Nowhere girls: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Term for women with few prospects}} |
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{{for|the webcomic|Nowhere Girl}} |
{{for|the webcomic|Nowhere Girl}} |
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| ⚫ | "'''Nowhere girls'''" or "'''Mei |
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{{More citations needed|date=July 2022}}}} |
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| ⚫ | "'''Nowhere girls'''" or "'''Mei Nü'''" ({{Lang-zh|c=沒女|p=méi nǚ}}) is a [[neologism]] coined to describe women who have no money, employment, education, prospects, looks, friends, or sophistication.<ref>{{cite news | title = TV show Nowhere Girls is nasty name-calling dressed up as entertainment.| date = 18 August 2014 | url = http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1574261/tv-show-nowhere-girls-nasty-name-calling-dressed | work = South China Morning Post}}</ref> The pronunciation of "nowhere girls" is homophonic{{efn|See [[Standard_Chinese_phonology#Third_tone_sandhi]]}} with "beautiful girls" ({{Lang-zh|c=美女|p=měi nǚ}}) in [[Mandarin Chinese]].<ref>{{cite news|last=呂|first=書練|url=http://paper.wenweipo.com/2014/09/04/OT1409040011.htm|title=獨家風景：大家都是沒女|date=4 September 2014|work=Wen Wei Po}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The term, which has strong pejorative connotations, is used to characterise women who refuse to conform to male expectations and are therefore thought to be unattractive by men. It may be a [[calque]] of a South Korean term,{{Citation needed|reason=This term is not "real" in Korean, but has been used after the TV programme's release.|date=June 2024}} it spread to Hong Kong via China, and became popularised through its use in a reality show called ''Nowhere Girls'', which was broadcast by [[Television Broadcasts Limited]]. This show has aroused much public discussion on this topic.<ref>{{cite web|last=徐|first=詠璇|title=「沒女」有道義?|url=http://www1.hkej.com/dailynews/arts/article/741650/%E3%80%8C%E6%B2%92%E5%A5%B3%E3%80%8D%E6%9C%89%E9%81%93%E7%BE%A9%3F|date=11 October 2014|work=Hong Kong Economic Journal|access-date=30 October 2014|archive-date=30 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030141616/http://www1.hkej.com/dailynews/arts/article/741650/%E3%80%8C%E6%B2%92%E5%A5%B3%E3%80%8D%E6%9C%89%E9%81%93%E7%BE%A9%3F|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The term is used to characterise |
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</ref> |
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==Description== |
==Description== |
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In the TV programme ''Nowhere Girls'', women are called "nowhere girls" because they are lazy, selfish, short-tempered, rude to others, unfashionable and self-deluded.<ref name="multiple">{{cite web| title=沒女大翻身簡介 | url= http://programme.tvb.com/variety/nowheregirls/ | publisher=TVB.COM }}</ref> |
In the TV programme ''Nowhere Girls'', women are called "nowhere girls" because they are lazy, selfish, short-tempered, rude to others, unfashionable and self-deluded.<ref name="multiple">{{cite web| title=沒女大翻身簡介 | url= http://programme.tvb.com/variety/nowheregirls/ | publisher=TVB.COM }}</ref> |
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==Characteristics== |
==Characteristics== |
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*Don't conform to traditional expectations of beauty<ref>{{cite news|last=Siu|first=Jasmine|title= Hit reality TV show blasted |
*Don't conform to traditional expectations of beauty<ref>{{cite news|last=Siu|first=Jasmine|title= Hit reality TV show blasted |
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|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=148232&con_type=3 |newspaper=The Standard|date=11 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=甚麼是「沒女」|url= |
|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=148232&con_type=3 |newspaper=The Standard|date=11 August 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20141030142317/https://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=148232&con_type=3 |archivedate=30 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=甚麼是「沒女」|date=29 July 2014| url=https://beauty.ulifestyle.com.hk/girlstalk/love/5814/%E7%94%9A%E9%BA%BC%E6%98%AF-%E6%B2%92%E5%A5%B3|work= U Beauty.|url-status=live|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20240705221944/https://beauty.ulifestyle.com.hk/girlstalk/love/5814/%E7%94%9A%E9%BA%BC%E6%98%AF-%E6%B2%92%E5%A5%B3|archivedate=5 July 2024}}</ref> |
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*Unemployed or have low income |
