On September 8, this year’s top six contestants on the Super Girl television show, a singing contest for young women, stepped into the spotlight.
　　Nearly none of them had long black hair or wore evening gowns, traditionally associated with beauty in China. Rather, they seemed to favor short, choppy haircuts, and some dressed in a shirt and tie for their performances. Instead of standing humbly on the stage to be judged by others, they strove to showcase their skills and individual personalities.
　　
　　In the round that reduced the number of contestants from eight to six, Liu Liyang, Guangzhou district champion, dressed in a handsome black suit and a white shirt, sang Fly Me to the Moon by the U.K. boy band Westlife. The audience was spellbound by her mannish appearance.
　　
　　Handsome women, pretty men
　　
　　Li Yuchuan, last year’s Super Girl champion, started the trend by getting noticed for her boyish looks and choice of songs by male singers, which stood out against the feminine styling of other contestants. This year, her sense of style has become mainstream among the latest crop of wannabe stars. Chinese newspapers and magazines have been keen on discovering other tomboys and have called out to society that the era of androgynous beauty has come.
　　“From these shows, we can see that the traditional aesthetic view towards men and women has drastically changed,” said Zeng Zihang, a veteran media commentator and freelance writer. “The androgynous look―beauty featuring both mannish and girlish style―has unmistakably become trendy.”
　　In the current Super Girl show, many contestants are reluctant to wear dresses and have long hair, even refusing such things altogether. And Zeng noted that the style switch-up between young men and women doesn’t just go one way: on another show called Come on Boys, some of the male winners are pretty, emotional and feminine. “Handsome women” and “pretty men” are now well accepted by society, and especially by young people.
　　For the most part, these aesthetic challenges to traditional gender norms are devoid of intended meaning about sexual orientation, and there is little discussion on that subject. However, some China watchers have speculated that the androgynous look could signal a growing openness to the topic, as well as to changes in gender stereotypes.
　　“It is not surprising that modern women are keen on the androgynous look, as it is in line with the aesthetic trend of the whole world in the 21st century,” said Cheng Naishan, a writer in Shanghai.
　　Cheng further explained that this century prides itself on simplicity of style, and this minimalist sensibility has already penetrated fields such as architecture and art. So, the current fashion trend among China’s super girls will be accepted by larger society as long as it makes viewers feel comfortable watching these young starlets.
　　
　　Young rebels
　　
　　As the latest season of Super Girl Show continues, drawing fans from all age groups but especially teenagers, the China Youth & Children Research Center (CYCRC) conducted a comprehensive survey on the show and noted that in the eyes of many viewers, watching Super Girl is just like watching a Miss China pageant. 　　However, the CYCRC report explained that super girls are not beauties in a traditional Chinese sense. The young generation’s definition of beauty is rebellious and different from that of their elders.
　　Currently, Chinese youth are obsessed with the word “style.” Chang Ning, a senior high school student, defined the term in this way: “To be stylish doesn’t mean to be beautiful. As far as I’m concerned, super girls are equivalent to confidence, uniqueness, vigor and vitality.”
　　“Shang Wenjie [a super girl] is just so-so at first sight,” she added. “However, as she continues to win and becomes more and more confident, I suddenly find she is much prettier.”
　　Yang Zhoujian, a youth behavior expert with CYCRC, said that fans of the super girls are largely students, ranging from junior middle school to university. Under the pressure of achieving a higher education or succeeding at various exams, these students tend to be psychologically anxious and can easily get depressed.
　　Yang said the problem is especially noticeable among female middle school students, who are nearly mature physically but only half-mature psychologically. They are eager to participate in society, to find a way to relieve their anxiety and to achieve self-actualization, including through the clothes they wear. Super Girl, as an interactive entertainment program, helps fulfill their desire to participate in society. The show seems to open doors beyond the world of studying and writing exams, Yang added.
　　The mother of Zheng Chenrui, a student, said, “I knew nothing about super girls until I found that my daughter is crazy about it. Then I began to watch the show myself. I wanted to know why so many girls are obsessed with the show.” As long as her daughter continued to perform well at school, Zheng’s mother said she would allow her to watch the weekly show. “Anyway, the contestants are chosen by the audience and there must be reasons for their popularity,” she added.
　　The CYCRC study contends that currently youth are becoming major propellants of cultural development in China, and that the influence of mainstream culture on youth is lessening. The androgynous look is a perfect example of this shift: it first became popular because young people decided it was stylish, not because they were told that it was.
　　This change in the way trends are formed is probably the reason for the interest of social institutions and companies in developing a cultural market that targets Chinese youth, the study says.

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