Masculinities and Male Androphilia
Wu-Wen
Masculinity in China historically has been (mostly) classified into Wu-type (military - type) and Wen-type (scholarly - type).
Qing dynasty Chinese Water and Land Ritual painting depicting a divine civil official and thunder god in military regalia.
Due to the special nature of Chinese political system (imperial court & civil services), scholar wielded power and influence, often over-taking that of military men. [What about dudes who were neither scholars nor military personnel?]
Wen-wu type masculinities make for some really interesting contrast and is employed in media: BL and others.
Shi Qiang and Wang Miao representing wen and wu respectively in Three-Body (2023) based on the sci-fi novel "The Three-Body Problem" (三体) by Liu Ci Xin (刘慈欣) .
Colonialism flipped this order. It was internalized by the subjects of colonialism too. Its lasting impact can be seen in the recent effeminacy ban* in China’s entertainment industry targeting little fresh meat (xiao xianrou 小鮮肉 ) and pretty boy (huamei nan 花美男) aesthetics.
*sissy pants (niangpao 娘炮)
Protest masculinity
Against (both organic and stereotyped) association of femme-presentation or ‘camp’ with androphilia. Popular opinion inculcated by media is partially responsible.
2. Against a society that doesn’t treat them as equal men. Hegemonic masculinity is constructed in opposition with ‘inferior men’ such as androphilic men and more importantly with women. By adopting visual Wu-masculinity, androphilic men hijacks the visuals, rendering the visual categorization redundant.
3. For gaydar purposes - signaling to men who are androphilic and them alone.
This is not without negative impact:
It can lead to peer-pressure to conform & homogenize to Wu-ideal to the extent that other presentations could get vilified. This can include scorning of soft and delicate aesthetics and femme-bashing.
2. Conforms with the mainstream view – both that of their present-day oppressors, mainly the Wu-exalting, heterosexist, sissy-phobic State and their historic oppressors: colonialism and its modern-day offsprings.
Similar tendencies are observed among androphilic men in Japan, South Korea and Thailand as well.
Recommendations [occasionally updated]
Cheers by Cheers 짠!하면 알 수 있어 [not available currently]
Breakfast by 想再見你
Sesame by 百里屠伕
Shimbashi Koi Story by SHIMBASHI TUGBOAT
The encounter between a 'Dog' and a 'Cat' begins with an all-too-common affair. The Cat is impatient and wants to break the rules of the gam
-
Thai Masculinities
Posts: one two three
To learn more:
Wang, S. (2020). Chinese gay men pursuing online fame: erotic reputation and internet celebrity economies. Feminist Media Studies, 20(4), 548–564. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2020.1754633
Wijngaarden JW de L van. Male Homosexuality in 21st-Century Thailand: A Longitudinal Study of Young, Rural, Same-Sex-Attracted Men Coming of Age. Anthem Press; 2021. [link]
Interpretation and Orientalism: Outing Japan’s Sexual Minorities to the English-Speaking World by Mark McLelland