ABSTRACT
‘Phoenix man’ is an internet and mass media term popular in contemporary China. This chapter examines the rise and genealogy of this catchphrase in Chinese popular culture. The chapter presents textual analyses of several related television series and novels: Life (1982), New Age of Marriage (2006–2007), Double-Sided Adhesive Tape (2007) and In the Name of the People (2017). Through this analysis and a survey of the ‘phoenix man’ discourse on the internet, the chapter explores the urban–rural division, class inequality and gender issues embodied in the term.
