Eyes on Chinese female models’ faces: stereotypes, aesthetics, self-Orientalism, and the moral discourse of the CPC

Abstract

Abstract The representation the model’s face in advertisements is a controversial issue for the Chinese. This article investigates the features and the origin of stereotypical Chinese eyes throughout history, highlighting the naturalization of the slanting eyes in the Western context. Through a short summary of preferable eyes in physiognomy, traditional painting, and modern China, the essay demonstrates the variation in perception of the beauty of eyes that differ from and are influenced by the West in both positive and negative aspects. The essay critiques the Orientalist portrayal of Chinese models by comparing the stereotypical slanting eyes and the admired phoenix eyes and conducting a semiotic analysis of Chen Man’s 2021 Dior photo. Furthermore, by adopting the Chinese concept of “face” (lian/mianzi) in the case of the Chinese brand Three Squirrels, the author proposes that the sensibility of the Chinese toward the model’s face is not only a historic problem related to national emotions but also a moral issue linked with collectivism, particularly in self-Orientalist cases. The Communist Party of China plays an active role in the construction of the moral discourse regarding the perception of the beauty of eyes, which may become another response to Orientalism.