as willing to accommodate with women’s emotional needs. The best way to present and promote such image was through drama series which always produce the so-called “national husband” or “ideal boyfriend”. Young female audiences tend to admire the lifestyle presented in the drama in hopes of encountering similar lovers or partners in real life. I honestly don’t know how many love-themed dramas were produced each year in China. What I do know is whenever I look for interesting TV series to watch, it’s nearly impossible to avoid seeing them on streaming sites or social media.

As contrary to the growing of strong and sharp images of modern women, the masculinity of men image is decreasing. I am curious of how this trend will develop in 5 or 10 years.