Nymphs, Babes, and Hunks Pioneer New Body Codes

Some say that Taiwan is currently con-ducting another wave of "liberation" akin to the lifting of martial law, only this time it has little to do with politics. The publication of nude photo spreads has become trendy in entertainment circles, and while in the past female stars were branded "sex kittens" for life for posing for sexy pictures, today such devices are commonly employed to promote performers' careers. Not only is audience acceptance excellent, but the trend has even blown over to the male side of the entertainment business, as top male celebrities try to attract attention to their careers with pictorials. Loath to let youthful beauty slip away without leaving its mark, young people as well are following their idols and shooting personal pictorials.

Many television program segments, such as Twins' "Taiwan's Hunks" and Super East/West Army's "Male Underwear Models," follow a beauty contest or game format and enjoy exceptional popularity. On these programs, young people freely put their fine bodies on display, boosting ratings, titillating audiences, and stuffing the TV stations' pockets.

On the other hand, many youths are taking jobs as bubble tea babes and betel nut nymphs, which has elicited considerable criticism. For instance, the nurses association recently held a press conference to protest the use of nurses' uniforms by certain corners of the sex trade to attract customers, calling this "the yellowing [perversion] of white uniforms."

What does this liberation of the body bring to society, and what does it reflect? Fashion trends, or marketing ingenuity? Once Adam and Eve have eaten the apple, can they ever return to Eden?

This summer, Hsiao Lin will graduate from university. At 22, in the prime of her youthful blossoming, she went to a photographer she knew to shoot her for a collection of fully nude pictures.

"My buddy Rongrong went with me. Since I had already spoken with the photographer and had mentally prepared for it, apart from a little bit of awkwardness at the very beginning, the entire photo shoot went very naturally. Actually, it was Rongrong's reaction that scared the daylights out of me!" Hsiao Lin says that as soon as she removed her clothes, her friend Rongrong got all stone-faced, as if given a frightful scare. Previously, in women's club meetings at school she was always full of righteous opinion on body issues, demonstrating far-left thinking, and prior to the photo shoot they had engaged in quite a bit of discussion and joked around a lot. So it came as a surprise when Rongrong "lost her wits" when it came down to real business.

Rongrong scoffs, "I just couldn't take how Hsiao Lin, who's always such a 'pure girl,' started looking like a porno film star no matter what pose or expression she affected during the shooting."

Subsequently, Rongrong told her roommates about Hsiao Lin's spicy figure, prompting two roommates to lay down a challenge.

"Without hesitation, Hsiao Lin just dropped her clothes to the floor. My roommates took one look, turned around and said 'we give up.' We're confident about our bodies, but still care when others have a better body than us," Rongrong explains.

"I posed for a pictorial simply to leave myself a beautiful memento, not as a way to make an entry into the entertainment business or something. Other than my body, I'm proudest of my brain," Hsiao Lin says. Granted, if she attracts notice, she wouldn't mind a crack at the entertainment industry.

Kuo Ching-chun.

This is a little vignette about a university coed shooting a trendy pictorial. They are not stingy about telling others about interesting experiences with their bodies, and given the care, pride, and openness they display with their bodies, it's no wonder some declare that the 'martial law' period is over in the realm of the Taiwanese 'body politic.' Commercial stimulation

Clearly, this bodily liberation is being led by the new generation.

Professor Ho Chun-rui of the National Central University Department of English and American Literature, notes that the new generation is far more practical when it comes to matters of the body.

"The practical approach to the body taken by the new generation has followed a traceable progression. Social liberalization triggered the end of restrictions on hair length and styles and on dancing in schools, while economic growth accelerated the pace of commercialization in society. With these changes, people's feelings about their bodies naturally changed under the impact of the commercial structure, while desire-manufacturing industries-such as pornographic publishing and sex services-brought the public directly in contact with the naked body. In addition, kids have begun to show their creativity in the way they adorn their bodies," she explains.

Lin Hsi-le.

Chuang Hui-chiu, editor-in-chief of Living Psychology magazine, believes that if human desire is divided between the public and private realms, as in "pornography" in the public realm and "erotica" in the private realm, then the commercial consumption spurred by Taiwan's economic growth has sped up liberation in these two realms. The popularity of personal pictorials among university coeds reflects the need for erotica and pornography, especially given the more open concepts of the new generation that constitutes the main commercial consumption group in society, thereby advancing society's acceptance and openness toward pictorials. Pictorial history

The publication of pictorials was initially a way for entertainment industry stars to promote themselves. Making their mark beginning in the 1980s, they typically featured salon photographs of the star, or thematic portraits in the case of the higher quality offerings. It became a vogue for youths to follow the trend among celebrities and star in their own photo shoots, and at the height of its popularity it seemed like there was a pictorial photo studio every few steps along the streets of Taipei. Back then, nudity was frowned upon. Take for example the case of Chen Kai-lun, now a popular radio and television host. At the time, while making the transition from child star to singer, he shot a pictorial in which he was seen nude from behind, signifying his growth into maturity. Yet society greeted the move with an overwhelmingly negative reaction, sending him rushing for cover in obscurity. Finally, after a long period of time, he made his return on the radio, where he didn't have to show his face.

