中国的宣传话语是怎样毒害女性的？How does China’s propaganda discourse poison women? ｜女权｜革命｜正能量｜性别｜平权｜两性｜宣传｜文革｜毛时代

Summary

This video by Anthony delves into the evolution of women's image in China from the Great Leap Forward to the end of the Cultural Revolution. It discusses how the Party constructed a genderless, self-sacrificing image of women, epitomized by the 'Iron Girl' symbol. Despite physical limitations, women were encouraged to work like men, often leading to exploitation and health issues. The video also critiques the modern Chinese official stance on women's consumerism and femininity, highlighting a continued emphasis on traditional values over individual freedom and choice. Anthony calls for a broader understanding of women's liberation as part of human liberation, advocating for women's freedom to be themselves without societal constraints.

Takeaways

• 📜 The video discusses the evolution of the image of women in China from the Great Leap Forward to the end of the Cultural Revolution.
• 🎥 The content emphasizes how the Communist Party constructed and utilized the image of women during this period.
• 🔍 The official rhetoric promotes the idea that despite the reform and opening up, the constructed female image still profoundly influences China's propaganda.
• 💡 Official narratives criticize consumerism and entertainment trends around Women's Day, advocating for a politically significant celebration instead.
• 📅 Historical references include the 1909 female workers’ strike in Chicago and how Women’s Day is celebrated to honor these roots.
• 💪 The video highlights the 'Iron Girl' era, where women were celebrated for their labor contributions but often at the cost of their femininity and health.
• 👩‍⚕️ Examples from the 2020 pandemic show women making disproportionate sacrifices, such as pregnant nurses working and medical staff being shaved bald.
• 🛠️ During the Cultural Revolution, 'Iron Girl' became a widespread symbol, with women engaging in physically demanding labor typically reserved for men.
• 🏗️ Mao Zedong emphasized the importance of utilizing women as a human resource for building a socialist country.
• 👗 The Cultural Revolution promoted desexualization of women, portraying them in propaganda as strong, self-sacrificing, and indistinguishable from men in terms of labor.

Q & A

What was the focus of Anthony's previous video on women's topics?

The previous video discussed the essence of the Chinese Women’s Liberation Movement from the Yan'an period to the early 1950s.

What is the main topic of the current video Anthony is presenting?

The current video focuses on how the Party constructed the image of women from the Great Leap Forward to the end of the Cultural Revolution and its lasting impact on China's propaganda discourse.

How does the Chinese official media typically portray Women's Day?

Chinese official media typically emphasizes the political significance of Women's Day, criticizes commercialization and entertainment trends, and promotes the idea that women's status is achieved through hard work and dedication.

What is the title of the article published by China Women's News on March 8, 2022?

The title of the article is 'Women's Day is hard-won. Please do not consume for entertainment, Queen's Day, Don’t touch porcelain.'

What are the two main purposes of Women's Day according to the article mentioned in the video?

The two main purposes are to commemorate and pay tribute to ancestors and to remind oneself to be a happy worker.

What is the origin of Women's Day as recalled in the article?

The origin of Women's Day is traced back to the 1909 female workers’ strike in Chicago, USA.

What is the term used to describe women who entered traditionally male workplaces during Mao Zedong's era?

The term used is 'Iron Girl', which describes women with steely wills and bodies who are not as weak as traditional women and have the courage to break tradition.

What was the slogan raised by Mao Zedong regarding the exploitation of Chinese women as a resource?

Mao Zedong emphasized that 'Chinese women are a great human resource, this resource must be explored' for building a great socialist country.

How did the 'Iron Girl' movement evolve from the 1950s to the Cultural Revolution?

In the 1950s, 'Iron Girls' were a sporadic case, but by the Cultural Revolution, they had become an iconic symbol of Chinese women, blooming all over the country.

What kind of propaganda posters were typical during the Cultural Revolution period for depicting women?

Typical propaganda posters during the Cultural Revolution depicted women with simplicity, often with a strong and muscular physique, masculine movements, dark or reddish skin color, and expressions of enthusiasm, confidence, seriousness, or anger.

