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Beyond Virtual Carnival and Masquerade

In-Game Marriage on the Chinese Internet

New York University

Steve Fore

City University of Hong Kong

Xiying Wang

Hong Kong University

Petula Sik Ying Ho

Hong Kong University

This article documents the brief history of cyber marriage on the Chinese Internet and shows how in-game marriage, with its game codes and marriage regulations, turns out to be the most visualized, institutionalized, and heteronormative form of cyber marriage, by exploring the game players’ gender performativity, especially the gender swapping of male gamers. This study sheds light on Chinese youth subculture under the influence of new media and the consumer digital network in postsocialist China.

Key Words: cyber marriage • MMORPG • performativity • gender swapping • youth subculture • computer-mediated communication

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