Guangdong’s universities were developing something of a reputation for prudishness, what with threatening to expel students who were sexing each other, or policing students’ online activities. Guangzhou’s Sun Yat-sen University is looking to change things however, with a masturbation contest.
Pei Yuxin, organiser of the competition and sociology professor, wants to make it clear that this isn’t a porn contest, she just wants to see your videos, poems, plays, or songs about masturbation. After all, what could be pornographic about a masturbation video?
First prize in the ‘New Media Contest on Masturbation’ is 10,000 yuan, those coming (hah!) second, third, and fourth will receive 5,000, 3,000, and 1,000 yuan respectively.
“If people do it, they should also feel free to talk about it”, said Pei and her fellow researchers, who have abandoned more traditional methods like surveys which they found “restrictive.”
“We’d like to learn how people think about masturbation by encouraging them to talk about the topic, and share their experience in creative ways,” reads a poster for the contest published on Weibo.
With creativity listed as a major criteria, the poster also noted that all submissions “should be able to pass internet censorship and be proper material to circulate online.”
A senior scholar at Sun Yat-sen university, Pei said she had initially conducted discussions about masturbation in classrooms.
“Compared with 10 years ago, students are more willing to talk about it now,” Pei said during an interview with a Guangzhou newspaper, “They discussed more details and asked bolder questions.”
Jokes aside, this is a great idea. Anything which promotes an open an honest conversation about sex and masturbation is to be welcomed. After all, this is a country in which teenagers castrate themselves because they’re so freaked out by their own boners.
Hats off to Professer Pei.
Anyone interested in taking part (regardless of location) can email [email protected].