Such taboos only began to change in the current decade. Lolita Hu, editor-in-chief of Playboy's Chinese edition, established in 1996, jokes that now that Taiwanese have broken through all the political taboos, sexual taboos are finally emerging as the new wave of social reform, and that Playboy has emerged to take this trend to new heights. When famed beauty Yu Ke-hsin's photo spread-featuring virtually full nudity (with a few strategic "fig leafs")-was featured in the pages of Playboy, the magazine's sales rocketed to 160,000 for that single issue.

Li Chien-yi.

"In a survey of largely twentysomethings, readers strongly voiced their yearning for a Yu Ke-hsin photo spread," Hu relates. Yu Ke-hsin is the archetypal Taiwanese beauty, exemplifying purity and innocence apart from any associations with "sex." And while she did grapple with the idea prior to going ahead with the shooting, the spread's publication elicited a nearly universally positive response, enabling Yu Ke-hsin to cast off the public image as "megastar Andy Lau's former girlfriend" that had dogged her for so long. Saving a slice of youth

In addition to Yu Ke-hsin, other Playboy cover girls, such as Kuo Ching-chun and Hsu Lo-mei, were greeted enthusiastically by the market, and almost overnight seductive pictorials became a trend in the entertainment realm. With the trend's rise, increasing numbers of stars posed seductively for the camera, and numerous publishing companies specializing in pictorials sprang up.

Johnson Liu, general manager of M-Asia Communication, which rose to the top of the pictorial market just shortly after its founding, relates that the degree of boldness for any particular pictorial is determined through collective probing by the star, the publisher, and the public. As the public's degree of acceptance has continually surprised publishers, the degree of exposure has evolved from no revelation of private parts, to full rear nudity, to the current standard of exposed breasts and vague exposure of pubic hair. With these changes, readers have demonstrated increasing enthusiasm, assuring stars of virtually zero negative consequences, while seductive photo spreads can provide a way to get a bit ahead in show biz. Film star Tien Lee is a good example of this.

Luo Chi-chih, general manager of Whale Communications, offers his analysis, saying that with celebrities taking the lead it has engendered interaction between the pictorial market and youths. This summer, Whale Communications plans to publish a monthly pictorial featuring young beauties.

When it comes to excitement over revealing men's revues, women are certainly a match for their male counterparts; it can be said that they even focus extra vigor on breaking through taboos. Pictured is one of the hottest topics of discussion these days--a male strip show in a Taichung bar. （photo by Li An-pang）

"We aren't worried at all about being able to find suitable candidates. Today's youths are open, plus this is a chance for them to show themselves to the entertainment industry. Even if we didn't openly recruit models, there would still be a lot of people aggressively pursuing the market," he states. A shot in the arm for ratings

In addition to the publishing industry, television programs are another catalyst of this bodily liberalization. Seeking ratings, many commercial TV station variety shows have taken to adding segments that titillate by focusing on the body in some way. This approach has won strong audience reactions, proving potent medicine for ratings, and creating fodder for discussion as in the case of China Television Company's Super East-West Army.

On each episode of this particular program, a guest from a certain industry appears along with an imposter, and games are played to allow the audience to guess who's real and who's not. Such games may not seem too special, but the producers often get figures from unusual industries-such as male underwear models or retired adult video stars-to appear on the show lightly clad, giving the show a fresh spin. Interestingly, China Television Service's When We're Together, broadcast on the same day of the week, has male students strip to the waist and compare physiques as part of the segment "Campus Association Challenge," raising the heat index of the show while giving a shot in the arm to ratings.

Super East-West Army producer Chen Chia-chi relates that the producers do not explicitly set out to exploit nudity, but rather the program's content merely reflects the audience's preferences. Therefore, the more the audience's interest in bodies boosts ratings the greater the chance exposed bodies will appear on the show. Emphasizing her point, Chen points out the current popularity of shows exploring issues of the paranormal, and that her show has capitalized on the trend by inviting morticians to guest on the show's "Make a Guess" segment.

Playboy's Lolita Hu notes that given its power to reach larger and wider audiences, the television medium is subject to greater restriction than magazines. Consequently, Taiwan's TV programs are still unsure how to present comprehensive attitudes toward the body. Meanwhile, the permissible degree of bodily exposure is similarly narrower, at most merely reflecting trends in society.

