Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platforms
Abstract This article investigates the emergence of "erotic entrepreneurs" in China, a new category of male influencers who engage in erotic activities and target followers of all genders on platforms such as TikTok/Douyin and Bilibili. Through ethnographic research, we examine how these y...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02006-0 |
| _version_ | 1797577440849035264 |
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| author | Zhen Troy Chen Thomas William Whyke Joaquin Lopez-Mugica Altman Yuzhu Peng |
| author_facet | Zhen Troy Chen Thomas William Whyke Joaquin Lopez-Mugica Altman Yuzhu Peng |
| author_sort | Zhen Troy Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This article investigates the emergence of "erotic entrepreneurs" in China, a new category of male influencers who engage in erotic activities and target followers of all genders on platforms such as TikTok/Douyin and Bilibili. Through ethnographic research, we examine how these young individuals strategically marketize their private and intimate experiences as a form of aspiration and commerce. We use Foucault’s concept, "docile bodies," to interrogate how these erotic entrepreneurs navigate the power and knowledge systems of the creative economy. We argue that the paradoxical position of these docile male, queer bodies helps to increase their visibility on one hand, whilst renders them vulnerable to exploitation, censorship, and commodification on the other. The findings suggest that this paradox disrupts traditional gender stereotypes and the underlying power structures, but also reinforces the neoliberal and patriarchal order specific to postreform China. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:08:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-61e6c78c40aa4fceb7d060d0250e7c0c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:08:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-61e6c78c40aa4fceb7d060d0250e7c0c2023-11-19T12:43:10ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922023-08-0110111210.1057/s41599-023-02006-0Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platformsZhen Troy Chen0Thomas William Whyke1Joaquin Lopez-Mugica2Altman Yuzhu Peng3City, University of London, Northampton SquareUniversity of Nottingham NingboUniversity of Wenzhou-KeanUniversity of WarwickAbstract This article investigates the emergence of "erotic entrepreneurs" in China, a new category of male influencers who engage in erotic activities and target followers of all genders on platforms such as TikTok/Douyin and Bilibili. Through ethnographic research, we examine how these young individuals strategically marketize their private and intimate experiences as a form of aspiration and commerce. We use Foucault’s concept, "docile bodies," to interrogate how these erotic entrepreneurs navigate the power and knowledge systems of the creative economy. We argue that the paradoxical position of these docile male, queer bodies helps to increase their visibility on one hand, whilst renders them vulnerable to exploitation, censorship, and commodification on the other. The findings suggest that this paradox disrupts traditional gender stereotypes and the underlying power structures, but also reinforces the neoliberal and patriarchal order specific to postreform China.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02006-0 |
| spellingShingle | Zhen Troy Chen Thomas William Whyke Joaquin Lopez-Mugica Altman Yuzhu Peng Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platforms Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platforms |
| title_full | Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platforms |
| title_fullStr | Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platforms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platforms |
| title_short | Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platforms |
| title_sort | cashing the pink rmb through docile bodies queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on chinese social media platforms |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02006-0 |
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