Session Name: Asian Cinema: Bodies and Representation
Audience Reception and Mirror Phenomenon in Hong Kong
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
14:00 – 15:45 (GMT+7)
Paper Abstract: This article investigates the remarkable cultural phenomenon of the boy band Mirror and its significant influence on contemporary Hong Kong society. The overwhelming popularity of Mirror and the male aesthetic embodied by its members serve as the focal point for this research. Through a reception study, the investigation explores how this subculture interacts with and negotiates cultural hegemony, ultimately becoming mainstream and exerting a substantial social impact in present-day Hong Kong. Drawing on Stuart Hall's encoding-decoding model, the study examines the audience's reception of Mirror's media messages, considering three possible positions: dominant/hegemonic, negotiated, and oppositional. By conducting an ethnographic study, the research aims to uncover the multiple meanings generated by Mirror's performances. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of the cultural sensation surrounding Mirror, situating it within the broader context of the market, political consciousness, and subject-making in contemporary Hong Kong society. The study also explores a fascinating yet understudied aspect of idol culture and subjectivity – the construction and negotiation of a new mode of masculinity. Through the production, circulation, and consumption of pop music, Mirror plays a significant role in shaping and redefining notions of masculinity. This aspect of the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities and nuances of idol culture and its impact on the formation of subjectivity in contemporary society.
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