Are China’s young celebrities facing a masculinity crisis, or just setting a new aesthetic standard?

A Chinese women’s rights group has come to the defence of a group of young male singers branded “sissies” by one branch of state media, publishing an article arguing that diverse standards of masculinity should be respected.

The trend for male celebrities across Asia to adopt a softer, more androgynous physical appearance – and how that look is perceived by society – has been hotly debated by Chinese state media since four, fresh-faced young singers featured in a back-to-school television special that aired on September 1.

Guan Hong, Wang Hedi, Wu Xize and Liang Jingkang – known collectively as New F4 – had all shone in a television talent competition earlier in the year and appeared in the special, broadcast by China Central Television, alongside other “inspiring” celebrities such as movie star Jackie Chan, education entrepreneur Yu Minhong, photographer Xie Hailong and aircraft designer Wu Guanghui.

While the quartet’s (physical) appearance on the show prompted Xinhua to describe them as “sissies” in a report on its website, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily took a more open-minded view.

The latter was echoed by China Women’s Daily – published by the official All-China Women’s Federation – which said in a report on Sunday headlined “Respect diversity in aesthetic standards and shape the sunshine quality” that people should not be defined by how they look.

“No matter what kind of persona style or quality he or she chooses to present, whether it is strong-willed or gentle, that doesn’t stop them from being an excellent person,” the article said.

The changing appearance of male celebrities was partly a result of a prosperous society, in which traditional two-dimensional concepts of masculinity and femininity had been transformed into a more diversified aesthetic standard, which was based not just on a person’s appearances but also their inner qualities, it said.