Public canoodling faces divergent opinions
- By Hu Siru and Wang Jiaquan
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Shanghai Daily, August 11, 2015
|
|
|
Public displays of affection sparked heated discussion over the past month after controversial posts about canoodling couples on buses made the rounds online. |
Chinese couples often hide their affection within homes, and even holding hands in public was once an embarrassment. Social media now bring private moments into public scrutiny, but not everyone approves.
Public displays of affection (PDA) sparked heated discussion over the past month after controversial posts about canoodling couples on buses and metro coaches made the rounds online.
In one case, a senior citizen attempted to stop a couple who were cuddling and kissing on a bus in mid-July in Qingdao. His intervention, however, annoyed the male side and their row almost ended in a physical conflict. A local television broadcaster carried the news, which was later picked up by websites.
Two photos surfaced showing another couple fondling and kissing each other on a metro coach in Shenyang. The photos went viral soon after being posted on a microblogging platform.
Many Internet users commented that the Shenyang couple's behavior was "embarrassing" or even "disgusting."
Li Xiaotong, who studies mass communications at Peking University, disagrees. She admitted that there is a generation gap when it comes to public displays of intimacy, but she said, "There is nothing to hide for young people."
In another PDA scandal, a woman was caught feeding her boyfriend in their office by the company's monitoring video. Both were fired for their show of intimacy at workplace.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)