Being both Cool and Cute (ke yan ke tian) 16 October 2024
This essay addresses a catchphrase 'being both cool and cute' (ke yan ke tian) that seamlessly blends contrasting traits and personalities, evoking a modern gendered subjectivity that celebrates versatility and seemingly transcends traditional gender binaries.
'Empowerment' and 'funeng' 3 September 2024
This essay examines how the term 'empowerment' ('funeng' in Chinese) takes on different meanings and implications in various fields and social practices across China and the West.
#RefusingMenstrualShame (#拒绝月经羞耻): Affective Feminist Catchphrases on Chinese Social Media 13 August 2024
This blogpost explores #RefusingMenstrualShame as a catchphrase adopted by digital feminist activists in China, aiming to challenge patriarchal taboos around menstruation whilst sparking both feminist solidarity and anti-feminist backlash.
'Involution' (neijuan) 22 July 2024
This essay discusses a catchword 'neijuan', which originated in scholarly discourse but has seen a dramatic increase in everyday usage to describe the intense pressure and competition in educational and work environments in China.
‘China and the West’ 11 July 2024
This post unpacks the increasingly used phrase 'China and the West', highlighting ongoing anxieties, complex relationships, and persistent preconceptions of differences between the two, despite efforts to foster understanding.
'Cutting off a Kidney' 28 June 2024
In the context of post-COVID regulation on international mobility for Chinese nationals, Dr Tang Ling examines the catchphrase 'cutting off a kidney', adopted in various media to fuel a narrative and moral panic about a dangerous Southeast Asia.
Digital Mapping of Chinese Catchwords 17 June 2024
With a view to initiating this blog on Chinese catchwords, this essay outlines a few contextual and methodological issues in relation to studying catchwords and catchphrases from a media studies perspective.
Keywords and Catchwords: Notes from China 17 June 2024
Wang Yusu explains what 'catchwords' and 'keywords' mean in relation to Chinese Internet subcultures, and gives an overview of sources and disciplinary approaches.