PunkAssBlog.com

I’m going to not address the content of this BBC article in which Chinese parents actually appear more reactionary and paranoid than some of our favorite American prudes:

Sports officials say they will now encourage students to dance in large groups or by themselves.

Some parents had expressed fears that if boys and girls danced hand in hand they might fall in love and put their studies at risk.

The lessons will start in September amid concerns over physical inactivity.

Rather, I’d like to draw your attention to the accompanying picture:

I’m also not going to ask how they managed to get unflattering pictures of obese Chinese ballerinas in rather unfortunate white leotards. If there was any doubt that their costume designer is largely at fault for their lack of aesthetic appeal and needs to be fired, just take a look at those butterflies glued to their heads. So zero for ten tact points for the BBC for choosing that picture, but 8/10 WTF points.

Instead, I’d like to point out the rather helpful caption:

One-fifth of the world’s overweight and obese people live in China

And remind the BBC that Chinese Population/World Population = 1,321,851,888/6,602,224,175 = 0.2002131 = 20% = 1/5. The statement that 1/5 of the world’s overweight and obese people living in China would be shocking and noteworthy indeed, if China didn’t contain almost exactly 1/5 of our total people. In a fair world, every country would have their share of the worldwide diseases of affluence allocated to them in proportion to their population, so go, China!