China’s internet censors do not allow images of women that could be deemed racy. So, retailers selling female underwear online have been using men to model their products.
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Multiple businesses that sell lingerie through live streaming have had their broadcasts cut short for featuring female models. To counter the censorship, retailers have been using mannequins and male models.
“This is not an attempt at sarcasm. Everyone is being very serious about complying with the rules,” said one retailer to CNN.
“So what should I do if I want to promote and showcase lingerie in the live broadcast session? It’s very simple, find a man to wear it,” another one said on Weibo.
Livestreaming sales of products are quite popular in China and were made even more popular by the lockdown measures of the pandemic. In 2021, iResearch predicted that by this year, the live-streaming sector would be worth $720 billion.
