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China's censorship laws often find themselves under blast from more liberal international parties.
This time, rebellion has come from within its ranks instead.
Rising e-commerce
China is home to a booming livestream shopping scene.
Livestreams contribute to around 10% of the financial giant's e-commerce revenue.
It was estimated to be worth over RMB4.9 trillion (S$956 billion) by 2023.
In light of females being banned from wearing underwear in livestreams, however, online lingerie sellers have turned to some creative problem-solving to continue meeting targets.
Ban on femininity
According to Business Insider, live broadcasts featuring female models in lingerie "have had a history of being promptly shut down and banned".
This was the result of a law created to prevent the spread of obscene material online.
Female models weren't the only ones affected by the law, either.
Reuters reported that China's campaign to cleanse their media of entertainers "polluting" the minds of society and cultivate a "patriotic atmosphere" saw idols with "incorrect political positions" and "effeminate" styles being froze out.
Loophole
Despite the ban against their primary form of marketing, lingerie sellers refused to be disheartened, getting men to fill in instead.
After one account replaced their female model with a guy in December 2022, many were quick to follow suit.
在中国，女人在直播间里是不能穿内衣出镜的。否则直播间将因为涉嫌传播淫秽而立刻被永久封禁。那如果我非要在直播间带货卖女式内衣该怎么办呢？很简单，找男人来穿。 pic.twitter.com/4CHlq7fMdx
— 小径残雪 (@xiaojingcanxue) January 11, 2023
The internet — big surprise — was infinitely amused.
Photo via Weibo 普信小美
"The guy wears it better than the girl," a Douyin user commented on this video.
Photo via Douyin 老婆大人的轻奢闺房
Another viewer remarked: "Boss' aesthetic not bad today."
Photo via Douyin 小心辛
Others were less receptive.
This one user told the male model featured in 老婆大人的轻奢闺房's videos, "Bro don't be like that".
Photo via Douyin 骑驴的猫
Some viewers suggested that mannequins would be a better alternative to accurately showcase female garments.
They objected to the trend, saying it was "depriving women of job opportunities."
Livestream business owner Mr. Xu responded, telling Jiupai News: "Personally, we don't really have a choice. The designs can't be modelled by our female colleagues, so we will use our male colleagues to model it. Many directors of these livestreams are women, are they also stealing men's jobs?"
Not the first
Male models being used to sell women's products isn't a new thing.
A 41-year-old businessman Wu Nan from Sichuan makes roughly US$900,000 (S$1 million) selling high heels that he models himself.
Photo via NextShark and Douyin 穿高跟鞋的吴大叔旗舰店
28-year-old influencer Austin Li Jiaqi, better known as China's "口红一哥" ("lipstick king"), also makes bank modelling lipstick shades and reviewing luxury goods.
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Top images via Twitter xiaojingcanxue and Douyin 老婆大人的轻奢闺房