What does Anthony suggest as the essence of women's liberation?

Anthony suggests that the essence of women's liberation is human liberation, which means fully understanding and exploring oneself, tapping and developing one's potential, and having the freedom to be oneself, including both practical feasibility and value tolerance.

What is the significance of the slogan 'I am your future boss, not your future wife' mentioned in the video?

The slogan signifies women's resistance to the male gaze and their pursuit of gender equality in the workplace, emphasizing personal choice and rejecting the notion of superiority or inferiority between different roles.

Outlines

00:00

👥 Women's Image Construction in Chinese Propaganda

Anthony discusses the evolution of women's image in Chinese propaganda from the Great Leap Forward to the end of the Cultural Revolution. He notes the Party's efforts to construct a certain image of women, which, despite fading with economic reforms, still influences China's propaganda discourse. The narrative criticizes commercialization and entertainment trends around Women's Day, using the example of an article from China Women's News on March 8, 2022. The article commemorates the historical struggle for women's rights and criticizes the creation of consumerist holidays like 'Goddess' Day or 'Queen's Day.' Anthony also touches on the debate between feminists about the motivations behind women's pursuit of beauty and the role of propaganda in shaping societal expectations of women's roles, particularly the promotion of self-sacrifice and hard work over individual expression and femininity.

05:01

🏗️ The 'Iron Girl' Phenomenon and Women's Labor in Mao's Era

This section delves into the 'Iron Girl' phenomenon, which represented women taking on traditionally male-dominated roles and labor during Mao's era. The 'Iron Girl' symbolized strength, willpower, and the breaking of traditional norms. Initially a sporadic case, the Cultural Revolution saw the widespread emergence of 'Iron Girls' as a symbol of Chinese womanhood. The narrative discusses Mao's emphasis on women as a vital resource for socialist construction and the political slogans encouraging women to work hard and prove their equality with men. Despite physical limitations, women were urged to work in heavy, tiring, and dangerous jobs, often outperforming men due to their desire to prove their worth. The section also highlights the health issues faced by these women due to extreme labor exploitation and the lack of genuine protection for their rights.

10:03

🎨 Propaganda's Impact on Women's Identity and the Pursuit of Equality

The final paragraph examines the impact of propaganda on women's identity and the pursuit of gender equality. It discusses the desexualization of women in propaganda, with a focus on simplicity and strength, often at the expense of individuality and femininity. The narrative contrasts the idealized image of 'Iron Girls' with the reality of women's experiences and the trauma caused by extreme labor exploitation. It also addresses the discrepancy between the praise for women's labor and the lack of actual protection and rights for women. Anthony concludes by emphasizing the importance of true women's liberation, which involves understanding and developing one's potential without being constrained by societal expectations or propaganda. He suggests that true equality includes the freedom for women to make their own choices, whether in the workplace or in their personal lives.

Keywords

💡Women’s Liberation Movement

The Women’s Liberation Movement refers to a series of historical and social movements aimed at achieving equal rights for women. In the video, it is discussed in the context of the Chinese movement from the Yan'an period to the early 1950s, highlighting the political and social changes that aimed to improve women's status in society.

💡Great Leap Forward

The Great Leap Forward was a social and economic campaign led by the Chinese government in the late 1950s to transform the country from an agrarian economy into a socialist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization. The video discusses how this period influenced the construction of women's image, promoting women to work in traditionally male-dominated sectors.

💡Cultural Revolution

The Cultural Revolution was a sociopolitical movement in China from 1966 until 1976, led by Mao Zedong, to preserve Chinese communism by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society. The video talks about how the Party constructed the image of women during this period, emphasizing their roles as hardworking and self-sacrificing individuals.

💡Propaganda Discourse

Propaganda Discourse refers to the strategic use of information, often one-sided, to influence public opinion. In the video, it is mentioned that the image of women constructed during the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution still influences China's propaganda discourse, particularly in the way official media portrays women's issues and Women’s Day.

💡International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8 every year, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The video discusses how official media in China emphasize the political significance of this day and criticize the commercialization and entertainment trends associated with it.

