Editor’s Note:

China's boys are said to be facing a "crisis of masculinity," as today's society gives more advantages to people who are obedient and docile. Meanwhile, increasing media coverage of boys and men who bend gender roles has left some defenders of the traditional order unsettled. Are China's boys too coddled? Should they grow beards and scratch themselves in public, rather than wearing lipstick and holding hands? The Global Times invited two writers to contribute on this subject.

Safety culture leaves nation’s youth soft and vulnerable

By Gu Dening

Chinese boys are becoming feminized. Recently, a group of soft-cheeked college boys put on a cross-dressing cosplay extravaganza in Wuhan, Hubei Province. There are also an increased number of boys using women's cosmetics such as lipstick.

The times are changing. We have an open mind toward boys being girly. But from the individual perspective, as life is tough and one is bound to undergo many difficulties, how can we expect boys who are physically weak and emotionally vulnerable to have the ability to deal with emergencies and setbacks? From the perspective of the nation, the heroism and masculinity are gradually losing their glamors, which dims the future of our country. Last year, Luo Yuan, a major general at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, published an article in the Global Times, worrying that those over-girly boys would harm our country's unity, strength, and vitality. 

Our current education and examination systems are more prone to producing well-behaved and obedient children, while those being restrained are losing the spirit of exploration, creativity and initiatives. They are becoming docile and over-cautious. If we simply increase the number of male teachers without changing the mechanisms of our education and examination systems, the trend among Chinese boys won't be altered.

We should encourage our boys to be active, brave, and accountable. Parents should also take the responsibility of giving their kids an all-round education, rather than only stressing the academic results of their kids.

Meanwhile, we should create a social atmosphere where the manly qualities of being firm, brave and responsible should be widely praised and promoted. The society and the media should play an active role in promoting the manly spirit. For example, exploring the mystery of nature and taking on physical challenges can show a nation's iron will and nobility and are worth promoted nationwide. Some young people would like to go on outings and explore wild nature. Even though the public often worry about their safety issues, we should encourage them rather than condemning their activities.

After all, the essence of a "true man" is his capability to take on responsibility and being ready to endure hardships rather than his accessories and so-called personal style.

The author is a journalist based in Jiangsu Province. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

By Yu Jincui

A group of five cross-dressing boys put on a show in the West Lake Peony Garden of Wuhan, Hubei Province last week. Dressing in ancient silk Chinese female costumes with heavy makeup, they attracted tourists by striking in a variety of delicate and graceful poses among peony flowers.

Those beauties are members of the Alice Cross Dresser Group, established in 2009. They wear thick makeup, high heels and miniskirts, and shake their hips sensuously on the stage. Though some people are attracted by this novel form and enjoy it, defenders of traditional morality have criticized them.

But this is not a problem. Forcing men into macho stereotypes does far more harm than good. We should respect people's own gender preferences and personalities and allow them to develop as they chose, rather than criticizing them for not living up to outdated gender roles. 

I was once surprised to see one of my male friends applying a facial mask, but there is nothing wrong with men also desiring healthier skin.

Actually, male skin care products are taking a bigger portion of the skin care products market.

In one online South Korean store, male customers bought 24.1 percent of their skin care products. And some men are also wearing feminine styles, such as skirts or high-heels.

This is the sign of a more open society. In contrast, societies that emphasize machismo, such as Latin American countries in the past or some African states today, tend to have higher rates of violence.

There's nothing weak or vulnerable about people who cross gender boundaries. Look at the experience of GLBT activists, who have struggled heroically against social oppression. Trans women, camp gay men, and transvestites, all blamed for being “girly,” are often tough as nails, as well as being creative, passionate, and socially active.

And it's absurdly patriarchal to associate the idea of femininity with vulnerability or passivity, or to say that it takes “manliness” to be brave and responsible.

Society is becoming more open and diverse, so people should develop more freely. The boys in the cosplay club are being creative, playful, and letting their own interests shine while making a living; they should be encouraged, not denigrated.  

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. yujincui@globaltimes.com.cn

VoxPop

Li Xin, a graduate from Shanghai No.3 Girl's High School
Competing with girls under a performance-oriented environment is making boys today more like girls.
They become mindful of narrow personal gains and losses on test performances, and are less considerate about the more important question of how to be a responsible and useful man to the society.

Jiang Haoqian, a first-year student from Shanghai No.8 High School which might be made the city's first all-boys school to combat the "masculinity crisis"
I do not think that the so called "masculinity crisis" is going to be solved by means of sending boys into an all-boys school.
The core of the problem is that it is difficult for boys to make full use of their advantages anywhere under the Chinese educational system. Reforming one school is not going to change anything.

@Dayi80
The bravery of men in past times rarely has any place to be displayed in modern China.
Comparatively, women have more advantages in today's society in areas such as language, comprehension, communication and public relations. Chinese women also keep a fair state of mind. They neither think too highly of themselves nor are they as psychologically weak as men.