Chinese state media Xinhua published an editorial slamming the portrayal of men in Chinese media, claiming the popularity of the "sickly aesthetics" in effeminate celebrities was having an adverse impact on teenagers.
Xinhua said that "sissy pants" or "little fresh meats" — who they describe as effeminate young men who use makeup, are slender and wear androgynous clothing — were hurting China's national image.
No it was not. The mistake is emasculation and masculinity threat.
It is only a defensive or threatened masculinity that poses any risk of harm to others.
Being masculine is totally harmless and there is no dichotomy between masculine and feminine traits.
What results from masculinity threat is theatrical toxic masculinity.
Masculinity threat and false dichotomies construct an anxiety towards femininity, empathy, emotion, vulnerability.
Emasculation ties perceived masculinity onto social status; such that theatrical toxic masculinity becomes adaptive behavior within toxic cultures.
As a transwoman, I am not the least worried about hypermasculine men; but toxic masculinity is a different matter.
Some of the most LGBTQ accepting people I know are hypermasculine men, because they understand their own gender as self-expression rather than performance.
What needs to change in culture is dismantling of false dichotomies, affirmation that behavior is context dependent, and dismissal of the inane overvaluation of masculinity with respect to femininity.
Links to the mentioned articles:
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-09/06/c_1123391309.htm
http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/m/2018-09-07/doc-ihitesuz4688235.shtml