Hearing her eight-year-old daughter's declaration that "I will never eat cakes because boys don't like fat girls,", Shang Xiuyun turned to see a TV ad for underwear featuring a half-naked slim girl flirting with a man.

 

"I think our country should set up rating system for sexually suggestive TV ads," says Shang, who is also a deputy of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, the local legislature.

 

After monitoring commercials for three months, Shang and fellow legislator Tang Xilan are to advise the government to set ratings and watershed times for ads deemed improper for minors.

 

Shang called on the government to make strict regulations to eradicate sexually suggestive commercials, at least during the summer and winter holiday periods.

 

The present law on advertising implemented 12 years ago vaguely prohibits "content that is obscene, superstitious, terrifying, violent and evil; content that is discriminative against nationalities, races, religions and sex". But it has no details on how such advertising should be judged.

 

"Specific items should be added to the law to prohibit sexually suggestive TV ads," says Shang.

 

More than 1 million Beijing middle and primary school children started their summer holidays last week, and many spent a lot of time watching television, an pastime many parents are beginning to question.

 

Scantily clad young women, protruding breasts and flirtatious behavior mark out commercials for lingerie, breast enhancement and cosmetic products, most of which are bundled into primetime programming.

 

"Most of them misinform children about sex," says Shang.

 

More than half of China's primary and middle school students spend more than 100 minutes watching television every day.

 

Shang recalls her own daughter's comment after a cosmetic ad that depicted a young couple behaving frostily to each other before the woman used a brand-name skin care product that cleared her facial freckles: "Mom, daddy will dislike you because you have freckles on your face."

 

Shang says, "You can't escape vulgar ads by changing channels because almost every channel has such ads at primetime."

 

Zong Chunshan, director of the Beijing Adolescent Psychology Consulting Center, said sexually suggestive ads gave priority to sexual attraction, which could influence children.

 

"Youngsters are sensitive to sex-related information and they may believe behavior on the screen is considered normal, and they will have trouble controlling their own behavior," said Zong.

 

An official with the State Industry and Commerce Administration said on condition of anonymity the administration was considering amending the law on advertising to provide protection for minors.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2007)