This presentation demonstrates the representations of queer speech styles through an
examination of sexually and anatomically non-normative male martial artist characters, namely eunuchs and self-castrated men, in popular Chinese kung-fu films. Generally, these characters are depicted as not just sexually non-normative but also non-normative in their ways of practicing and developing their martial arts skills. Their roles are typically villainous and nonheroic; moreover, it is not rare for them to develop or possess some kind of supernatural or charismatic powers that are considered to be beyond normal human capabilities. By focusing on discursive practices employed in the films, such as the reticence and use of formulaic or philosophical speech styles, in combination with visual representations, I discuss how these mediatizations index queer masculinity in ways that mesh with the audiences’ expectations for Chinese martial arts figures, as such figures have developed through mediatizations.
