May 13
China and its irrational self-hatred of monolids
A very disturbing trend has appeared in the Chinese cultural sphere as of late that demands every depiction of a Chinese person must have light skin, a three-dimensional face, big eyes, and double eyelids. Anything deviating from this extremely narrow depiction is only a slanderous mutilation of the glorious Chinese nation and its people by malicious Western racists. Alternatively, slanderous mutilation of the glorious Chinese nation and its people by “race traitors” trying to appeal to the “racist West” by “selling out” their compatriots.
According to them, if your Chinese actor stars in a movie it is utterly unacceptable for him to have monolids. Remember Simu Liu? The lead role in Shang-Chi?
A very vocal group of Chinese netizens exploded in absolute fury, 100% certain beyond any doubt that Simu Liu was cast by racist Hollywood directors because of his eye shape and his eye shape only. This particular group legitimately believed that Marvel was spending tens (hundreds?) of millions of dollars and countless man hours to create a movie with the sole purpose of “insulting and indignifying China.”
But that wasn’t enough.
Not much later, Chinese artist and photographer Chen Man held an art exhibition. Much of her work are portraits that can range from what we typically regard as “beautiful” to other shots that are more avant-garde.
But then, she did it.
The unforgivable.
The Unspeakable Curse in the Chinese Wizarding World.
She… She… *covers mouth with handkerchief*
…photographed a model with monolids!!!
Again, another explosion from this particularly sensitive online circle:
(Quote: “Chen Man’s previous work titled ‘The 12 Colors of China’ is her most famous work. But she didn’t show the beauty of Chinese women through her lens. Some look Black, some look Native American, anyway, they don’t look Chinese.”)
(“It’s vilifying Chinese for appealing the West, blah blah blah. Not going to translate each one)
Well gee. 2021 wasn’t looking like a very good year for people who have self-esteem issues about a certain kind of eyelids.
But then, it struck again.
China released a new animated film, and it fucking slapped.
The story is about a group of China’s “left-behind children” (kids who grow up in a village with their grandparents because their mom and dad move to the city to find work) who want to become lion dancers.
It’s an incredible movie. Truly, truly incredible.
Here’s the trailer if you’re curious. I highly recommend.
But there’s a problem. Something that absolutely bombarded the film with 1-star reviews from outraged nationalists.
Again!
The cardinal sin!
The Chinese main character does not have white skin, big eyes, and double eyelids!!!
Unforgivable! Atrocious! A mutilation of the perfect, Chinese form! 1-star! 1-star I say! Everyone, carpet bomb this film with 1-star reviews!!!
The hate comments were almost too much for me to repeat here.
If you can’t read Chinese; trust me, you don’t wanna know.
It got so bad that CCTV tried to step in and defend the movie, but the “wounded party” would not be silenced, and they shouted down CCTV. Kinda ironic actually…
This one really got to me. I like Marvel but it’s not like I was a life-long Shang-Chi fan or something. I like art/fashion but I wasn’t one of Chen Man’s die-hard fans either.
But this movie I legitimately loved. I wouldn’t hesitate to call it one of the best Chinese movies I’ve ever seen. To see so many outraged nationalists attack this movie just because it reminded them of their own insecurities made me feel sick to my fucking stomach.
Just when I thought the shit storm was over, they struck one more time.
Local snack brand “Three Squirrels” posted this ad back in 2019. No one seemed to care back then. But now, all of a sudden, the ads resurfaced on Chinese social media and outraged netizens tore it apart.
Comments ranged from “you are insulting Chinese women by trying to appeal to the Western stereotype” to “you should just quit modelling altogether.”
Sure enough, Three Squirrels bowed under pressure, issuing a pathetic apology:
“Regarding the opinion that the model does not fit the mainstream’s aesthetic taste and makes the public feel uncomfortable, we are sincerely sorry,”
But hey, the story has a happy ending. Can I just say, the model featured (Cai Niang Niang) is a fucking badass. She must be as tired of this shit as I am because she clapped back almost immediately.
Her Weibo:
“Am I disqualified to be Chinese just because I have small eyes? I was born with these eyes and they look even smaller in real life. Does that mean I can’t be a model? Have I been offensive to Chinese people since the day I was born?”
Yas Queen. You’ve earned a new follower in me.
So, all this to answer the question, Do Chinese people have a major inferiority complex against European people in terms of beauty standards?
Some of them definitely do. I cannot speak for the percentage that do and the percentage that don’t. All I know is there exists a very vocal percentage of them flexing their newfound powers of “cancel culture,” trying to shut down and berate any film, advertising studio, artist, or model that dares to deviate from the depiction of a Chinese person that makes them the most comfortable. The biggest trigger for this circle of people seem to be monolids.
For those of you who don’t know, monolids refer to “single eyelids.” They look like this:
(monolids on top)
This particularly vocal circle of Chinese netizens fly off the handle at any sight of monolids on a Chinese model, actor, or even CGI character.
How exactly are these “stereotypical?”
According to relevant studies and statistics,
- About 50% of ethnic Asians have monolids¹
For China specifically, the prevalence of monolids is about
- 35% for Southern Chinese
- 39% for Central Chinese, and
- 53% for Northern Chinese²
So they’re incredibly common. Not a “mutilation of the perfect Chinese form” in any way.
So, if monolids are so common among Chinese, why is this circle of Chinese netizens so, so wrathful towards any depiction of monolids?
Why, because of racist depictions by foreigners, you will say!
There’s definitely truth to that. No one is denying that Western countries have made racist depictions of Asians over the centuries.
Yes, this insecurity may have been inherited from the West. But if you keep violently attacking anyone and anything that dares to deviate from the beauty standards set by the West in the first place (white skin, big eyes, double eyelids), then who do you have to blame but yourself?
What about face paint in Peking Opera? Will you try and cancel that next?
Or what about traditional Chinese art? Look at how tiny her eyes are! Must be a spineless attempt to appeal to racist Western stereotypes!
What about the Terra Cotta warriors?? They all have all have monolids!! Tear them all down!!
I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point.
Monolids exist.
Monolids are common.
Monolids are not any less representative of Asians/Chinese people than double eyelids are.
Monolids are not any less beautiful than double eyelids are.
Deal with it.
