Who is the Counterpublic? Bromance-as-Masquerade in Chinese Online Drama— S.C.I. Mystery

Bibliographic Data

ID21161237
AuthorsT Hu (0000-0001-6479-0337, Wuhan University), Cathy Yue Wang (0000-0002-2630-9968, Shanghai Normal University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume22
Issue6
Pages671-686
Publication date2021-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTelevision & New Media (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1527-4764 • E-ISSN: 1552-8316
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1527476420937262
OpenAlexW3039582467
LanguageEN
Citations received34
References cited22

This articles examines the representation of the blurred boundary between bromance and romance in the Chinese drama, S.C.I. Mystery (2018) and how it can be interpreted in Chinese gender discourse because it is the unique boys’ love fanfiction being adapted for an online drama in mainland China. We use the term bromance-as-masquerade to denote a representational strategy of depicting male–male romance under the guise of homosocial bromance. Bromance-as-masquerade facilitates the promotion of male intimacy cultivated by the leading actors themselves and the production team in the marketing process. Their actions demonstrate a proactive engagement in the counterpublic discourse; however, this article argues that the self-censored modification of the plot-setting represents a refusal and exclusion of boys’ love subculture, which places the notion of the counterpublic in question

Aesthetics · Art · China · Drama · Literature · Mainland China · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Romance · Sociology · Asian Culture and Media Studies · Cinema and Media Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law