Ok, maybe not all of the time but I’m noticing a trend: when some young Chinese want to raise awareness for a cause, they tend to take off their clothes. Seriously.
First I read about a pantless demonstration to save the environment on a Guangzhou subaway, now this: bikini clad girls sweeping the streets to protest power plants.
I found this over at Go Chengdoo, one of my favorite sites for the local happenings in Chengdu area. To quote:
The women didn’t pay any attention to the crowd that had gathered around. One woman, who declined to give her name, said, “We’re willing to suffer through this action, although it’s controversial, in order to protect the tens of thousands of people who live in buildings near the Jialing Power Station.”
The women, who are students of Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu University of Science and Engineering, and the Southwest University for Minority Nationalities, met online. The student of the Chengdu University of Science and Engineering was particularly concerned about the Jialing Power Station due to its proximity to her school. After brainstorming, they decided to stage the protest. “We couldn’t think of any better way,” they said.
Hmmm, and I had always assumed that scantily-clad girls were most effective at selling beer and cheering on sports teams. The Chinese might be on to something here. Sex + important social causes = lots of thought-provoking attention right?
On the other hand, does the seeming silliness of the approach also insulate it from potential consequences from the powers that be? My hunch is that its easier to break up a controversial protest based on signs and slogans rather than one based on bikinis and babes. Like I said, the Chinese might be on to something here.
In any case, Happy Monday.
Hot Pot 
great, they tend to take off their clothes for a cause!
Maybe a day in France there will be like it
They’ve got my undivided attention. Not that that will help them much in their cause.
They shouldn’t have any trouble getting attention, that’s for sure. But will it be the right kind of attention? I’ve read that early Quakers would try to make a spiritual statement by parading around naked, or at least just in their underwear. But is such a move going to cause people to notice just your bare flesh, distracting them from the message you’re trying to get across? Maybe some studies should be done of protests like these–seriously.
Food for thought. Thanks for the post!
Awesome.
The tactic is obviously derived from PETA’s anti-fur campaign (“I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur”).
Happy Monday indeed.
Interesting.
Sort of like an American Fund Raising Car Wash huh? Great post.
i think that’s the easier way, since it involve no cost and also easy to get attention, especially from media and through word of mouths, especially through net. It also show sign that the youngster china girls nowaday is more open and more confident about their body, might be cause by the open policy by the government. That’s the price to pay when you open to th einfluence of the west, especially through american movies. Anyway, it doesn’t cause any harm to anyone.
Wow! This is interesting.
Wow nice story!
This is fascinating, given the government’s reputation when it comes to protests in the first place. This seems like something that would be considered outlandish even in the US. Your point that it might be more difficult to break up – or at least a bigger pain in the ass – is probably spot-on.
I’ll be living in Taiwan starting this summer, and as far as I know, clothing stays on during protests. We’ll see.
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Thought-provoking, how about raising the country-men’s blood pressure, men who will never feel the pleasure of the opposite sex besides them.
Maybe this IS an effective political tool. Thumbs up!
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You might like this then:
http://larryrusswurm.com/2010/05/05/the-new-political-movement/comment-page-1/#comment-533
Im glad they are standing up for this issue.
Once again, the women of China show how lovely and intelligent they are. They chose the best way to get attention of an environmental issue that must be rectified for their health, our health, and our mother Earth’s…
Now that is an interesting protest strategy–they may be on to something.
Intersting post! Thanks for sharing it. I too was wondering the lack of clothes t hen I realised….Students…it explains a lot….
Happy Monday.
Chris.
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If fewer clothes gets people’s attention, then I am all for it. But the bikini babes need to remember to deliver the message, otherwise, it’s just soft porn gone political.
At least these girls got themselves on the paper haha but yes, I agree, some signs would be nice indeed!
Hmn. Maybe it says more about the importance of sex in our society today that it’s a political statement to wear as little as possible?
Wow! A most attractive approach (;)) but rather ineffectual, I’m afraid.
In my opinion,
Sex + important social causes = Sex; Who cares about the causes? 😀
On a less facetious note, as you said, by keeping things half-serious, the girls may have found a good way to avoid serious punitive action by the authorities. The thing is, although stripping down generates media attention, it makes it really hard to focus on the issues (and not the girls)!
Here is a post I made recently on ethnic minorities and China’s Western Development Project: http://loosechanj.wordpress.com/2010/05/22/ethnic-diversity-and-chinas-great-leap-west/
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It’s sad when it gets to the point that one must take off their clothes just to garner attention for a cause. But if it’s the only way, what the hay, go ahead and do it.
Once again, women sadly assume that the only way they can receive the attention they crave is through portraying themselves as sex objects.
Or maybe this really is an ingenious new way to protest, how should I know? I’m just a girl.
i don’t know about thought provoking, but nudity does get attention. if nothing else, this really is a great way to rally people to a cause. sadly, i doubt it would work here in the states.
lol, “normal university.” having a hard time understanding how sweeping in bikinis translates to powerplant controversy.
i mean i guess it would be harder to break up the a group of bikini babes but then again, is anyone really paying attention to their cause or just watching the entertainment sweep by? hmm…
lol, “normal university.” having a hard time understanding how sweeping in bikinis translates to powerplant controversy.
i mean i guess it would be harder to break up the a group of bikini babes but then again, is anyone really paying attention to their cause or just watching the entertainment sweep by? hmm…
(reposting – i put the wrong url for my website).