💡Consumerism

Consumerism is the idea of acquiring goods and services in ever-increasing amounts as a measure of economic growth and success. The video criticizes consumerism, particularly in the context of Women’s Day, where it is seen as a way to trap women in a cycle of buying cosmetics and other beauty products.

💡Self-Sacrifice

Self-Sacrifice refers to the act of giving up one's own interests or needs for the benefit of others or a cause. In the video, it is highlighted as a key characteristic of the image of women promoted by the Chinese government during the Mao era, where women were expected to work hard without complaint and prioritize collective goals over personal desires.

💡Iron Girl

The term 'Iron Girl' was used to describe women who took on traditionally male roles in heavy labor and industry during the Mao era. The video discusses this as an example of how women were encouraged to break with traditional gender roles and demonstrate their strength and resilience through hard physical labor.

💡Desexualization

Desexualization is the process of removing or suppressing sexual characteristics or desires. The video explains how the 'Iron Girl' image promoted by the Chinese government involved desexualization, with women expected to dress and behave in ways that downplayed their femininity and focused on their roles as workers.

💡Gender Equality

Gender Equality refers to the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making. The video critiques the Chinese government's promotion of gender equality, arguing that it was more about exploiting women's labor than genuinely promoting their rights and well-being.

💡Individuality

Individuality is the quality of being a separate and distinct entity with unique characteristics. The video argues that the Chinese government's promotion of women's roles during the Mao era erased individuality, promoting a uniform image of women as hardworking and self-sacrificing without acknowledging their diverse identities and aspirations.

Highlights

The video discusses the period from the Great Leap Forward to the end of the Cultural Revolution and how the Party constructed the image of women during this time.

The female image constructed by the Party has a lasting impact on China's propaganda discourse, evident in official media's emphasis on Women's Day's political significance.

China Women's News criticized commercialization and entertainment trends on Women's Day, advocating for the hard-won and sacred nature of the festival.

The origin of Women’s Day is traced back to the 1909 female workers’ strike in Chicago, USA.

The video recalls the Mao Zedong era and the measures taken to improve women's status, emphasizing the festival's significance and the need for self-sacrifice.

Criticism of consumerism and entertainment as tactics to trap women, suggesting that women's status can only be achieved through hard work.

Analysis of propaganda departments' criticism of consumerism and their influence on individual free choices in China.

Comparison of Chinese official rhetoric with some feminists' views on beauty and self-sacrifice in a male-dominated society.

Discussion on the value of different perspectives on beauty and the importance of individual analysis based on one's own situation.

The video describes how Chinese officials use criticism of consumerism to reestablish ideological authority and promote self-sacrifice among women.

Examples of official promotion of genderless images of women, such as praising pregnant or recently miscarried nurses during the 2020 epidemic.

The 'Iron Girl' phenomenon of the Mao Zedong era, symbolizing women's entry into traditionally male-dominated workplaces.

The Cultural Revolution saw the 'Iron Girl' become an iconic symbol of Chinese women, with a focus on heavy, tiring, and dangerous jobs.

Mao Zedong's emphasis on women as a great human resource that must be explored for building a socialist country.

Political slogans encouraging women to work hard and overcome physical limitations, emulating men in labor.

The establishment of 'Iron Girl Commandos' and similar organizations to promote women's participation in heavy labor.

The impact of the 'Iron Girl' movement on women's health and the physical toll of heavy labor.

The desexualization of women during the Cultural Revolution, with a focus on simplicity and a rejection of traditional femininity.

The video concludes by emphasizing that women's liberation is a reflection of human liberation, advocating for freedom and individuality.

