Visual Pollution: China Loves their PJs

It is indeed true that different cultures have different ideals. Different attitudes, mores, and styles. And this picture is a prime example of such. Here is a women in the Rixin region in Shanghai wearing her Pajamas on the street, in public, in broad daylight.

To us North Americans, this seems very odd, inappropriate, and sort of yucky. Like is that what she slept in last night? I do admit to, a few times, when still in the "party phase" of my twenties, pulling an all nighter and somehow going to work the next day with the same clothes on. But I was young, living on the edge, and hated my job anyway.

Well, I'm not the only one that thinks this is inappropriate. Seems like the Chinese government does too. "We're telling people not to wear pyjamas in the street because it looks very uncivilised," Guo Xilin, a local official, was quoted in local media as saying.

They even have an official name for it, "visual pollution." Apparently Shanghai, in particular, has this issue because people live in very close quarters. This causes many social boundaries and inhibitions to be low. Many people are poor, so wearing pajamas is deemed as acceptable...well, was acceptable.

Shanghai isn't the only Chinese city to slap it's resident's with apparel regulations. Beijing, Shanghai's rival, created the Spiritual Civilization Committee. I am sure that you heard about it during the Olympics. This committee slapped the residents with edicts like, how to stand in line properly, how to apply makeup properly, how to comb your hair, and proper clothing choices.

I suppose every culture has their own way for deeming what is appropriate or not. In North America, we have the common ethos communicated much by media. But, countries where people are poor, they might not have a TV and definitely not an internet connection. So the government must intercede.

Basically is all goes back to money..doesn't it always?

Read the original article after the JUMP

Bratz, Visual Pollution, Beijing Olympics