（above & left） Whether to simply make a mark with their youth or seek an in to the entertainment industry, television is the most direct avenue for young people to display their attractive bodies. Pictured here is the beauty contest segment featured on the TV variety show, Twins, where scantily clad contestants show off their dancing moves. （photo by Lin Cheng-hua）

Taiwan's hunks

If television programs are the most direct catalysts of social trends, then "Taiwan's Hunks," a segment introduced on the Taiwan Television Network's Twins variety program, amply reflects a line of change in attitudes toward the body among the Taiwanese public; nowadays, the male body can be publicly discussed, an

d women are no longer timid about expressing their desires. "Taiwan's Hunks" is just one of many programs following a beauty contest format, the greatest departure being that the ones being selected are young men. Each week, the segment features three well-developed hunks dressed in swim suits. Following a short conversation between each contestant and the hosts, female audience members approach the stage to place stickers on their favorite choice, and the contestant with the most stickers is declared the winner. The young women are hardly ever shy about flirting with the contestants, seizing the chance to cop a feel of their bare bodies or placing stickers on the more sensitive areas of the male anatomy. When the hosts ask them how it feels, the women invariably answer "it's awesome."

Ho Chun-rui sheds some light on this phenomenon, offering that in the Taiwanese culture of the past, distinctions existed between the sexes concerning the power to view the human body; while it was a given for men to look at women, women were restricted by social mores from looking at men. However, the judging of men by women on "Taiwan's Hunks," the sensation stirred by the Australian "Man Power Show" male stripper revue, and the entry of male celebrities into the sensual pictorial market, prove that power relationships between the sexes are beginning to loosen.

Renowned author and former Taiwan University Hospital psychiatry department doctor David Wang offers his analysis from his professional perspective, noting that while women take an increasingly active approach to viewing men's bodies, it is interesting to see how some people "freak out" as soon as they get in front of the camera. Any kind of over-the-top behavior is considered "cool" as long as it takes place in front of the camera, even though in private these women might not be so "demonstrative."

By the same token, the pictorial market indicates that the demand for male photo spreads lags far behind that of female pictorials. Johnson Liu explains that the two can hardly be compared, as a male pictorial sells only 5,000 copies at best, while one featuring a female subject can easily sell 40-50,000 volumes.

（above & left） Whether to simply make a mark with their youth or seek an in to the entertainment industry, television is the most direct avenue for young people to display their attractive bodies. Pictured here is the beauty contest segment featured on the TV variety show, Twins, where scantily clad contestants show off their dancing moves. （photo by Lin Cheng-hua）

From the standpoint of a "provider of desire," Lolita Hu says that low interest among males in revealing themselves on camera is a factor preventing a high degree of release for females' needs for desire. Longstanding conservative concepts in Taiwan helped feed notions that "pretty boys are useless," thus it is relatively difficult to get men to use their bodies as a means for attaining money and power. In light of this, it is no wonder that most of the contestants on "Taiwan's Hunks" are American-born Chinese in Taiwan on summer break. Bubble tea babes and betel nut nymphs

This wave of bodily emancipation led by the new generation is not only manifest in the media, but also in their daily dress and their choice of jobs, and is directly embodied in their attitudes toward the body. Yet, when bodily displays become more than a media phenomenon, public opinion becomes increasingly harsh in its criticism. Simultaneously spurred by the market mechanism and condemned by mainstream public opinion, "betel nut nymphs" and "bubble tea babes" have become a Taiwanese social phenomenon attracting considerable attention.

Betel nut nymphs are not an entirely new phenomenon. With stiff competition in the betel nut retail market, the employment of nubile young women to sell betel nuts attracts crowds of male betel nut chewers, of which truckers account for a large component. Due to their skimpy attire, these girls are often associated with the sex trade.

On Chungho City's Yungho Road, betel nut nymph Hsiao Hui, described by a neighboring hawker as "the girl who achieved fame far and wide with a pair of knock-out legs," says that she hates nothing more than people comparing betel nut nymphs with prostitution. In defense of her profession, she relates that each day at work all she does is dress a bit sexier than most people. Since nothing ever actually happens between her and the customers, she feels what she does should be classified as part of the "service industry."

"I can make over NT$30,000 per month. That's a lot more than my classmates working in clothing stores or fast food joints are making. And what's wrong with looking all nice and pretty every day?" She adds that her parents have nothing negative to say, either, as since she dropped out of high school and went to work she brings home NT$15,000 to her mother each month. "With extra money to keep her in booze, she's too happy to give me flak."

Hsiao Yun, who works in a bubble tea shop on Taipei's Changan East Road, agrees with Hsiao Hui. Wearing a miniskirt, tight T-shirt, and a pouting expression on her face as she reclines against a table, she asks rhetorically: "What's the difference between what we do and what the average restaurant waitress does? I graduated from one of Taipei's famous vocational high schools, you know. It's not like I'm lower class or something, so don't go thinking that we're frivolous. Since when is it a crime to be young and beautiful?"