*Unemployed or have low income |
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*Lack social competence |
*Lack social competence |
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==Causes== |
==Causes== |
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===Individual=== |
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Nowhere girls usually experience different psychological traumas. According to the reality show ''Nowhere Girls'', they suffer from personal setbacks such as parental divorce, personal breakups, or infidelity in relationships. They are stressed, so they tend to escape reality, place blame on a third person, refuse to take responsibility for personal problems, and have a tendency towards self-victimization or self-pity. |
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===Family=== |
===Family=== |
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As nowhere girls experience distinct family affairs, leaving them psychologically |
As nowhere girls experience distinct family affairs, leaving them psychologically hurt. Moreover, Hong Kong has low birth rates from time to time,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citymetric.com/horizons/hong-kong-s-low-birth-rate-blamed-women-s-sexual-problems-343 |title=Hong Kong's low birth rate blamed on women's "sexual problems" |last1=Speed |first1=Barbara |date=30 September 2014 |work=CityMetric}}</ref> leading to single-child families. They become the treasure of their parents. They are pampered and spoiled,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edu.sina.com.hk/news/42/4/1/77629/1.html|title=Hong Kong kids|date=28 December 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223828/http://edu.sina.com.hk/news/42/4/1/77629/1.html|archivedate=2 December 2013}}</ref> which results in weakened coping abilities. In addition, children nowadays engage in less communication with their parents who are always out for work, and thus children receive less parental mental support.<ref>{{cite news | last = 何 | first = 詩韻 | title = 少溝通 損孩子情緒礙發展 | date = 10 May 2013 | url = http://www.hket.com/eti/article/a59a6bb7-0f47-4d59-93e0-3d25e68ecef0-430214 | work = Hong Kong Economic Times | access-date = 30 October 2014 | archive-date = 13 November 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141113022254/http://www.hket.com/eti/article/a59a6bb7-0f47-4d59-93e0-3d25e68ecef0-430214 | url-status = dead }}</ref> |
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===Societal=== |
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Nowhere girls do not conform to traditional notions of beauty. In addition, they are self-centered and short-tempered. It is difficult for them to engage in the society with appropriate communication and to cooperate with others. As they are spoiled by their parents, they lack essential skills like problem-solving skills. Therefore, they do not appeal to employers and thus cannot find a job, while they insist that it is a social discrimination. |
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==Effects== |
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===Low self-esteem=== |
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Nowhere girls become less confident and inferior in front of their friends and families because they are not appreciated. For instance, the participants in the ''Nowhere Girls'' show cried frequently in front of the camera. They were being teased in the cyber world. in which their background informations were being disclosed in the public. In severe cases, they may suffer from depression or psychological illnesses. |
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===Socially withdrawn=== |
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Nowhere girls are less willing to engage in social activities. They prefer being alone instead of participating in social gatherings to avoid any embarrassment. They have low sense of connection with their social circles. Moreover, they may undergo difficulties in meeting new friends as they are not being recognised. |
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===High family pressure=== |
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Most of the nowhere girls are either single or unmarried. Their parents will be anxious about their marital status as Chinese people values marriage. They will be pressurised to find their partners as soon as possible. This brings them great pressure in fulfilling their parents' expectations, and also deteriorates their family relationships. |
