SHANGHAI — At the entrance to a packed gallery stands a female figure dressed in a pretty white dress. Her body is covered in abusive messages scrawled in red and black ink. “You’re ugly,” “Your waist is too big,” “You look like a pig,” the notes read. The artwork is part of a landmark exhibition in China titled “Anti Body-Shaming,” which opened in Shanghai on … Continue reading In ‘Involuted’ China, Eating Disorders Are a Hidden
SICHUAN, Southwest China — In most Chinese bookstores, there’s a section of bright pink books instructing women on how to be a good housewife or find a man before they hit 30. But at an out-of-the-way underground art space some distance from provincial capital Chengdu’s city center, there are how-to books of a different kind. “Be a Man Who Never Cries,” instructs one. Other titles … Continue reading Artist Brings ‘Haha-Then-Aha’ Moments to China’s Gender Debate
The news that an ordinary Chinese high school girl from Hangzhou was accepted by Harvard University created a stir amongst Chinese netizens on Sina Weibo this week. Thousands of Weibo users criticized the Chinese media for hiding information from the public when it turned out that the girl is actually a US citizen from a wealthy family. Reports of an ordinary girl named Guo Wenjing … Continue reading Netizens Upset over Chinese Harvard Girl News Story
Two separate events where women were publicly shamed for breastfeeding in public have caused controversy on Weibo. The issue attracted the attention of UNICEF and Beijing authorities. A Sina Weibo user posted a picture of a young mother breastfeeding her baby in the subway in Beijing this week. The user, a 21-year-old woman, wrote that she felt that the mother needed to “pay attention to … Continue reading Weibo Controversy over “Beijing Subway Breastfeeding”
Bon Jovi’s first ever concerts in China was suddenly cancelled by government officials on September 9th. The band had been due to play Shanghai and Beijing next week. The concert organizer AEG posted the cancellation on its public account on Sina Weibo: “We are sorry to announce that Bon Jovi’s concerts in Shanghai (September 14th) and Beijing (September 17th) have been canceled for some reason. … Continue reading China Cancels Bon Jovi Gigs over Dalai Lama Pics
When East Meets West 