Are Chinese women turning sharp-tongued?

What are the preferred styles of women's talk among young Chinese, who, at least in urban China, spend much time interacting online? Using controversial episodes from a popular matchmaking show in China as the basis of discussion, we invited college students to participate in three synchronous online focus groups to discuss issues related to women's talk in contemporary China. We identified five major themes associated with their observations and notions about women's talk in everyday life: sharp talk, humor, lady talk, baby talk, and cursing. We observed that changing ideologies and internal tensions and inconsistencies among governments, media, and citizens mean that expectations for women's talk are not a constant, but are always tied to historical changes and challenges. At a methodological level, we suggest that the creative use of new communication technologies can provide a more familiar and practical way of asking and answering questions about language and gender.