Backlash against ‘sexy’ Chinese sportswomen a reflection of traditional values, experts say
Academics say critics seem to hold the view that Chinese women should be ‘pure’ and a way of projecting the nation’s soft power through sport
A recent backlash against female Chinese athletes posting “sexy” content on social media is a reflection of traditional values that argue women should be “pure” and a way of projecting the country’s soft power through sports, experts have suggested.
In recent weeks, former China national team athletes have hit back at critics, including other athletes, who said women posting “sexy” videos was a disgrace.
In November, former gymnast Wu Liufang went viral after a public row with teammate Guan Chenchen, who said her “thirst trap” videos were damaging gymnastics’s reputation. Days later, swimmer Liu Xiang hit back at social media users who said her swimsuit pictures were deliberately provocative to attract attention.
Ivy Wong Wang, associate professor in the gender studies programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that in Chinese culture, “it is still quite [prevalent] that women and girls are supposed to be clean, pure and well-behaved, and not dress sexy.
“One reason for [the critics’] negative reactions is it might not be related to gender but more related to how people define what is [appropriate for an athlete versus what is not].
