In Hong Kong, Sex Sells

I went to the Hong Kong Book Fair yesterday to cover a tattoo event. Except I got the wrong day. Duh. Yesterday was the book signing part of the event by author Phat Chan who has compiled a really great book on tattoos called 'Tat Addicts'. But since I didn't want to shoot a book signing as they can be quite boring for pix, I decided I would come back the next day - which is now today. Later there will be a live tattoo artist engraving (real and free) tattoos on the Book Fair crowd.

As I was leaving the book fair I passed a stand selling books by so called Hong Kong 'pseudo models'. These are picture books that look like soft porn, but aren't. The poses of the girls in the books are porno-ish, but their delicate bits are usually concealed by a bikini or a strategically placed ice cream or dribbling toothpaste or something. Or so I've read! This means that they can be sold openly and legally at the book fair, as under Hong Kong law the books are neither indecent nor obscene.

The reason I mention all this of is because there has been a huge outcry over the 'pseudo models' in the local press this week. The moral minority and the culture vultures are supposedly upset by the 'hijacking' of the Hong Kong Book Fair by these purveyors of smut with their pseudo models and their fans: hordes of hot-blooded teenage boys and taxi drivers. The Book Fair is seen by the local high brow crowd as the pinnacle of Hong Kong's annual cultural calendar.

Personally, I think the 'pseudo model' phenomenon is just another fad like so many others in Hong Kong, and it will go away by itself. The real issue at stake is that they be allowed to attend the book fair in keeping with Hong Kong laws protecting the freedom of the press, but perhaps they could have their own 'Category 3' area, or something.

As I left the Book Fair in the afternoon I walked through Wan Chai on the way to the MTR. I passed these ladies in plying their trade in broad daylight.

Like I said, sex sells.

it's in the shoes

She's wearing flip flops and it's daylight, she ain't working yet, probably waiting for someone to come and raise up the gate at Venus 2 at which point she'll put on her real combat gear.

In terms of those photo books, I think it boils down to a matter of a few people in HK living in the 19th century and trying to force their morality down everyone else's throats. Why shouldn't these be sold at the book fair? Why shouldn't the women turn up to do autographs? This stuff is most definitely not Cat III and shouldn't be treated as such. You see far more explicit stuff in Page One and on every street corner newsstand.

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Sex or sexy?

I had a look at some of those books. Not sure the title "sex" is right. More like "sexy", the kind of stuff you find all over HK in ads, beaches, and sometimes nightlife and even street fashion.

Wan Chai, on the other hand, seems to be more deserving of that title. :P

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Ladies

Are you sure they're ladies? Looks can be deceptive, you know - especially in Wanchai.

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Sex sells everywhere. In

Sex sells everywhere. In Japan there's a whole industry around gravure idols
http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/japanese-bikini-gravure-idols/

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Haha.

OMG! You're right!!! Are you sure they are ladies??

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Haha.

OMG! You're right!!! Are you sure they are ladies??

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i agree...its a bit more

i agree...its a bit more towards sexy....

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So in Hong Kong sex sells...

So in Hong Kong sex sells... this is also true for any other country, the only difference is that each country comes with it's own strategies for selling sex under the laws of censorship. I've never been to Hong Kong but I've had the chance to find english escorts London, just another form of displaying of the sex industry.

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Must be a great job--photography

The woman holding up the magazine looks kinda hot. Must be awesome being a photographer, eh?

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fact

Hmmmmmm! its the fact sex sell more than any thing.

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true

its the fact sex sell more than any thing

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hey..

hey I agree.......very useful & informative ... Keep it Up.....

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hey

I am sure... They all are ladies..

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Cool Stuff Man

Hey I would like to have and read such stuff.It seems to be full of fun.

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impressive

Thanks dude, This blog impressed me a lot. Keep up the work going

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