Strategic mouthing of words: the Chinese bromance drama Word of Honor, censorship and gender stereotypes

Abstract

Comparing the mouthed words and official dubbings of Word of Honor (WoH), a Chinese web drama adapted from a homoerotic danmei novel, this paper examines which parts of dangai works are changed to accommodate censorship. The paper explains the censorship standards of the Chinese National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) regarding how the male image is conveyed: Men must achieve predictable social relationships with authorities and cannot be limited to their personal intimacies, let alone be regarded as objects of desire. On the other hand, the mouthed words hidden by the official dubbings are forms of strategic self-preservation. However, one must remain alert to how these mouthed words also support the dream of “a quiet time of equal rights for men and women” 1 for Chinese female audiences.