Transcripts

Hello everyone, I'm Anthony

Welcome to subscribe to my channel

Today I want to continue talking about women’s topics

In the previous program

we discussed

From the Yan'an period to the early 1950s

The Essence of the Chinese Women’s Liberation Movement

Friends who haven’t watched it yet can watch the previous issue first

This video

We will discuss the period from the Great Leap Forward to the end of the Cultural Revolution

this period

How the Party Constructs the Image of Women

in my opinion

This kind of female image

Although it gradually faded away with the reform and opening up,

But he never really left

And so far

still profoundly influences China’s propaganda discourse

March 8 every year

We can all see many official media in China publish articles

Emphasizing the political significance of Women’s Day

And severely criticize commercialization and entertainment trends

For example, China Women's News reported on March 8, 2022

Just published an article

The title is "Women's Day is hard-won."

Please do not consume for entertainment

Queen's Day

Don’t touch porcelain》

The article begins by emphasizing the significance of Women’s Day

One is to commemorate and pay tribute to our ancestors

The second is to tell yourself to be a happy worker

Then, the article recalls the origin of Women’s Day

That is, the 1909 female workers’ strike in Chicago, USA

Reminiscing about the Mao Zedong era

How China improves the status of women

And emphasized that this festival is hard-won

is glorious and sacred

So don’t entertain and don’t consume

The article believes

The so-called Goddess’ Day and Queen’s Day

It's just a gimmick created by merchants

is to trap women in consumerism

and entertainmentism

woman's status

You can only get it through your own hard work and hard work.

Rhetoric like this

In the video where we were discussing the anti-Japanese drama

Just analyzed it

in China

Propaganda departments are very accustomed to criticizing consumerism

Slogans of entertainment and marketization

to judge and interfere with individual free choices

their reasons

yes

Merchants package Women’s Day as Goddess’ Day or Queen’s Day

Create a series of consumer symbols

Promote women to "consume for beauty"

Allow women to focus on improving their appearance

Actually just to consume women

Just inducing women to buy more cosmetics

official rhetoric

Superficially similar to some feminists

For example, British feminist Jeffries believes that

Women should refuse to maintain their beauty

and self-sacrifice

Because of the so-called "feminine beauty"

It is essentially a product that caters to the aesthetics of a male-dominated society.

certainly

There are also some feminists who object to this concept

Think women dress up with makeup

Just to make myself happy and confident

It should not be regarded as catering to and pleasing society.

Such arguments are valuable

But there is definitely no standard answer

Because of one’s pursuit of beauty

Is it forced or voluntary?

Everyone always needs to think based on their own actual situation

Society just needs to offer different perspectives

Just let individuals compare and analyze it.

However

Chinese official criticism of female consumerism

But not for

Let women get closer to their true feelings

but to restore and reestablish the authority of ideology

They criticize consumer symbols

To establish their own political symbols

That is, an obedient person who works hard without complaining

The image of a woman accustomed to self-sacrifice

this kind of self-sacrifice

Femininity is often sacrificed

Therefore, women under official propaganda

It often gives people a genderless feeling

A typical case is during the 2020 epidemic

Positive promotion of female characters

For example, praising a female nurse who is 9 months pregnant

Even a female nurse who had a miscarriage for 10 days returned to work, etc.

The most typical one is to shave women’s heads collectively.

February 2020

Official Weibo of Gansu Province

Posted a "Female medical staff

Video of being collectively shaved bald

These medical staff are about to go to Hubei to support epidemic prevention

Officials compared them to Mulan

Shave your hair and join the army

The woman in the shot is obviously crying

Look solemn

Official claim

These female medical staff are all voluntary

Because long hair makes wearing protective clothing inconvenient

But even so

You can also have short hair

Shaving your head is not necessary

more importantly

There is no official promotion

The case of male medical staff shaving their heads

Officially

A woman erases her gender identity

It seems to evoke a sense of sadness among the public.

Women are celebrated

usually means

Women have to make disproportionate sacrifices

Especially if you have to sacrifice your own femininity

The essence of gender equality promoted by Chinese officials

That's it

certainly

This kind of thinking has also been continued from history.

A typical case is the "Iron Girl" of Mao Zedong's era

as early as the 1950s

Officially known as "Iron Girl"

Describes women who enter traditionally male workplaces

"Iron girls" are not as weak as traditional women

Love beauty and other petty bourgeois styles

They have steely wills and bodies

It is the courage to break tradition

Conservative-thinking new-age women

but

At this time, the "Iron Girl" was still just a sporadic case.

to the period of the Cultural Revolution

"Iron Girl" is no longer an exception

Instead, they are blooming all over the country.