The flood of betel nut nymphs onto street sides in recent years not only gives habitual betel nut chewers extra incentive to stock up, but male drivers are easily distracted and even those without that "nutty" habit often can't help but stop for a beverage. （photo by Lien Chen-li）

Hsiao Yun proudly announces that despite achieving just a vocational high school education, with tips she makes over NT$30,000 per month, more than her older sister, a recent university graduate, is making. "So tell me who's got it together?" she asks. Spice girl defense tactics

Despite constant assurances from Hsiao Hui and Hsiao Yun that they know where to draw the line of decorum, the caliber of betel nut retailers, bubble tea shops, and restaurants has diverged greatly over the past few years. Reports of sex for sale are often heard, and even the "pure" betel nut or bubble tea shops are no doubt in the game of catering to male sexual fantasies.

Taking the example of the bubble tea shops that recently aroused the ire of nurses, shops operating on a theme-oriented basis, from "medical clinics" to "convents," dress their waitresses in tight nurse outfits or nun habits to tickle the sexual fantasies of their male clientele.

Merchants claim to satisfy customers' sexual fantasies, while consumers, having difficulty distinguishing between real sex and convincing acts, often let their fingers wander. But the sexy sirens are prepared for such eventualities.

Hsiao Hui relates that there is nothing new about betel nut buyers doing a little flirting or frolicking. In defense, she wears a tight pair of panties under her skirt, and a top tight enough to keep from exposing more than bargained for when she leans over.

"If you sense that a customer wants physical contact, you should take the offensive. If you just give them a touch, they still feel like they've gotten away with something and that's enough for them," she explains.

With the age of commercialization and global information upon us, 'Whatever the US or Japan have I can have, too!' The liberation of the body sweeping Taiwan is heating up the streets as people reveal more of themselves.

Hsiao Yun adds that most customers just talk bad, but won't really take action in public. She feels that there's no big deal about letting someone "take advantage" of her with talk. "As long as nobody touches me or sees too much I don't lose out," she offers. Backlash?

The new generation has its own views on the human body, yet the public might not always agree with them. Noted columnist Yang Zi, writing in the United Daily News, came down on the pictorial craze, saying:

"While it cannot be said that female celebrities are prostituting themselves when they pose for a commercial photo spread, their behavior shares similar characteristics to prostitution as both behaviors use the body as a medium of exchange, and both involve the commodification of the body. Prostitution involves a sexual transaction, and while the sale of a pictorial does not entail a direct transaction, the pictorial seduces male readers so as to obtain money, and male readers pay money to enjoy nude bodies... in fact constituting a transaction involving the commodification of the body. I don't subscribe to the notion that pictorials are a form of art... if it's art, then it is an art of artifice and physical vending, which compared to geishas, who sell artifice and not their bodies, demands a higher degree of prostitution from the subjects."

In today's complex social environment, young, impressionable girls tread on the fringes of sensual taboo, giving cause for fear of ever-present, unpredictable danger.

Ho Chun-jui cautions against underestimating youths, as young people develop their own behavioral patterns of self-defense, as exemplified by Hsiao Hui and Hsiao Yun. Ho feels that what we should really pause to consider is what kind of opportunities society provides its young people. What universal values does it convey to them? Instead of choosing to work in a fast food shop for less than NT$100 an hour, young people choose a higher paying line of work. How can you blame them when everywhere in society people are worshipping money? Unless something can be done to change this reality, we must reflect on how we can help protect young people from being used and their bodies exploited at work, so as to pass on better experiences to our youths.

Chuang Hui-chiu of Living Psychology magazine concurs, noting that there is more at play with betel nut nymphs and bubble tea babes than service industry vending. During a transaction, such aspects as the look in one's eyes, or the way one touches another person, encompass a young person's life experience, the development of society's desire industry, and the liberation of the body-aspects worthy of deeper consideration. The release of desire or the liberation of the body should go beyond superficial areas such as erotic consumption or fashionable trends. The public should deeply consider the modern attitudes toward the body that we believe are desirable.

David Wang offers an additional point for consideration, noting that given the reluctance of those interviewed for this article to reveal their real names or be photographed, true liberation of the body has yet to take place in Taiwan. An increasingly urbanized society causes alienation from traditional relationship networks, making "anonymity" easy. Many people do not mind getting naked in front of strangers, but fear exposing themselves in the media to family members and old acquaintances. In light of their behavior, it is clear that traditional values continue to exercise a strong hold on us. Wang feels that bodily liberation should be an active awakening, not something engendered by commodification.

Spurred by commercial culture, the liberation of the body has been exhibited in many aspects throughout Taiwanese society in recent years. If this is the inevitable result of economic growth, how to confront it squarely and establish an open approach to the body is something we must consider as we cope with the dictates of fashion.