Journal Papers by Lila Yang
Journal of Intercultural Studies, 2025
Existing scholarship tends to understand East Asian girl groups' gender presentations as objects ... more Existing scholarship tends to understand East Asian girl groups' gender presentations as objects for the male gaze. This research questions this androcentric tendency by capturing the heterogeneous gazes and female genders and sexualities enacted and negotiated in the development of Chinese idol girl groups. With SNH48 as a case study, we employ critical queer discourse analysis to explore the queer tropes, operation mechanism and self-engineering of this feminine-presenting band that has been shaped by both transnational Asian and local Chinese influences. We demonstrate that the feminine sensibilities of girl groups situated within heteronormative, consumer-driven societies can invigorate certain forms of female queerness in complex, including at times discriminatory and problematic, ways.
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Journal Papers by Lila Yang