Anyone active in the China blogsphere back in August surely remembers Chinabounder and his rather conspicuous blog “Sex And Shanghai“. The blog received some rather heated attention (making it as far as the nightly news in Shanghai) mostly brought on by Professor Zhang Jiehai and his call to hunt down the author because of the blog’s content, which is essentially a Western man detailing his sexcapades with local Chinese girls.
Zhang’s hunt for the Chinabounder ended with the operator(s) of the site shutting it down. Rumors abounded, with the rather weighty Sydney Morning Harold reporting that it was all a hoax created by a group of performance artists looking to draw attention to the mob mentality of the Chinese Internet.
Well folks he’s back. As reported by fiLination, the Chinabounder has started posting again and has resumed with what is sure to be a racket:
From the first time you see her you know she’s special. She’s got that something, that spark of sass, of drive; it animates her, energizes her. She’s full of secrets and laughter, plans and hopes. Her presence fills a room and her absence empties it. She’s not someone you forget. I want to know her, know what her life is, who she is, how, what she thinks. […]
And then the lunacy that lurks beneath the male skin slithers to the surface.
He smashes her head against the desktop several times, hard, brutal; she falls to the floor. He kicks her, thick, heavy blows from his feet into her stomach, her ribcage. He jumps on her, kicks her head. Already she’s covered in blood and barely conscious. He grabs an iron bar that’s used to pull open the high windows and beats her with it, beats her, smashes her, bloody, murderous, brutal. […]
Where were you brave citizens of China then? Where was the anger? Where was the press, so like dogs baying for Chinabounder? The outcry? The mass of internet idiots so concerned about China’s honor and dignity? They offered silence and remain silent. Not a word, not a sigh, not a shrug of the shoulder, not even a raised eyebrow. – Post: A New Girl
Now granted, I liked the old sexy stuff as much as the next voyeur hobbyist, but this new ‘Bounder is a whole other animal. Reading through the comments you immediately get a sense of the array of feelings towards this topic. What I don’t get is how those from ‘free nations’, that (cough) know better, can argue that what he’s doing is wrong. I mean, has life in China actually made me more sensitive to the whole ‘free speech’ ideology?
I could understand the argument if the writing was crap and if it compromised the identities of his ‘acquaintances’ – but as it is, it stands for everything free speech is designed to protect. Perhaps I’m pushing the Larry Flynt line here, but we have a subject matter that the masses dislike, something that challenges our perceptions of what is morally “right” or “wrong”, and an honesty that mirrors many of our ‘黄色的想法‘. Further to that, we have a post that rubs raw the hypocrisy of these “Internet witch-hunts” that are becoming somewhat common-place in the New (Web-enabled) China.
A common opinion seems to be that he brought this shit storm on himself – and that may be – but no more than any other anonymous blogger posting about the crap that enters their everyday. Certainly no more than the numerous Chinese blogs that detail the sexual exploits of the Chinese men and women that write them. So, the controvery comes at the drawing of race lines – a battlefield fraught with the overly race-sensitive West and the somewhat race-biased East.
It’s little wonder a blog that rubs salt into the gaping holes of both these ideals is getting so much attention. I can hardly wait to see where it all leads.
I have to say, I didn’t bother to read many of his other posts.
But this new one, THIS is interesting.
I’m betting the response on this one isn’t quite as noticable on the Chinese net.
The Chinese “Spaz-out threshold” is lower when it comes to reacting to foreigners, as compared to dealing with “problems in their own house,” as they say.
Hey Ryan,
I too was a little surprised at many of the comments on Chinabounder’s new post that seemed to suggest that the commentator either didn’t “get” the concept of free speech or just downright rejected it.
I remember reading Roland Soong’s translation of Zhang Jiehai’s xenophobic fury last summer and coming to Roland’s comment:
Assuming the first question is rhetorical and the answer is “no”, it seems that Roland doesn’t “get”/believe in free speech either. Well, fair enough. Roland is Chinese. Different culture, different history, different values. To be clear, when I say “free speech” I mean that you can say anything you want as long as it is not inciting violence against others, and do anything you want as long as it does not break the law and “get away with it,” ie., not be the prey of an internet lynch mob or deported. Does having sex with consenting adults and writing about it online break Chinese law? If so, when will A Zhen and Muzi Mei be arrested? Furthermore, is mob “justice” allowed under Chinese law?
However, living in an increasingly global world, where communications between people all over the world take place instantly over the internet, and people the world over have different ideas about the meaning and/or value of “free speech”, it is obvious that the answer to Roland’s second question should be thought out in advance of opening one’s mouth.
Jeremy Goldkorn has an interesting opinion on this, a sort of realpolitik philosophy:
I guess it’s time to stop being surprised.
This comment cross-posted at The Weifang Radish.
Oh lordy, the insanity continues! You gotta love it.
I think a lot of the reason for the argument going nowhere has to do with the fact that people are arguing about different issues entirely.