Became the iconic symbol of Chinese women during the Cultural Revolution

Although Mao's era

China's overall labor supply exceeds demand

But officials continue to raise

large-scale infrastructure construction

Still leaving many areas with a stretched workforce

in this case

Calling on women to work outside the home

能够显著弥补男性劳动力的不足

In 1955, Mao Zedong emphasized:

“Chinese women are a great human resource

This resource must be explored

In order to build a great socialist country

And struggle. "

From the Great Leap Forward to the Cultural Revolution

a series of political slogans

Such as "women turn over

"Be the master of the country" "Women hold up half the sky"

"Times have changed, men and women are the same"

And criticize the "theory of women's uselessness" and "theory of women's backwardness", etc.

They are all intended to encourage women to be more hard-working and hard-working

Work like a man

Even if it’s challenging physical limits

The official message is that

Although women are physically weaker than men

But human effort and will

able to overcome all objective limitations

So, what gay men can do

Lesbians can do it too

Cultural Revolution period

Many "Iron Girl Commandos" were established

or similar organization

For example, women's oil production team, women's drilling team

Women's live work class, women's tractor class

Women's wood sawing classes and more

The characteristics of these jobs are heavy, tiring, dirty, and dangerous.

However in fact

These teams of women

Often better than men

The reason here is simple

Women themselves are engaged in heavy physical labor

Although not as good as men

But precisely because of this

Many women want to prove that they are not inferior to men

Often voluntarily work overtime

Work harder

There are also many iron girls who think that

Just do more and get less

It is a spirit of selfless dedication

Only in this way can the masses be convinced

Jin Yihong is here

In the article "Chinese Women's Labor During the Cultural Revolution"

Quoting an iron girl from Nanjing

Captain's description:

"Commandos should specialize in doing things that others don't want to do.

In spring, we need to plant rice seedlings, urge water, and ride a waterwheel.

Stay up all night during harvesting

Work as usual the next day

Two great guys are tired

As soon as he fell to the ground, he fell asleep and refused to get up.

we are better than them

There is a girl who is older than me

Full length nucleon

All suppurated

Still not resting. "

A client who works in the oil field described it this way:

“The first women’s well group was established in Daqing

The spirit of Iron Man Wang Jinxi inspires us

We present 'What Men Can Do'

Women can do it too' slogan

In winter, in the snow at more than 40 degrees below zero

We remove wax at the wellhead

One stop takes more than an hour

wearing cotton gloves

My hands are frozen

But when I think about producing more oil for the country,

We don't feel cold anymore

This year

I was awarded the honorable title of pacesetter in the Daqing Campaign. "

Chinese women have long been in a situation where men are superior to women

therefore

Officials set a few female figures as benchmarks

At the same time, provide certain honorary incentives

make women feel

I can work harder than men

and gain a minimum of respect

turn out

Women tend to have greater bursts of energy than men

Speaking of which

We can also understand what Mao Zedong said

“Chinese women are a great human resource”

The connotation is

but

Officials only praise greatness when they exploit women

And in protecting women’s rights

Provide necessary protection for women’s labor, etc.

But it pays lip service but does not deliver

This extreme exploitation of women’s power

It will inevitably cause greater trauma to women

For example, in the interview with Jin Yihong

In a female working team in an oil field

Almost all the female team members are suffering from diseases

Some lumbar discs are prominent

Some have gynecological diseases

Some have urinary incontinence

Due to the different physiological structures of men and women

It is much more convenient for men to urinate in the wild than for women

This makes many women afraid to drink more water

Formed the habit of holding in urine for a long time

While making this video

I also read 1959

A manuscript published in "Labor"

Titled

"The people's communes are really good and they take good care of women"

Take a look at the title

You know this is a job from the Great Leap Forward period

Typical articles praising virtues

The article lists some people's communes

For menstrual period, pregnancy, lactation period

Special care for postpartum women

That is

Let them perform lighter labor tasks

And praised this as the party's "kindness" to women

However, the article also claims

After adjusting labor

Women's work efficiency has been greatly improved

The article lists

A woman named Liang who is breastfeeding

After the production team implemented a system to protect women,

The harvesting performance increased from one acre to two acres every day.

