Chinas War on Female Delusion

5 hours ago

China's censorship targets 'microdramas' depicting poor girls marrying rich CEOs, part of broader control over content involving wealth, fantasy, and sexuality.
The author's experience shows censorship extends to auto show models and TV dramas, with authorities editing content like 'The Empress of China' for social harmony.
Microdramas (duanju) are short, fast-paced videos designed for vertical viewing, with romance and hypergamy tropes attracting regulatory scrutiny for promoting 'unrealistic fantasies'.
Regulators warn against content glorifying wealth or elite lifestyles, aiming to prevent 'warped values' among minors, though enforcement struggles due to the volume of new content.
Censorship also targets displays of wealth on social media, effeminate male idols ('femboys'), and pessimistic movements like 'lying flat', which rejects high-pressure work culture.
The article contrasts China's state-led censorship with America's decentralized control via platforms, advertisers, and algorithms, both attempting to manage human appetite and desires.
Despite censorship, the author argues human nature ensures fantasies and desires persist underground, questioning which system better handles societal 'ugliness'.

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