CHINESE influencer, Zhu Miaolin, better known as Ah Miao, is making waves online by urging men to wear “Adam’s apple covers” to shine a spotlight on gender inequality.
She had her male friends wear chokers that look like bras, saying that the Adam’s apple is a “delicate, sensitive area” just like women’s breasts, South China Morning Post reported.
The idea took off fast, with such accessories selling for five to 20 yuan (RM 3 to RM12) in materials like wool, leather, and lace, including a pig-nose-shaped design that has already sold over 7,000 units.
At the heart of it, Zhu’s campaign taps into gender issues in China, where the 2020 National Census showed there are 34.9 million more men than women, thanks to the one-child policy.
In March last year, top-level official proposals discussed how women struggle with careers and household duties, pushing many to rethink starting families.
Her content primarily focuses on reversing gender roles, portraying women as breadwinners while men take on domestic responsibilities.
In one viral video, she puffed on a cotton bud like a cigarette and scolded her boyfriend for not giving her a daughter, while in another, she teased a male stranger on the street, mirroring the harassment women often face.
Her videos have struck a chord, attracting around 500,000 followers on social media, with some clips gaining over a million likes and male viewers saying they finally understand what women go through.
Zhu’s viral success has sparked a trend, with other female influencers joining in.
Fellow creator, Hua Xiaoyu, who gained over a million followers by playing a stereotypical man, and Zhou Yingjun, who amassed over 800,000 fans by portraying a character full of typical male antics, have both contributed to the growing trend of women exploring gender stereotypes online.
While the content is all about grabbing attention, it also draws focus to deeper gender issues that women in China deal with every day.