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===Pessimistic attitude towards life=== |
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Nowhere girls hold negative attitudes towards their futures. They perceive their life as unfortunate. Therefore, they always think pessimistically since they consider their lives as hopeless. Lacking of security in their family will further result in their inclination into pessimism. |
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==Media== |
==Media== |
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===TV programme=== |
===TV programme=== |
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''Nowhere Girls'' ( |
''Nowhere Girls'' ({{zh|links=no|c=[[:zh:沒女大翻身|沒女大翻身]]}}) is a reality show produced by Television Broadcasts Limited. It was broadcast in August 2014 and there are 20 episodes in total. The show focuses on seven women who are described as "have nots" and each of them is said to represent one of "seven deadly sins", including laziness, selfishness, ugliness and being a recent mainland immigrant etc.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chow|first1=Vivienne|last2=Nip|first2=Amy|last3=Lau|first3=Jessie|title= Discrimination turns critics off TVB 'reality' hit|url= http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1568567/discrimination-turns-critics-tvb-reality-hit|newspaper=The South China Morning Post|date=8 August 2014}}</ref> This programme stirred up much controversy since it discriminated against so-called "Mei Nu" and brought out wrong messages – "makeovers, working with fitness trainers and life coaches can lead to better lives"<ref>{{cite news|last=Wu|first=Alice|title=TV show Nowhere Girls is nasty name-calling dressed up as entertainment|url=http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1574261/tv-show-nowhere-girls-nasty-name-calling-dressed|newspaper=The South China Morning Post|date=18 August 2014}}</ref> to the audience. |
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There were also suspicions that seven women got paid to act and some incidents were staged.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chow|first1=Vivienne|last2=Nip|first2=Amy|last3=Lau|first3=Jessie|title= Discrimination turns critics off TVB 'reality' hit|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1568567/discrimination-turns-critics-tvb-reality-hit|newspaper=The South China Morning Post|date=8 August 2014}}</ref> Moreover, the show hurt the professional image of psychologists in Hong Kong because Wong Hoi-man, who is a clinical psychologist and the guest counsellor of ''Nowhere Girls'', handled cases in improper ways. It led to misunderstandings towards therapeutic techniques of qualified psychologists.<ref>{{cite news|last=Siu|first=Jasmine|title= Hit reality TV show blasted |
There were also suspicions that seven women got paid to act and some incidents were staged.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chow|first1=Vivienne|last2=Nip|first2=Amy|last3=Lau|first3=Jessie|title= Discrimination turns critics off TVB 'reality' hit|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1568567/discrimination-turns-critics-tvb-reality-hit|newspaper=The South China Morning Post|date=8 August 2014}}</ref> Moreover, the show hurt the professional image of psychologists in Hong Kong because Wong Hoi-man, who is a clinical psychologist and the guest counsellor of ''Nowhere Girls'', handled cases in improper ways. It led to misunderstandings towards therapeutic techniques of qualified psychologists.<ref>{{cite news|last=Siu|first=Jasmine|title= Hit reality TV show blasted |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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* [[Chinese ideals of female beauty]] |
* [[Chinese ideals of female beauty]] |
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*''[[Tang ping]]'' |
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==Notes== |
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{{notelist}}{{Reflist|group=note}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:Culture-bound syndromes]] |
[[Category:Culture-bound syndromes]] |
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[[Category:Culture of Hong Kong]] |
[[Category:Culture of Hong Kong]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Culture of Taiwan]] |
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[[Category:Chinese culture]] |
[[Category:Chinese culture]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Culture of South Korea]] |
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[[Category:Pejorative terms for |
[[Category:Pejorative terms for women]] |
