What's radical about reality TV? An unexpected tale from Shanghai of a Chinese lesbian antihero. Issue 11 (1st November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bassi, Camila
• Is Part Of: Gender, place and culture. Volume 23:Issue 11(2016)
• Page Start: 1619
• Page End: 1630
• Publication Date: 2016-11-01
• Subjects: Sexuality -- political economy -- intersectionality -- Marxism -- China; Sexualidad -- economía política -- interseccionalidad -- marxismo -- China; 性慾 -- 政治经济学 -- 相互交织性 -- 马克思主义 -- 中国; Human geography -- Periodicals; Feminism -- Periodicals; Géographie féministe -- Périodiques; 305.305
• DOI: 10.1080/0966369X.2015.1136809
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0966-369X

Abstract

Abstract: This article advances a Marxist approach to the contradictory relationship of minority sexuality to capitalist political economy. I use the work of Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci and critical theorist Nancy Fraser to tell a story of an extraordinary momentary opening for a distinct lesbian subculture in Shanghai. This moment was born from a Chinese reality TV show called Super Girl . A radical space for lesbian self-development is shown to have emerged through a relative uncoupling of the social relations of capitalism from political authority. This article warns against an Althusserian tendency within gay political economy and intersectionality analyses which slips into a notion of hegemonic market containment. Instead, a Marxism that is alert to subversive outlets by and for human agency is applied.