When Happy Boys want to be girls
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A satellite TV talent show has caused minor sensation in China by featuring boy bands dressed as girls.
Contestants wearing makeup, short skirts, silk stockings and high-heels wowed audiences of the Happy Boys talent show with falsetto renderings of popular numbers.
Judges were astounded the singer's convincing appearance, feminine gestures and soft voices.
Liu Zhu, from Chengdu, in Sichuan Province, won rave reviews for his performance of the Faye Wong hit Legend. But he was angered when some commentators described him as a "fake girl."
"I'm not a fake girl. I have dressed like this since I was young. It feels natural," he said.
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Liu Zhu |
Happy Boys was started in 2007 by Hunan Satellite Television as a follow-up to its smash hit Super Girls show. Winners are selected by judges and text message votes sent in by viewers.
Chen Chusheng from Hainan Island became a huge star after winning the first Happy Boys contest in 2007. His fairytale success ensured the show has a constant stream of hopefuls.
The public may have warmed to this year's gender-bending acts, but conservative commentators were outraged. Zhang Junyu, writing for China.com.cn, accused Hunan Satellite TV of hyping Liu to boost ratings. "This program is using the mass media to spread unhealthy values to the public," he fumed.
But not everyone is so critical. Xie Jinchuan, a sociologist from the Communications University of China, said it is irrational to attack the show. "Performance is performance. They are simply men playing women's roles on stage. They are following in the footsteps of many famous performers."
"Of course the TV station is using this to attract viewers. This year they are focusing on men who like to dress up as women; next year it will be something different," said Xie.
Liu says he began dressing as a girl in his early teens. He does not want to have sex-change surgery, but neither is he comfortable living life as a man.
"I am nervous about physical examinations and seldom go to public toilets. I feel strange going to public bathrooms seeing naked men rubbing each other down with towels," Liu said in an interview with Chengdu Business Daily.
Professor Xie told China.org.cn, "Nowadays, the borderline between men and women is becoming blurred. Changing values mean society is becoming more tolerant of these unique people."
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