A Feminism Paradox? Gender Consciousness and the Consumption of Romantic Vertical Dramas in China

• In Event: Student Forum Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 3: Gender and the Body

Abstract

Romantic vertical dramas have emerged as a dominant form of mobile entertainment in China, particularly among young women. Despite their rapid popularity, these short-form serials frequently reproduce hierarchical heterosexual scripts. This study seeks to explore how young Chinese women experience and interpret the pleasure they derive from vertical romantic dramas, and also try to address a central paradox: with increasing gender consciousness and female subjectivity, why do young women still eagerly watch romantic vertical dramas? This study aims to enhance sociological understandings of how gender consciousness is perceived, negotiated and enacted through everyday media consumption. Existing scholarship on romantic media consumption has emphasized fantasy, escapism, and the negotiation of patriarchal norms. Feminist research further highlights how heterosexual imaginaries naturalize gender hierarchy by embedding inequality within emotionally desirable scripts. Additionally, studies of women’s sexual pleasure suggest that romantic and soft-core narratives provide a socially permissible space for the expression of regulated desire, particularly in contexts where female sexuality is constrained by moral norms and institutional silences. This study draws on semi-structured interviews with 26 Chinese women aged 18–30 who regularly watch romantic vertical dramas. Using thematic analysis, it examines how participants interpret their viewing practices, articulate pleasure, and reconcile media consumption with gender consciousness. The preliminary findings indicate that engagement with romantic vertical dramas is characterized by affective intensity, strategic interpretation, and selective negotiation. Participants do not passively accept hierarchical narratives; instead, they recalibrate expectations, differentiate fiction from social reality, and prioritize specific relational dynamics within intimate storylines.

Author

• Jialin Miao, Columbia University