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This study examines the phenomenon of Li Jiaqi, China’s top beauty KOL, conceptualizing his success as a form of “nationalizing postfeminist branding.” This term refers to a symbolic strategy that intertwines postfeminist discourse, hybrid masculinity, and patriotic sentiment to reconfigure gendered authority within the commercial logics of China’s platform economy. Drawing on a critical discourse analysis of 28 livestreams, the paper reveals a central paradox in this branding: male influencers seemingly empower female consumers while reinforcing traditional notions of male privilege. The analysis identifies the underlying logic of this paradox as a “patriarchal meritocracy,” a discourse that justifies patriarchal authority through merit-based rhetoric, which becomes fully visible during moments of public controversy. By theorizing this dynamic, this study contributes to feminist media and platform studies by revealing how patriarchal power is reconfigured through the unique entanglement of commerce, gender performance, and state-aligned nationalism in China’s digital economy.
Gaohuan Chen (Mon,) studied this question.