https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1097184X261459641<\/a><\/p>\n\nAbstract<\/p>\n\n
In post-2020 Chinese film and TV dramas, a non-hegemonic masculinity has emerged and gained popularity, which this article theorizes as the Beta-male imaginary. Originating from the ABO fanfiction trope and transcreated within contemporary Chinese screen culture, Beta-male protagonists are characterized by lingering emotions, average social positioning, and a retreat from hyper-competition. Alongside the viral meme wonangfei (hapless loser)\u2014a pejorative resignified after 2023\u2014they crystallize into a shared cultural shorthand for urban precarity and tacit resistance to Alpha hegemony and social Darwinism.<\/p>\n\n
Combining content analysis with platform-based reception studies, this article frames the rise of wonangfei and Beta-male imaginaries as affective, ambivalent reconfigurations of male \u201csoftness\u201d and \u201cimpotence\u201d that unfold amid China\u2019s post-2020 socioeconomic downturns. Through case studies of two actors, Guo Jingfei and Bai Ke\u2014both frequently cast as wonangfei characters and rescripted by audiences as \u201cBetas Going Mad\u201d and \u201cBetas with Husband Vibes\u201d respectively\u2014the article demonstrates how female-oriented consumer culture and the platformized circulation of affect sustain these non-hegemonic masculinities.<\/p>\n\n
Such portrayals offer audiences both emotional catharsis and social critique, channeling collective precarity, querying hegemonic norms, and renegotiating gender dynamics across public and domestic spheres. Yet these imaginaries remain ambivalent\u2014unsettling patriarchal emotion-regimes while at times over-romanticizing precarity and softly reproducing inequality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Author: Danqi Lu Source: Men and Masculinities Link: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1097184X261459641<\/a> Abstract In post-2020 Chinese film and TV dramas, a non-hegemonic masculinity has emerged and gained popularity, which this article theorizes as the Beta-male imaginary. Originating from the ABO fanfiction trope and transcreated within contemporary Chinese screen culture, Beta-male protagonists are characterized by lingering emotions, average social […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145170531,"featured_media":6534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[776957933],"tags":[776958104,776958346,776958076,776958272,776958353],"class_list":["post-8169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category--en","tag-gender-studies","tag-masculinity","tag-newsroom","tag-platform-studies","tag-precarity"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pai6UY-27L","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8159,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2026\/06\/23\/article-representing-power-through-china-wind-music-the-soft-and-hard-masculinities-of-the-nation\/","url_meta":{"origin":8169,"position":0},"title":"[Article] Representing Power through China Wind Music: The Soft and Hard Masculinities of the Nation","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"23\/06\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Na Li Source: The Intellect Handbook of Popular Music Methodologies Link: https:\/\/intellectdiscover.com\/content\/books\/9781835951033.c22?crawler=true Abstract The research of masculinity in Chinese music is mainly built around the dichotomy between wu and wen, two abstract and contrasting systems that are not only used to refer to two male gender types but also\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hong Kong Studies Newsroom"","block_context":{"text":"Hong Kong Studies Newsroom","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%ad%b8%e8%a1%93%e6%83%85%e5%a0%b1%e5%ae%a4-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8151,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2026\/06\/22\/article-deconstruction-of-chinese-masculinity-adaptation-of-hong-kong-gangster-films-and-political-criticism-in-television-series-the-knockout\/","url_meta":{"origin":8169,"position":1},"title":"[Article] Deconstruction of Chinese Masculinity, Adaptation of Hong Kong Gangster Films, and Political Criticism in Television Series The Knockout","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"22\/06\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Xuechun Jin Source: CINEJ Cinema Journal Link: https:\/\/cinej.pitt.edu\/ojs\/cinej\/article\/view\/763 Abstract This study examines how the popular Chinese television series The Knockout crystallises political significance by mobilising intertextuality and deconstruction of masculinity. It argues that, The Knockout adapts the narratives and aesthetics of space, building, and natural scene in the Hong\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hong Kong Studies Newsroom"","block_context":{"text":"Hong Kong Studies Newsroom","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%ad%b8%e8%a1%93%e6%83%85%e5%a0%b1%e5%ae%a4-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7393,"url":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/2025\/12\/02\/publication-archipelagic-cinemas-screening-southeast-asian-modernity\/","url_meta":{"origin":8169,"position":2},"title":"[Publication] Archipelagic Cinemas: Screening Southeast Asian Modernity","author":"\u624b\u6c11\u51fa\u7248\u793e","date":"02\/12\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Dag S. Yngvesson Publisher: University of California Press Link: https:\/\/luminosoa.org\/books\/m\/10.1525\/luminos.247 Abstract Archipelagic Cinemas compares trajectories of cinematic and political development across Southeast Asia from the mid-twentieth century to the present, taking the Indonesian island of Java as a key point of departure. 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This paper argues that the fate of commons is related to the values and dynamics of commoners in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hong Kong Studies Newsroom"","block_context":{"text":"Hong Kong Studies Newsroom","link":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/category\/%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%ad%b8%e8%a1%93%e6%83%85%e5%a0%b1%e5%ae%a4-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/typesetter.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/article.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/145170531"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8169"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8170,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8169\/revisions\/8170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typesetter.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}