Body exhibition or idyllic imagination? Female microcelebrities in mobile short videos depicting the Chinese countryside

Mass communication in the We Media era has redefined China's rural virtual community and transformed the representation of the female body in the countryside. Using research methods such as literature review, case studies, and content analysis, this study adopts perspectives from the sociology...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maichi Match Chen, Yan Dong, Jun Zhang, Guichun Qu, Zonglin Sun, Yanmei Jiang, Guili Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Communication
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1489893/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Mass communication in the We Media era has redefined China's rural virtual community and transformed the representation of the female body in the countryside. Using research methods such as literature review, case studies, and content analysis, this study adopts perspectives from the sociology of the body and feminist media studies to explore how female microcelebrities and social media influencers (SMIs) use their bodies to present authentic rural life. The research highlights their significant roles in marketing the countryside, fostering idyllic imaginations for mass audiences, and supporting rural revitalization. Focusing on prominent examples such as Li Ziqi, we argue that female microcelebrities endorsed by both the state and netizens contribute to rural marketing by promoting web traffic, agricultural products, and stronger idyllic imagery, thereby advancing China's rural revitalization efforts.
ISSN:2297-900X