The Chinese know that sex sells. Definitely catches the attention of the media and the public.
That’s certainly one way to bring attention to your cause. Hey if bikini car wash fund raisers work, why not bikini clad social justice protesters?
I’ve also noticed the increasing popularity of scantily clad women protesting. It may be silly, but hey if it gets the word out there maybe it’s worth it? Although it looks like a cold day in that picture, I’ll stick with the classic signs and home made t-shirts 🙂 Excellent blog too.
It obviously worked or we wouldn’t all be commenting . Who knows if down the road, this will be the moment that made more citizens in the Jialing area become more educated about the power plant and it’s effect on them. At least they are being proactive.
If I though for a second that walking about half naked would raise awareness about the IIW grant program, I’d be the first to go for it.
Definitely caught my attention. But when the forms of protest are too radical, sometimes the message gets lost in the way.
today is monday im glad to share something!
interesting. you made me look. the chinese don’t care and in the end it means nothing.
Fight for your right!
Though I find this interesting, I don’t get why women feel the need to strip for their position to be heard. From Lady Godiva to Sichuan students, their points are acknowledged and maybe even discussed momentarily but soon forgotten and dismissed. I think its time for a new action plan.
Great post!
i think that’s the easier way, since it involve no cost and also easy to get attention, especially from media and through word of mouths, especially through net. It also show sign that the youngster china girls nowaday is more open and more confident about their body, might be cause by the open policy by the government. That’s the price to pay when you open to th einfluence of the west, especially through american movies. Anyway, it doesn’t cause any harm to anyone.
approve it
If i were there, I would have looked at them all the time without thinking about what they really want to express
I think the sex appeal does detract from the main message. Guys see bikinnis and just think sex, not how bad some people have it living close to a power station. But for women, and men with more than a few brain cells, I can see how this would be an effective message. The brooms, at least, make you wonder what is going on.
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all i have to say is… people approach problems differently. I personally think that the broom and the masks they wear provoke some type of questioning. It’s not a simple matter where women prance around with their bikini on.
The fact that they were only wearing their bikinis made me want to know why. I guess attention is attention but what we do with what we see is different. We may act on their cause or simply see this as a wild demonstration for something else.
Hey, it gets attention.
I like your post. 😛 good one my friend
Like they say: you cant beat sex. And if you can use it to sell a Cause, so much the better…
It’s a very effective way to get attention.
Perhaps being scantily clad would make the cops more reluctant to break up the protest?
what a way of protesting..sex is appealing
Well done, the Chinese! 😀
That’s one way of making everyone sit up to watch and listen.
Interesting huh??
Nice and Interesting!
well done people
Maybe in China they are not used to scantily clad ladies- like we here in the west- maybe the idea is to shock them to take note….lol
If the Chinese authorities are like me, this won’t work. I could never think clearly, for any purpose, with young Asian women, scantily clad, prancing around in front of me. Well, Not easily anyway. I wish more of the Asians, and females generally, here in Canada cared about important matters outside of dating and sex. Not that those aren’t important matters. But maybe I haven’t met enough beautiful, young, Asian women. I don’t know. I’m not Asian by the way.
What sweet girls, caring for the people in their community … and they know just the right way to get people to take notice.
“Prostesexing”
Well done ladies. Is there an equivalent attention grabbing male-oriented demonstration? Not sure there is. Looks like active change is up to the gals. All the best.
I agree with you, Hot Pot! Sex + important social issue is a strategy that may work better than signs and board with shouting. The latter one are more less entertaining and appealing, which give more ground for break up actions : )
Good analysis!
I’ve only seen one nation fonder of public nudity -the Germans. Gotta ruv China!
I’d like to see this trend develop in Japan!
mmhh…..it’s time to wake up from our dream…..
That is China, such protests are not gonna work…it may generate some hype, but in the long run, its totally ineffective.
Great post! Congrats on getting on Freshly Pressed !!
well done the chinese!
spread this message to the world…!!
Thanks for sharing this interesting bit of Chinese News.
Maybe they feel that they should be like our ancestors – cave men, they started out without clothes as well but a little cloth to cover their P.Ps ;
they feel that this more “natural” i guessed?
Hmmmm. I suppose sex does garner a lot of attention. An odd way of protesting, but effective! Haha. Thanks for the share. I like my news just like Campbell’s likes their soup: condensed 😀 (Well sometimes. Depends on the story).
Mmmm.. we need more such protestors in the West.. Think of the possibilities. Embrace diversity and fight racism? Drop that bikini bottom and bend over so that a diversity of pulchritude can be studied…… lol
the girls got people talking, and their story is circulating, so they did it. Their protest is news! Way to go, girls! Heather
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Yup. Especially the new generation
This is a lot better than protesting on the streets screaming. There’s not even a hint of anger or violence.