Tingting Hu, "Victims, Perpetrators and Professionals: The Representation of Women in Chinese Crime Films" (Liverpool UP, 2021)
Sep 9, 2023
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Tingting Hu discusses the representation of women in Chinese crime films, including victims, perpetrators, and professionals, and how they reflect traditional Chinese values. She also explores the emergence and impact of Chinese Boys Love culture in China, as well as the role of the Chinese state in queer media production. Tingting Hu applies Western feminist theories to the Chinese context and emphasizes the importance of challenging stereotypes in Chinese media. Additionally, she discusses gender and fan perspectives on Chinese Bell stories and English speaking fans.
The representation of women in Chinese crime films reflects traditional gender stereotypes and societal expectations.
Chinese boys' love (B.L.) audio dramas provide a countercultural platform for diverse expressions of identity and sexuality.
Deep dives
Representation of Women in Chinese Crime Films
The book, 'Victims, Habituals, and Professionals: The Representation of Women in Chinese Crime Films,' explores the portrayal of women in Chinese crime films. The author discusses the different types of female characters found in these films, including victims, perpetrators, and professionals. The representation of female victims often objectifies them for male viewers and supports male hegemony. On the other hand, female perpetrators are either depicted as passive victims forced to use violence or active perpetrators seeking revenge, but ultimately facing tragic consequences. Female professionals, such as police women, are portrayed as competent and empowered, but are ultimately constrained by male authority. The book highlights how these representations reflect traditional Chinese gender stereotypes and societal expectations.
Exploration of the Transmedia Third Space in Chinese Boys' Love Audio Dramas
The podcast episode also discusses the author's latest research on Chinese boys' love (B.L.) audio dramas. B.L. is a genre that explores romantic and sexual relationships between male characters. The author explains that B.L. stories provide a diverse and alternative representation of relationships, breaking free from traditional gender stereotypes. The B.L. audio drama community is considered a counterculture that challenges heteronormativity and embraces queer identities. The author emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and the bridging of the female-led B.L. subculture with the larger queer community. Despite censorship challenges, B.L. audio dramas continue to provide explicit portrayals of same-sex romance and serve as a platform for diverse expressions of identity and sexuality.
Applying Western Feminist Theories to Chinese Context
The podcast episode delves into the author's application of Western feminist theories to the Chinese context. The author argues that many gender issues are universal and resonate with Chinese women facing similar challenges. The concept of intersectionality is also utilized to analyze the interconnection between gender and other forms of oppression in Chinese society. Western feminist theories help to critique and challenge stereotypical portrayals of women in Chinese media, addressing issues of inequality. However, the author emphasizes the need to adapt feminist concepts to align with local cultural norms and values, noting the importance of hearing local voices and recognizing Chinese historical, cultural, and social dynamics that shape gender roles and expectations.
Tingting Hu is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Media and Communication, Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University. Her research interest lies in the articulation of film, media and cultural studies with feminist theories, and transmedia studies in various social and cultural contexts. You can connect with Tingting at tingting.hu_academic@hotmail.com.
Victims, Perpetrators and Professionals examines the representation of women in relation to violence in Chinese crime films made on the mainland, and in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It introduces a new trajectory in the investigation of the cinematic representation of female figures in relation to gender issues by interweaving Western feminist and postfeminist critiques with traditional Chinese sociocultural discourse.
The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, Asianettverket at the University of Oslo, and the Stockholm Centre for Global Asia at Stockholm University. We aim to produce timely, topical, and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia.