Barely Legal: The Rise of the Sexy Webcast in China

Barely Legal: The Rise of the Sexy Webcast in China
Jan 25, 2016 By eChinacities.com

Editor’s Note: This translated article looks into the world of China’s webcast performers. A fairly new industry, there are still many questions on how it should be regulated. Performers can make millions of Yuan per year by selling advertisting and shilling products. The government, however, seems concerned with the maintaining a clear line between sexy webcasts and porn. 

Some live in luxury apartments in Shanghai, and others live in tiny apartments. They sit facing the computer camera, scantily clad, making ambiguous actions. Some are college students, some are young employment women from remote areas. They either have dreams of stardom or want to make some extra money. Their vehicle? The online webcast.

Millions of Yuan per Month

Ding Yao films her videos from an upscale apartment in the heart of Shanghai. She spends about an hour a day making videos. Ding has 480,000 fans. In one video, she carefully applies eyeliner while wearing a skimpy tank top.

The industry attracts both men and women. The popularity of these videos has recently caused a large amount of concern in China. Only a small part of the population works in this industry, but they have a huge influence on society. Experts predict that in 2016, almost 100 million people will watch a webcast in China.

Ding Yao is only 23 years old and studied law. She had a walk-on role in a TV drama. Two months ago, a friend told her that she should “make videos in South Korea, and make one million Yuan per month.” In the video, her friend said, she would have to do something suggestion like lick or eat a banana. Initially, she refused. Then with the help of a friend in the business she realized she could quickly become popular. In two months, she’s racked up 480,000 fans. Her most popular webcast was viewed by 600,000 people who watched her change into different outfits that she purchased from South Korea.

A Typical Bai Fu Mei

The best in the industry make more than a million Yuan per year. Ding Yao does not disclose her income, but her huge following has made her one of the most popular women online. A young male fan said that Ding Yao is a typical bai fu mei (white, rich, and beautiful) and is “in line with all men’s fantasies. She has better taste that the women in the countryside that do webcasts.” Ding often features expensive products on her show and receives a cut of sales to supplement her income.

Ding said that women that do live webcasts must maintain their looks and “freshness.” A storage room is filled with the clothing that she wears during her webcasts, mostly skimpy outfits and lingerie. On Christmas, she wore a red dress with wide straps covering her chest. The skirt hem was just above her buttocks.

How Should the Industry be Regulated?

Mr. Wang, 29, from Shanghai said that he has invested nearly 300,000 Yuan in a female webcast star. He has helped her organize her platform, and gave her nearly 5,000 Yuan as a gift to help her get her first webcast up. “As long as she is happy, everything is good,” he said.

As webcasts get more attention in the mainstream media, Ding and her colleagues feel that restrictions have tightened. When users first click on her page a page titled “Internet Live-Broadcast Self-Regulation Convention,” appears. In the page, Ding states that her webcast does not include pornography, violence, gore.

In 2015, webcast viewers were mainly males (68%) aged 19 to 35. The male to female ratio of viewers was 4:1.

Every webcast performer now must belong to an association. Behind these association, there are management firms operating to protect their clients. These companies have grown greater in number with the rise of the Internet and online stardom. Many companies create products and fashion lines based on their clients.

East China University of Political Science professor Shen Liang said that porn is a vague concept, and is difficult to define. The law surrounding this kind of online activity still must be further developed.

Source: QQ News

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Keywords: sexy webcasts China China webcasts

11 Comments

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djoverload1111

it is my first job in china i have good plans

Mar 29, 2016 03:14 Report Abuse

golf79

yep

Jan 29, 2016 13:07 Report Abuse

kuntmans

It's got nothing to do with porn. And the line between porn and erotica needs to be understood.

Jan 26, 2016 16:12 Report Abuse

Bhutto

I think with these types of Sex, the HIV & AIDS are increased all over the world, which is bad for our future.

Jan 26, 2016 00:11 Report Abuse

Englteachted

Sex? Where do you see sex? These are webcasts you moron. I hate to stereotype, but are you from India , Pakistan or the Middle east?

Jan 26, 2016 03:36 Report Abuse

Englteachted

Why does this need to be regulated? This is one of the key reasons China's domestic economy can't develop. People create a market , market grows, CCP comes in and crushes it in order to get a piece or because they fear giving the people even a grain of freedom. The CCP especially hates giving women power over their own bodies.

Jan 25, 2016 17:54 Report Abuse

RandomGuy

With 30 millions men who have no hope to ever get a girlfriend plus all the socially inept guys out here who can't talk to women, here is a market for those girls.

Jan 25, 2016 11:41 Report Abuse

Karajorma

Everywhere is a market for those girls. It's just that in China you can be popular without having to take your clothes off.

Jan 25, 2016 14:41 Report Abuse