It can be seen that under the general tone of the "Great Leap Forward"

The purpose of adjusting women’s work intensity

Or is it to stimulate women’s enthusiasm?

Finally let them work more

Friends who watch my videos

Probably none of them have ever done cutting crops in the countryside.

This is quite hard work

According to the information I found

an experienced worker

About 0.5-1 acres of land can be harvested in one day

More than one acre is already the limit

And this woman surnamed Liang can mow two acres a day

Even if there is exaggeration

It can also be seen that women’s work intensity was very high at that time.

It is especially important

When officials praise certain communes

When a labor system to protect women is implemented

In fact, it also means that at that time

Regardless of women’s menstrual period and pregnancy period

The practice of arranging high-intensity labor

It has become serious enough that it cannot be ignored

Mao Zedong Era

Promotion of "Iron Girl"

In addition to the requirements

Women engage in work beyond their physiological limits

It also regulates women’s appearance, speech and behavior.

That is, desexualization

As Jin Yihong said in the article:

"Women love beauty

Not only does it mean that you like to act like a child,

Lack of revolutionary spirit

It may also be considered as having serious bourgeois ideas

Nanjing Women’s Moving Class on March 8th

A girl who loves beauty

Because when I have no work to do, I change my clothes and wash my face.

Apply cream

Comb your hair in a small mirror

learn mandarin

Called a goblin

Entered the separate book of backward elements

A joke was also ordered to be written for inspection. "

Cultural Revolution period

The female image in the propaganda poster focuses on simplicity

Heroines usually don’t wear jewelry

Wearing baggy clothing

The uniform hairstyle is ear-length short hair or braids.

Any painting that does not meet this characteristic

may be regarded as

Reactionary works that are divorced from the working people

Painter Ha Qiongwen's work "Long Live Chairman Mao"

Depicts a mother holding up her daughter

Mother wears elegant black velvet cheongsam

wearing pearl earrings

Beautiful body

Daughter wearing leather sandals

However, this work was produced during the Cultural Revolution

Criticized as a poisonous weed that glorifies the bourgeoisie

The reason

lies in

The work depicts women’s beauty and elegance.

It is inconsistent with the image of working women in mainstream propaganda.

At that time, influenced by the propaganda of "Iron Girl"

Women are intentional about their appearance and grooming

move closer to men

Proud of dark complexion

Fair skin appears

lack of labor

Women’s clothing is also mainly green, black and blue

women in posters

Usually have a strong and muscular physique

and masculine movements

Their skin color is dark or reddish

Thick eyebrows and big eyes

Have thick arms and hands

Their expressions are either enthusiastic or enthusiastic

full of confidence

Either steadfastly serious and angry

In short, everything about women

They are all like the model plays of that era

There are fixed routines and programs

This is indeed a kind of equality with Chinese characteristics

It is an erasure of all individuality and special distinctions

Therefore there is no equality of freedom

I think women’s liberation is actually just human liberation

Reflection in the field of women

human liberation

It means to fully understand and explore yourself

Work hard to tap and develop your potential

So

women's liberation

This means that women have the freedom to be themselves

This freedom not only includes the practical feasibility

It should also include value tolerance

For example, a few days ago

I saw some feminists

Wrote this slogan

i am your future boss

not your future wife

I think what this slogan wants to express is

Women's resistance to the male gaze

Pursue gender equality in the workplace

This is of course correct

But a woman is willing to be a wife now

Still want to be a female boss

I think it's just a matter of personal choice

There is no distinction between superior and inferior

wife

It’s not necessarily more conservative than being a female boss.

Even less self-esteem

the most important is

We must first pay attention to our inner world

Don't be fooled by any collective opinions

Pre-unification and representation

That’s it for today’s video

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