Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Can a Mourner Get a Table Dance?

In keeping with this week's theme of awful news originating from Asia, China has started cracking down on striptease acts at funerals.

In the latest news of the depressing, it was announced that striptease send-offs at Chinese funerals may become a thing of the past after 5 people were arrested for organizing a "nuderal" (my term, don't steal it) for a local farmer.

Police swooped last week after two groups of strippers gave "obscene performances" at a farmer's funeral in Donghai County, Jiangsu province, Xinhua news agency said.

The disrobing served a higher purpose, the report noted.

"Striptease used to be a common practice at funerals in Donghai's rural areas to allure viewers," it said. "Local villagers believe that the more people who attend the funeral, the more the dead person is honored."

Striptease shows at funerals also offer the additional benefit of being able to look naked women for free, but why quibble over their stated intent. Sure I was bothered by the atrocities of Tiananmen Square, but this sent me over the edge. If an honest, hard working peasant can't get a lap dance at a funeral, then by god the communists have truly won.

As an aside, if they get groups of strippers to draw attention to a dead farmer, what do you think they have in mind to attract viewers for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing? God only knows, but let's just hope that Angelina Jolie happens to be in the area next summer adopting another baby.

(Thanks to VMD for forwarding the article - outstanding find).

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