A lot of people are pissed about the content of the posts, and everyone else is arguing about censorship and free speech. I think these things are different. Not that they aren’t connected, but the arguments are different.
I never really liked the posts too much, (not because of my moral standing, I just thought the author kinda sounded like a douche bag), but that by no means effects my opinion on free speech and anti-censorship. Don’t like it? Don’t read it. You can’t expect everyone to just bend to your personal preferences. Deal with it.
Pingback: Sex, China, the Internet and Free Speech « The Weifang Radish
So, now that Chinabounder’s back, should we expect BlogSpot to return to the bad list in the near future?
God I hope not. My internet is slow enough without going through proxies.
Who cares? I personally think my blog is more interesting than his.
Shopgirl’s Shanghai
http://www.siyansblog.blogspot.com
I have around 300 readers per day (soon it will surpass Chinabounder’s) HAH!
This chinabounder is in the stickiest situation since sticky the stick insect got caught on a sticky bun !
Pingback: Chinabounder returns, identity revealed? | Lost Laowai China Blog
Gee, I hope he doesn’t get caught cos he will surely be deported to where he came from.
boycott foreigners in china! you disrespect our community when you come around, if I had my way I’d kick every one of you sons o bitches outta China. A bunch of cousin fucking jew hating chip munching redneck hog race white cracker mother f*ckers.
to all my chinese brothers back from overseas, who knows what the whites are really like, next time you encounter a foreigner attempting to practice his chinese with you i suggest you spit his face and tell him to piss off. after all this is what they do to us in glory f*cking england. i’ve been doing it for years and it cracks me up every time one of these self-righteous egotistical ignoramus crackers act like they are better than us gets shitted on. their face turns bright red like a chimp’s ass
China for Chinese! Laowai get the FFFFFFFFUUUCKKKK out you are not welcome! go take your sorry ass somewhere else cus the only reason you come to China is because you can’t make it back home.
Don’t even attempt to intellectualize all this bullshit. People shouldn’t glorify this stuff with any sort cerebral activity. But then again some white people get all tingly when they read another white person’s sexual exploits. I bet some of you are probably thinking “oh my hmm perhaps I should try that with Chinese woman” ~ well, you smell like fish and onions, and your hairy backs reminds me of sasquash. to all the Chinese ladies, dispel you illusions that they are better than us, because the western media (backed by some very smart PR heads) has been subtly manipulating the public (whites and non-whites alike) with all sorts of propaganda (movies, guardian.uk, news sources, etc. next time you read their news concerning other countries pay close attention to what they’re saying between the lines!) into thinking that they are better than us. We must raise our collective awareness and see these people for what they are! See how they treat us when we go overseas, the racist slurs, how their women treat our men in their country? We must reserve our cultural manners for ourselves, and treat them with and eye for an eye. We don’t need their imports but they rely on our exports and then they come back and criticize us for “dao ban” we should limit production availability to local corporations only. Some problems amongst young Chinese women that needs to be addressed RIGHT NOW: fantasy-like romantic ideas towards foreign men that are NOT based on reality, excessive kindness towards foreigners, and ladies mark my words they DO NOT deserve it they just really want to f*ck you and then *maybe if you meet their standards they might consider dating you for a week or two…because there are other sisters who are blinded by ignorance who will fall for their trap… My sisters and brothers you have a choice, hang on to the respect that was rightfully yours, Mother earth has blessed you with beauty and charm don’t squander it on those filthy pieces of shits. Learn from them, then use it against them! China for Chinese!
I bet this Marriott guy is probably a bitter person. Sounds like some middle-aged loser who can’t make it in the UK, so he has to come to China (or maybe Thailand), fuck as many girls as he can to find a sense of manhood.
Chinese ladies and gents, don’t even get pissed off at this guy, first because it’s not worth your time and second hes not the problem.
Misunderstanding of western men and a lack of awareness, together with ignorance contribute to the victimization of so many girls.
Looking at the big picture, Marriott is not a stupid man. A well-planned scheme: he rides on the ignorance of young Chinese girls and exploits the strong reactions of the Chinese community into getting what he want; his so-called 15min of fame. He is able to generate an audience only because of the strong public reactions. But truth be told, he is just an ordinary loser, although a bit more sad and bitter than most.
As far as his book, it’s not even worth budging an eye because its a form of self promotion.
Why is the book cover in Japanese? Because he understands anti-Japanese sentiments in China, thus by publishing it in such a context he is able to generate more anger.
Public anger is his source for generating audience.
Predictions: the book will most likely generate more public outcry, and such reactions will only nudge this loser closer to the spotlight.
Do not be fooled. I say let this guy play his games because there are sickos and con artists like this all over the place. I personally find this Marriott guy pathetic.
What is the big deal about this ChinaBounder fellow? If they were his students when he screwed them, well, that is a bit wrong, but if they were consenting adults , so what?
Or are Chinese men just jealous that a few laowai are getting a bit of action with Chinese girls? If Chinese women and Western men like having sex together then so what?
Sex is natural, and young Chinese women 19-23, SHOULD BE having sex!