‘Model consumers'

T.E. Woronov examines the new phenomenon of ‘daren’ (professional beauty bloggers) as a Chinese example of ‘everyday experts’ – a growing number of specialists around the globe who provide lifestyle advice across media platforms that include magazines, the internet, and television reality and makeover shows. During the Mao era, the state-controlled media presented images of model workers as exemplary models for members of the Chinese public to emulate. Daren present a similarly pedagogical but different model of citizenship. They show visitors to their social media sites how to purchase and wear the fashions and cosmetics necessary to be middle-class urban beauties.