Chinese queer feminists react to ‘Wave Makers,’ the show that sparked Taiwan’s #MeToo movement

Inspired by Netflix drama Wave Makers, a belated wave of #MeToo allegations have swept Taiwan since June, with the movement first gaining traction in the island’s political sphere.

The series — which follows the fictitious lives of Taiwanese political staffers working on an election — has also garnered an audience in mainland China, sparking public discussions among people concerned with feminist and social justice issues.

However, the discourse about the show was short-lived, as most of the online posts have been censored on Chinese social media. On Douban, the most popular movie and film review website in the country, the entry of the show has been removed for unidentified reasons.

One of the censored posts on Weibo, which has been archived by an Instagram account, mentions a famous quote from Wave Makers: “Let’s not just let it go, OK?” In the show, the line is uttered by its protagonist Weng Wenfang (played by Xiè Yíngxuān 謝盈萱), a lesbian-identified campaign worker in the fictional Justice Party, as she encourages a subordinate woman staffer, Zhang Yajing/Chang Ya-ching (played by Wáng Jìng 王淨) to report an incident of workplace sexual harassment.

The Weibo post received over 15,000 likes before being removed. Most of the comments celebrated the social changes in Taiwan and lamented the lack of space to openly discuss similar issues in mainland China. “They can start a #MeToo movement in the political space, but think about that female athlete here,” one person said, alluding to the disappearance of famous tennis player Péng Shuài 彭帅 after she accused retired Chinese Vice Premier Zhāng Gāolì 张高丽 of sexual assault in 2021.

Emma, a feminist activist based in China who identified as bisexual, praised Wave Makers for reflecting nuances in gender-based violence. “Most of the films or TV series that I have watched in mainland China are conveying very superficial messages that even children have been taught about: harm is wrong; victims should be empathized,” she told The China Project.

“This is perhaps a product of media censorship. TV industry professionals in China only feature ‘perfect victims’ in their shows, whereas Wave Makers has an imperfect victim,” she said

Her answer references a heated discussion that’s been ongoing since China’s MeToo movement in 2018, revolving around whether a woman victim of sexual or domestic violence must meet certain standards in order to count as a “victim” who warrants sympathy.

To counter the culture of victim-blaming, mainland feminist activists started the hashtag #nottheperfectvictim on Weibo in 2019, calling for the public to break the myth that only those who physically fight back against sexual harassment and who report it immediately deserve compassion and support. As part of the campaign, they also encouraged #MeToo survivors to speak out about their varied experiences, whether they fit into people’s presumptions or not.

For Emma, Zhang Yajing’s story in Wave Makers exemplifies a less-than-perfect image of a victim. Before joining the Justice Party, Zhang had an affair with a married man named Zhao Changze/Chao Chang-tse (played by Leon Dai [戴立忍 Dài Lìrěn]), who was a professor at her school and then recruited her as an assistant when he was running elections for the Democracy and Peace Party, which competes against the Justice Party.

Later, realizing that Zhao was toying with her feelings, Zhang decided to end the relationship. Zhao eventually agreed, but refused to delete intimate photos of Zhang that he took on his phone, despite her repeated requests. Anxious and distraught, Zhang kept checking porn websites to monitor whether her nudes were leaked to the public.

“I was moved by the portrayal of Zhang. It makes the character much more like a real person,” Emma said. “She didn’t have any extra energy to engage in #MeToo activism for other people, as all of her time was spent on maintaining a safe space for herself. All she wanted was some sound sleep every day.”

Another scene that impressed Emma was the conversation between Zhang and Weng Wenfang, who encouraged Zhang to speak out about her experience after learning what she went through with Zhao. In response to her concern over the fact that she was willing, rather than being forced, to enter a relationship that harmed her in the end, Weng reminded Zhang that it’s unfair for her to suffer mental distress alone while Zhao didn’t face any repercussions for his behavior.

A Chinese queer feminist based in North America who prefers to be called Sam also spoke highly of Wave Makers. “It showcases the injustice, struggles, and complexity in the process of a democratic election. The representation of misogyny and gender-based violence within the party is quite realistic,” she told The China Project. “It also echoes many of the public discussions over #MeToo in China. However, what I find most inspiring is not the show itself, but how it unleashed #MeToo in Taiwan. I can’t imagine something similar happening in mainland China.”

But as a queer person, Sam also has her own critique of the show, especially regarding a subplot about Weng’s lesbian identity. Although she applauds the representation, Sam said that she felt the show’s depiction of queer people’s struggles is relatively simplistic in comparison to the exploration of gender issues in Zhang’s story.

In Wave Makers, Wang has to face a host of challenges due to her sexual identity, including discrimination from elderly men in her electoral district and negative reactions from her father, a veteran party member.

“But all of her struggles are presented as stemming from generational differences. Her identity seems to be very well accepted by people from her generation or within the party,” Sam remarked. “On the one hand, queer identity is explained as the main factor that caused the problems for her. On the other hand, it is an insignificant component to her political life. Overall, the show seems to depict a society where queer people have fully achieved equal rights.”

Kay, a Chinese non-binary lesbian based in North America, shared a similar opinion. They noticed that Weng and her partner are portrayed as two characters without an explicit division of gender roles, which makes it easier for Weng to hide her lesbian identity in public life. This, however, makes Kay wonder about the experience of more butch-like people in Taiwanese politics. “I wonder how many queer politicians have actually come out in Taiwan,” they said.

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Queer China is our fortnightly roundup of news and stories related to China’s sexual and gender minority population.