fzl, which stands for “fei zhuliu” in Chinese pinyin, refers to things that are not part of the mainstream. This could include subcultures in terms of culture, sects in terms of religion, or individuals who stand out in a crowd. Non-mainstream exists in contrast to the mainstream, and something can transition from non-mainstream to mainstream, or vice versa. For example, the fashion and language culture popular in the 90s started as non-mainstream but eventually became mainstream. Similarly, something can be mainstream in one environment but non-mainstream in another. For instance, street performances by artists in other countries may be astonishing when portrayed in a different cultural context. Therefore, there is no absolute mainstream or non-mainstream. Today, non-mainstream has become a distorted culture. There is no essential difference between non-mainstream and “shama te,” as one is an adjective and the other is a family name.