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[[Category:Stereotypes]] |
[[Category:Stereotypes of women]] |
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[[Category:Women in Hong Kong]] |
[[Category:Women in Hong Kong]] |
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[[Category:Women in China]] |
[[Category:Women in China]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:23, 5 July 2024
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"Nowhere girls" or "Mei Nü" (Chinese: 沒女; pinyin: méi nǚ) is a neologism coined to describe women who have no money, employment, education, prospects, looks, friends, or sophistication.[1] The pronunciation of "nowhere girls" is homophonic[a] with "beautiful girls" (Chinese: 美女; pinyin: měi nǚ) in Mandarin Chinese.[2]
The term, which has strong pejorative connotations, is used to characterise women who refuse to conform to male expectations and are therefore thought to be unattractive by men. It may be a calque of a South Korean term,[citation needed] it spread to Hong Kong via China, and became popularised through its use in a reality show called Nowhere Girls, which was broadcast by Television Broadcasts Limited. This show has aroused much public discussion on this topic.[3]
Description
[edit]In the TV programme Nowhere Girls, women are called "nowhere girls" because they are lazy, selfish, short-tempered, rude to others, unfashionable and self-deluded.[4]
Characteristics
[edit]- Don't conform to traditional expectations of beauty[5][6]
- Unemployed or have low income
- Lack social competence
- Tend to escape reality
- Self-centered, deny any problems of themselves
- Emotional or short-tempered
- Dependent
Causes
[edit]Family
[edit]As nowhere girls experience distinct family affairs, leaving them psychologically hurt. Moreover, Hong Kong has low birth rates from time to time,[7] leading to single-child families. They become the treasure of their parents. They are pampered and spoiled,[8] which results in weakened coping abilities. In addition, children nowadays engage in less communication with their parents who are always out for work, and thus children receive less parental mental support.[9]
Media
[edit]TV programme
[edit]Nowhere Girls (Chinese: 沒女大翻身) is a reality show produced by Television Broadcasts Limited. It was broadcast in August 2014 and there are 20 episodes in total. The show focuses on seven women who are described as "have nots" and each of them is said to represent one of "seven deadly sins", including laziness, selfishness, ugliness and being a recent mainland immigrant etc.[10] This programme stirred up much controversy since it discriminated against so-called "Mei Nu" and brought out wrong messages – "makeovers, working with fitness trainers and life coaches can lead to better lives"[11] to the audience.
There were also suspicions that seven women got paid to act and some incidents were staged.[12] Moreover, the show hurt the professional image of psychologists in Hong Kong because Wong Hoi-man, who is a clinical psychologist and the guest counsellor of Nowhere Girls, handled cases in improper ways. It led to misunderstandings towards therapeutic techniques of qualified psychologists.[13]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "TV show Nowhere Girls is nasty name-calling dressed up as entertainment". South China Morning Post. 18 August 2014.
- ^ 呂, 書練 (4 September 2014). "獨家風景：大家都是沒女". Wen Wei Po.
- ^ 徐, 詠璇 (11 October 2014). "「沒女」有道義?". Hong Kong Economic Journal. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ "沒女大翻身簡介". TVB.COM.
- ^ Siu, Jasmine (11 August 2014). "Hit reality TV show blasted". The Standard. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014.
- ^ "甚麼是「沒女」". U Beauty. 29 July 2014. Archived from the original on 5 July 2024.
- ^ Speed, Barbara (30 September 2014). "Hong Kong's low birth rate blamed on women's "sexual problems"". CityMetric.
- ^ "Hong Kong kids". 28 December 2014. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013.
- ^ 何, 詩韻 (10 May 2013). "少溝通 損孩子情緒礙發展". Hong Kong Economic Times. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ Chow, Vivienne; Nip, Amy; Lau, Jessie (8 August 2014). "Discrimination turns critics off TVB 'reality' hit". The South China Morning Post.
- ^ Wu, Alice (18 August 2014). "TV show Nowhere Girls is nasty name-calling dressed up as entertainment". The South China Morning Post.
- ^ Chow, Vivienne; Nip, Amy; Lau, Jessie (8 August 2014). "Discrimination turns critics off TVB 'reality' hit". The South China Morning Post.
- ^ Siu, Jasmine (11 August 2014). "Hit reality TV show blasted". The Standard.