Hot topic on the Internet: Why is the general of Foundation Liquid so ridiculed
Plot summary：“Chasing Jade” is a costume romance drama that premiered in 2026, adapted from the popular novel “Lady Hou and the Butcher’s Knife”. The story tells of Fan Changyu (played by Tian Xiwei)， the daughter of a butcher, and Xie Zheng (played by Zhang Linghe), a fallen marquis, who meet by fate in the wind and snow. The two, each with their own ulterior motives, stage a “fake marriage and true love”, and eventually fight side by side to defend their homeland. This drama interweaves the hustle and bustle of daily life with the sweet and bittersweet emotions of love after marriage, presenting a unique style that combines a warm sense of life with the righteousness of the country and the family.
The creative logic of “Chasing Jade” is clear and definite: As an adaptation of a female-oriented IP, it precisely targets the emotional needs of female audiences for “beautiful, strong and tragic” male characters with its core elements of “handsome war god + sweet and romantic narrative”.
Audience rating introduction：The play count and popularity of “Chasing Jade” : The effective play count exceeded 3 billion in 23 days since its premiere, and it has broken the 100 million mark for 15 consecutive days, with a peak of nearly 134 million. Overseas influence: It has landed in over 190 countries around the world, ranking among the top 10 non-English TV series globally on Netflix for two consecutive weeks, and is the first Chinese mainland costume drama to enter the top 10 in Japan on Netflix. The JTBC TV station of South Korea has also purchased the copyright of its prime time slot.
The creative logic of “Chasing Jade” is clear and definite: As an adaptation of a female-oriented IP, it precisely targets the emotional needs of female audiences for “beautiful, strong and tragic” male characters with its core elements of “handsome war god + sweet and romantic narrative”.
The core contradiction: The rift between the traditional perception of “military generals” and the modern aesthetic standards of idols.
In Chinese cultural traditions, military generals are spiritual totems that carry bravery, integrity and patriotic sentiments. From Guan Yu’s long beard and imposing appearance and Zhang Fei’s rough and fierce spirit in “Romance of The Three Kingdoms” to He Rundong’s face covered in dust and blood as the Western Chu Overlord in “The Legend of Chu and Han”, the audience has formed a fixed template for the perception of “generals” – rough, masculine and full of power.
When this image was replaced by that of an idol with “flawless skin and a slender figure”, the audience’s cognitive expectations were completely shattered, and a sense of incongruity erupted accordingly. As commented on Guangming.com, “When ‘handsome’ becomes a factor that hinders the credibility of a character, this aesthetic is a failure.” This failure is not due to any problem with the aesthetic itself, but rather a logical break between the character setting and the visual presentation – a general who has been repeatedly emphasized as “having fought a hundred battles” appears to have just finished shooting a magazine cover in a refined state, and what the audience feels is a kind of deceived “falsehood”.
Deep-seated roots: Dual gender standards and the social discipline system.
From a broader social perspective, the root cause of the low tolerance of men’s “refinement” lies in the long-term formation of dual gender standards.
Social discipline theory reveals that gender roles are “the sum of expected behaviors attached to the different social statuses of men and women”, not determined by physiological differences but formed in the process of human socialization. Under this disciplinary system, men are expected to demonstrate aggression, rationality and emotional restraint. Any trait that deviates from this standard will be questioned. The social value of men is defined as career achievements and economic capabilities, with appearance serving only as a secondary supplement. The female body, on the other hand, is tacitly regarded as a “display item” that requires continuous management.
This structural power disparity has led to an asymmetry in gender gaze: the reason why the male group rarely falls into the “involution of appearance levels” is precisely because they hold the aesthetic discourse power and have obtained a “natural exemption”. However, when men start to actively pursue refinement – like the “white-faced general” in ancient costume dramas – this “immunity” instantly becomes invalid and instead triggers a strong backlash. Some analyses point out that while society praises men for their “unkemped authenticity”, it stigmatizes women’s “exquisite dressing” as “performing beauty services”. This double standard essentially safeguards men’s privilege from competing in appearance. Therefore, the reason why the “General of Foundation” has aroused widespread ridicule is not only because it is “unreal”, but also because it challenges the social privilege of men that “they don’t have to be refined”.
Official media entry: Body Nationalism and Ideological Anxiety.
The strong intervention of official media rapidly escalated an entertainment event into an ideological issue. Scholars have analyzed and pointed out that the logic behind this criticism can be called “body nationalism” : directly linking the masculinity or masculinity of the male body to the prosperity of the country and the destiny of the nation.
The deeper reason lies in the anxiety of men during the period of social transformation. Wu Changchang, an associate professor at East China Normal University, analyzed that women’s autonomy in both economic and cultural aspects is increasing day by day. Cultural products represented by ancient costume dramas are increasingly produced around women’s aesthetic standards, which makes some men feel that “space has been squeezed out”. When social competition pressure intensifies and traditional male strongholds are challenged, the emphasis on “masculinity” becomes an outlet for some men to regain their sense of identity. Against this backdrop, the refined male image of the “General of Foundation” naturally became the target of criticism.
This article is from the official Douyin account of China News Service
Conclusion
The controversy over the “General of Foundation” is essentially a multi-faceted game concerning gender norms, power distribution and cultural identity. The root cause of society’s low tolerance for men’s refinement stems not only from the inertia of traditional gender discipline (men are expected to be masculine, responsible, and not concerned about appearance), but also from the identity anxiety of the male group during the transitional period under the pressure of social competition. When women start to “gaze” at men through their consumer power and when the refined image of men challenges the traditional norms of masculinity, a backlash is inevitable.
This controversy might just be an opportunity for society to rethink: True aesthetic diversity should not be about one side being infinitely magnified while the other is marginalized. Instead, it should provide an equal living space for men of different temperaments and styles – whether they are tough guys with a strong will or gentlemen with a gentle and refined demeanor.