操纵“美丽”:中国秀场直播平台中的美颜工具及其关系性使用

Manipulating"Beauty":Beautification Technology and Its Relational Applications on Chinese Livestreaming Platforms

在中国秀场直播行业中,作为劳动工具的美颜技术被女主播广泛使用。既有对于美颜技术的研究大多继承了技术女性主义的分析路径,在“压迫”与“赋权”的二分法中讨论女性受到的影响。相较之下,少有研究将这一技术放置在具体的职业关系语境中进行更为整体性的考察。本研究基于在成都A公会为期6个月的田野调查,试图在平台多边市场的三组关系中探索美颜技术扮演的居间角色。研究发现,在平台与主播的关系中,美颜技术作为一种零成本的劳动工具,降低了女主播的从业门槛;在公会与主播的关系中,美颜技术让扁平化的大规模劳动力生产成为可能;在观众与主播的关系中,美颜工具则成为调节“有边界的本真”的策略性工具。通过超越“压迫”与“赋权”的二分法,本研究将美颜技术放置在平台异质化行动者的动态关系中,这种视角有助于丰富既有研究对于技术女性主义的讨论。

In China's livestreaming industry,beautification technology is a tool kit that is widely adopted by female livestreamers.Most of the existing studies on beautification technology pursued the path of techno-feminist analysis that situate the impact on women in the dichotomy of"oppression"and"empowerment".In contrast,there are limited studies that place the technology in the context of professional relationships.Drawing on a six-month ethnographic study at Livestreaming Guild A in Chengdu,this study aims to probe into the mediating function performed by beautification technology within the tripartite relationships inherent to the multi-sided market dynamics of livestreaming platforms.The research finds that the technology is relationally defined.Firstly,it is used as a zero-cost tool that lowers the barrier of entry for female livestreamers to work in the industry.Secondly,it allows for an equitable labour production of the masses in the interest of the platform.Thirdly,it is a manipulative tool used to moderate the"bounded authenticity"between audience and livestreamer.By transcending the dichotomy of"oppression"and"empowerment",this study situates beautification technology within the dynamic relationships of heterogeneous actors on the platform,a perspective that helps to enrich the discussion of techno-feminism in existing research.