The Emergent Masculinities and Gendered Frustrations of Male Live-Streamers in China

Live-streamers in China are predominantly female and heterosexual, so their heterosexual male counterparts barely receives attention. In this paper, we invoke the concept of emergent masculinities to critically examine how male live-streamers engage this typically feminine profession. They come in three main types of decreasing prestige: e-sports athletes; shopping guides; and affective entertainers who attract female audiences with friendship and intimacy. This last type enacts a women-pleasing facade that also contradicts the men's own hegemonic masculine upbringing. This tension highlights how China's emergent masculinities develop in conversation with the country's post-feminist sensibilities.

Automated summary

The live-streaming industry in China is dominated by female and heterosexual streamers, with heterosexual male streamers receiving little attention. This paper examines how male streamers engage with this predominantly feminine profession by introducing the concept of emergent masculinities. Male streamers are categorized into three types: e-sports athletes, shopping guides, and affective entertainers who attract female audiences through friendship and intimacy. The last type often performs a facade of pleasing women, contradicting the men's own upbringing of hegemonic masculinity. This tension highlights the development of China's emergent masculinities in relation to the country's post-feminist sensibilities.