China Bans Advertisements For ‘Cosmetic Beauty’ Loans

A few weeks ago, Beijing abruptly scrubbed one of China’s most famous actresses from the Chinese Internet, then outlawed the portrayal of “sissy men” – that is, men dressed effeminately, weak or woman-like (the South Korean boy band sensation BTS comes to mind) in Chinese movies and TV.

Now, as President Xi pushes China to embrace more elements of its Marxist-Leninist founding principles, another cosmetics-related order comes down from on high.

This time, Reuters reports that China on Monday banned advertisements for so-called “medical beauty loans” from playing on televisions, radios and online platforms, saying such advertisements enticed young people with low interest rates, while misleading consumers and causing other “adverse effects”.

With the Evergrande debt crisis still in the news, the timing of this latest crackdown is interesting. It seemingly kills two birds with one stone. It’s pressing back against cosmetic surgeries which are becoming increasingly popular in the US and China. Many original Communists looked down on makeup and fashion, and cosmetic surgery likely would have been forbidden in many early Communist societies. It was once said that the original Bolsheviks didn’t wear makeup.

Beijing has also recently cracked down on out-of-control online fandoms where fans sometimes would even have plastic surgery to look more like their idols.

As one CNBC reported out, the decision to ban advertisements for these types of loans might not have been on anyone’s  ‘bingo card’ for what Beijing might do next.

Medical beauty loans def wasn’t in my bingo card for what China will go after next

Also: if they did this in Lebanon that would truly be the end of the nation https://t.co/X74hPfirS4

— Joumanna Bercetche 🇱🇧 (@CNBCJou) September 27, 2021

But it fits in with how President Xi is trying to remake China according to its original Marxist-Leninist principles.