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Zoey Zhang

An influencer in China has called on her male friends to wear “Adam’s apple covers” resembling bras to promote women’s rights.
The call comes after China’s 2020 National Census revealed a gender imbalance showing that there were 34.9 million more men than women in the country, a legacy of the decades-long one-child policy.
In March 2024, top-level official proposals further underscored the ongoing challenges women face in their career and at home.
Gender inequality has become a growing reason why many young women are choosing not to start families.

The influencer Zhu Miaolin, known as Ah Miao online, proposed an innovative way to empower women which has resonated with many netizens.
Zhu asked her male friends to wear Adam’s apple covers, chokers that function like bras.
She said that, like women’s breasts, the Adam’s apple is a delicate, sensitive area.
One netizen even suggested that both can have “sexual appeal” in certain situations.
“If women wear bras to protect their genitals, why shouldn’t men? The Adam’s apple cover is for them,” the person wrote.

The Post found that on a popular mainland e-commerce platform, Adam’s apple covers were priced at between five to 20 yuan (70 US cents to US$3), and are made from materials like wool, leather and lace.
As of writing, one shaped like a pig’s nose had sold more than 7,000 units on the platform.
Zhu often parodies some disrespectful men from a female perspective in her videos.
This gender role reversal concept, in which women are the breadwinners and men take on domestic roles, is common in art and literature.
In one video, Zhu smoked a cotton bud like a cigarette, patted her belly, and yelled at her boyfriend, who was cleaning: “If you cannot give me a daughter, go back to your father’s house!”
She also teased a male stranger on the street: “You look so handsome, where are you off to seduce other women?”
In another video, Zhu and her friends hugged good-looking men in a bar, while her boyfriend complained at home, saying: “Why does a good woman start drinking and not come home after a relationship?”
Her works went viral and she gained around 500,000 followers on a mainland social media platform, with several posts getting more than a million likes.
One male online observer said that he “completely understood” the sarcasm in Zhu’s videos.
“I have never so deeply felt the anger, fear and helplessness of women harassed by some men,” he wrote.
Zhu’s rapid rise to fame turned gender-reversal narratives into a viral trend, inspiring multiple female influencers in China.

One influencer, Hua Xiaoyu, gained more than a million fans on a mainland short video sharing platform by impersonating a stereotypical man.
She did this by mixing Chinese and English, pretending to be wealthy, but acting petty.
Another influencer, Zhou Yingjun, plays a man who speaks in deep voices, lectures others, and drops cheesy queues. Zhou has more than 800,000 followers on the platform.
The satirical videos seem mainly focused on generating traffic rather than exploring deeper gender issues.


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China influencer calls on male friends to wear Adam’s apple ‘bras’ to champion rights of women

An online influencer in China has called on her   male friends to wear Adam’s apple ‘bras’ to champion women’s rights, gaining widespread support.
Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

The Adam’s apple chokers come made of different materials and in different colours. Photo: qq.com

The online influencer believes her “bras” can help empower women. Photo: Shutterstock 

China is facing an ongoing gender imbalance problem. The country has millions more men than women. Photo: Shutterstock

Japan social media sleuths find stolen motorbike after buxom cosplayer flaunts it online

Social media sleuths in Japan have helped a couple find their stolen motorbike after a buxom cosplayer flaunts the stolen property online. Photo: SCMP composite/X

The owner of the stolen bike said it was difficult to find a second-hand model in such a good condition. Photo: X/@chanmn__12

The thief turned out to be a cosplaying man masquerading as a woman. Photo: Shutterstock 

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A 124-year-old woman in China has shared the secrets of her longevity, gaining praise from many people online. Photo: SCMP composite/cbgc.scol.com.cn

Supercentenarian Qiu Chaishi was born in the time of the Qing dynasty. Photo: QQ.com

The 124-year-old was known for her accounting skills and physical strength in her younger days. Photo: QQ.com

Unsurprisingly, Qiu has accumulated a huge extended family over the decades. Photo: QQ.com

Chinese man shocked to learn father he reunited with 16 years ago is fake and foster parent

A Chinese man has been shocked to learn that the father he reunited with 16 years ago is not his biological dad but a foster parent. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Wang Gang never met his birth parents and grew up in seven foster families. Photo: 163.com

Wang is considering asking the police to probe possible human trafficking. Photo: 163.com

‘Cuddle cafes’ in Japan let customers canoodle with or gaze at strangers for US$6

So-called cuddle cafes in Japan let customers hug strangers for a price in a bid to allieviate the consequences of the country’s strict social norms. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Facebook/QQ.com

For a higher price, the cafes allow overnight stays, with strict boundaries on touching.Photo: Weixin

The cafes also let customers cuddle or gaze at strangers for US$6. Photo: Weixin

The outlets aim to bring comfort to those who find it difficult to make initimate contact. Photo: Weixin

China billionaire gifts cash to hometown villagers as thanks for education funds decades ago

A billionaire in China gifts cash and gifts to the villagers in his hometown who helped fund his university education decades ago. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Billionaire Richard Liu Qiangdong hand out cash to villagers in his hometown. Photo: Baidu

Liu gives 10,000 yuan to each villager over the age of 60 around the Lunar New Year period. Photo: Baidu

News

People & Culture

Gender & Diversity

Online influencer claims male laryngeal prominence is ‘delicate’, ‘sensitive’ and even ‘sexual in some instances’, just like women’s breasts


Online influencer claims male laryngeal prominence is ‘delicate’, ‘sensitive’ and even ‘sexual in some instances’, just like women’s breasts.


Women and gender