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ABSTRACT
When the Chinese version of CosmoGIRL! was launched in Hong Kong, the editorial board was explicit about the magazine’s intention to create an alternative approach for girls in a cosmopolitan city to find their own way of living. This paper examines how the magazine frames the concept of ‘the girl’ through the lens of postfeminism. It asserts that the freedom of choice among girls emphasized in the magazine is not an unlimited form of freedom. This is largely because the idea of ‘compulsory heterosexuality’ underlies much of the content in the magazine. This paper argues that the magazine’s unquestioning inclination towards the complementary framework of opposite-sex relationships dichotomizes the bitch and feminine characteristics. This situation is reflective of the one facing postfeminists in their arguments regarding the development of girls in a neoliberal economy such as Hong Kong.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. The last print issue of the magazine was released August 2014, and then the magazine went fully digital through the website cosmogirl.com.hk.
2. Renamed as CG! LIFE from January 2005 onwards.
3. Renamed as CG! GUYS from January 2005 onwards.
4. Renamed as CG! FASHION in the January 2005 issue and again from September 2005 onwards.
5. Renamed as CG! BEAUTY in the January 2005 issue and again from September 2005 onwards.
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Iris Chui Ping Kam
Dr Iris Chui Ping Kam is a Visiting Fellow at Department of Public Policy, City University of Hong Kong. She is interested in applied research and enjoys investigating everyday life phenomenon through the lens of Gender Studies and Critical Theory. Her recent research interests include sexuality education, discourse analysis, power and identity politics, and inquiry-based learning.