The racy For Him Magazine also offers tips on "how to do it in five minutes"
(because a "sex break is the same as a coffee break") and features stories with
titles like "The Dangerous Sex Journey of QiQi."
The images and text would hardly be shocking to North American or European
readers. And the magazine's photographs are tame compared with what appears in
magazines in Japan and other parts of Asia, including the rest of China ¡X Hong
Kong and Macao.
But in mainland China, where sex is still a taboo subject and pornography is
outlawed by the ruling Communist Party, the images are not only highly
provocative, but also perhaps the latest sign that sex and sexuality are
infiltrating the mainstream media.
And this powerful burst of sexual energy seems both a symbol of how rapidly the
transformation of China is unfolding and, to some, a harbinger of the troubles
ahead for a nation that will inevitably struggle to absorb its newfound
freedoms. "There is a fine line between the open mind and sexual indulgence,"
said Xie Xialing, a professor of sociology at Fudan University in Shanghai.
Even five years ago, mainland books and magazines were banned from showing
pictures of scantily clad models or publishing content that was deemed
offensive or morally corrupt. The only sexual content to be found was in sex
education pamphlets or books of nude Chinese women sold as "art works" at big
city airports.
Today, however, with the Chinese economy booming and the government loosening
its hold on the personal lives of everyday citizens, magazines are beginning to
publish soft-core pornographic photographs, sexual fantasies and even clues
about where to pick up call girls.
Popular mainland Web sites are going further, posting erotic videos and
creating forums for women eager to market their sex appeal and post their
photographs on the Internet: images of traveling with friends, undressing at
home, even striking erotic poses.
"This is a kind of grass-roots sexual revolution," said Annie Wang, author of
"The People's Republic of Desire," a satirical novel about the mad race to
modernization.
The government announces periodic crackdowns on pornography and often censors
sexual content in magazines and on the Web. But since about 2000, the censors
have started to look the other way. Political activism is still a no-no in New
China. Entertainment is a different matter. Even the Web site of Xinhua, the
official press agency, offers slide shows of the "10 Hottest Babes of 2006" and
"Rarely Seen Photos of Sexy Men."
Many say the trend is being driven by the market, and by entrepreneurs eager to
cash in on the freer lifestyles on the mainland.
"The market is the No. 1 driving force behind the boom of such magazines," said
Pan Suiming, a professor of sociology at Renmin University in Beijing. Western
luxury brands entering the mainland market want to advertise in popular
magazines and on Web sites that draw consumers. And on the mainland right now,
pictures of sex kittens draw.
For Him Magazine is one of the success stories of this genre, with a
circulation of about 480,000. It probably helps that the magazine is published
by a government agency, the National Tourism Administration, an indication of
official interest in investing in the phenomenon.
Jacky Jin, the magazine's editor in chief, said he wanted to affirm a new kind
of lifestyle for readers that he calls the new mainland metrosexuals, guys who
love cars, gadgets and girls.
"We're opening a new window for Chinese men," he said, noting that he has been
criticized by government censors on several occasions.
A decade ago, the private lives of people on the mainland were still quite
restricted. Whom you married, where you lived and what was considered
permissible were tightly controlled or closely monitored by the government,
employers and other authorities.
But urbanization, greater mobility and the power of the World Wide Web have
challenged all that.
Now, experts say, the mainland is going through a period of enormous personal
and sexual freedom. Young people ¡X most of whom grew up without siblings under
the one-child policy ¡X are wearing more hip and provocative clothing. And
they're growing addicted to entertainment online, where they can also search
for love and indulge their lust.
Pan said he thought one reason for the cultural change was a change in women's
attitudes.
"Women, especially young women in the cities, no longer think it's a bad thing
to expose their bodies," he said. "Five or six years ago, when some women
started to wear clothes that exposed their midriff, most people couldn't
understand why belly buttons should be regarded as beautiful and deserve public
exposure. Today, young women think it is natural to bare their midriff."
Zha Jianying, a Beijing writer and author of "China Pop," said the growing
openness was actually a good thing.
"This trend of being more open about sex is definitely healthy, coming after
all those years of puritanism and Maoist suppression," Zha said. "Now, maybe
we're seeing the pendulum swing in the other direction."
But Xie at Fudan University said things had gone too far.
"In certain periods in history, such as the decadent Ming dynasty, sex was not
a taboo and even intellectuals would talk about their sex skills casually over
tea," he said. "Today's society is still better than that. But I do find that
people care less about dignity."
He went on to call for limits on how much skin can be shown publicly, and said:
"Human beings should have a sense of shame."
Other critics say the new freedoms have brought degeneracy, a boom in
prostitution, and what Wang, the author, called "the concubine mentality."
Hard-core pornography remains under assault by the government, which can exact
heavy fines on trespassers. One pornography kingpin was recently sentenced to
life in prison.
And the censors are wary of influences from the West, like the TV show "Sex and
the City," which has a huge following here, mostly on pirated DVDs.
Even "The Vagina Monologues" theater play was canceled in Shanghai recently,
apparently because of the title.
But in a country that also happens to be the largest manufacturer of sex toys,
being naughty is catching on.
In November a man in Shanghai was selling condoms in packages bearing the
likeness of Chairman Mao.
His shop was closed for selling condoms in "inappropriate packages."
