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IntroductionAlthough there is rich scholarly work being done on masculinity in Chinese history, literature, magazines, and television dramas, masculinity as depicted in the wider array of genres of TV programming has not yet been fully explored, even though multiple genres play important roles in the media competition complex and contribute to the implicit representation of masculinities. In this paper I focus on masculinity as represented in popular reality TV shows, comic sketches, and TV dramas (Dianshi Ju) in the past 10 years: the 2005 Super Female Voice singing competition, the 2007 and 2010 Happy Male Voice singing competitions, the comedian dubbed as "dirty" by the Chinese media, and the "true/real" men repeatedly portrayed in the Chinese media.In its detailed examination of the techniques that contemporary Chinese media have used in the representation of different masculinities, this article applies Stuart Hall's view on culture studies: "How things are represented and the 'machineries' and regimes of representation in a culture do play a constitutive and not merely a reflexive, after-the-event role" (Hall 1996, 443). By examining the containment, co-option, and regulation of "unconventional" masculinities by the mainstream media and authorities, I argue that Chinese media have created a discourse in which marginalized masculinity and hyper masculinity coexist. This coexistence is self-consciously constructed through various TV genres by Chinese TV stations. Marginalized masculinity exists only in newer and less serious genres, mainly reality TV and short skits by young comedians, while hyper masculinity has evolved and become more compelling in the older and more traditional genres, mainly TV dramas, resulting in a skillful reinforcement of mainstream cultural norms and values concerning masculinity.

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