Major blow to Chinese capitalism: Gov’t bans ads for push-up bras, “figure-enhancing undergarments” and sex toys

Regulators have already targeted ads using crude or suggestive language, behavior, and images, tightening their grip on television and radio a few weeks ahead of a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress at which some new senior leaders will be appointed. The latest move by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, also bans advertisements for sexual aids such as tonics that claim to boost performance in bed.

So the government wants a monopoly on lying to people?

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Chinese still don’t “get” capitalism: Gov’t calls for ban on “sexist and sexually suggestive” ads

 “Advertisements that contain sexual hints or flirtatious language are easily seen on some local television channels,” CCTV said on its Web site.

You say that like it’s a bad thing …

Elsewhere in the case of China v. Capitalism, Beijing has tried to cash in on the “Ratatouille” craze by shipping rats to restaurants. OK. That’s a lie. But it would explain why

Live rats are being trucked from central China, suffering a plague of a reported 2 billion rodents displaced by a flooded lake, to the south to end up in restaurant dishes.

Here in Boston we don’t have to ship rats to our restaurants. They come of their own accord.

Branding news from China: You may be able to Yao but you certainly can’t Mao

The Shanghai Daily news reports that a condom seller has been closed down for selling products in “inappropriate packages,” including ones bearing a likeness of Mao Zedong. (Suggested slogan: “Hey baby, want to come back to my place for a great leap forward?”) The condoms were packaged in metal containers decorated with funny pictures historical figures. According to the story, “Zhang printed China’s national emblem on a condom called ‘lady-killers’, and on the packing of the box was the image of … the country’s late Chairman Mao Zedong.” The vendor used what is perhaps the only plausible excuse in neo-capitalist China: “They were unimaginably hot sellers.”
Meanwhile another Chinese entrepreneur has is trying to register Yao Ming’s name for use on a line of women’s sanitary products. Oddly, neither doctors nor brand experts have been able to find any connection between the 7 foot 5 inch tall basketball star and menses.

Technorati Tags: Mao, Condom, China, Shanghai, Yao, Ming, Marketing, Brand, Xinhua

China balks at latest intrusion of capitalism

Chinese pols have finally found an issue safe enough to take a stand on: TV ads.

What’s behind this sudden growth of spine? Ads during the national weather report which follows China Central Television’s evening news. The weather report “has the highest ratings of any show in the country and should be informative, Liang Rongxin said, criticizing some of the weathermen for trying to be entertainers.” Be afraid Willard Scott, be very afraid.

Reuters quoths Liang, “The weather report never used to have ads, but in the past two years there have been a lot and audiences are disgusted.” Reuters also reports that earlier in the session of parliament, another delegate sounded off against the proliferation of domestic ads featuring young children, calling them a form of “child labor” that could rob them of their innocence. Y’know if I were them I’d be a little hesitant to make any charges even vaguely redolent of the words “forced labor.”