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China's Service Sector Will Reign, Part XVIII -- WWE And Skimpy Bikinis.

By Dan Harris and Steve Dickinson

Sex sells. anonymous Sex and violence sells everywhere. Dan Harris Back when we first started this blog about three and a half years ago, I felt somewhat like a voice calling in the wilderness whenever we would tout how companies needed to look at China for more than just factories. Now, this idea has pretty much become common currency and so, though this is Number 18 in our series, this is only the second one we have done this year. And though I cannot speak for China's market as a whole (can anyone really do that?), I can say that my own law firm's business mix has become decidedly more tilted towards service businesses over the last few years. But it was a Shenzhen Undercover post, entitled, "WWE Wresting is in CHINA! WHAT?!?!" that prompted me to trot out Part 18 of this long running series. Seems the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is now playing on Chinese television and though Shenzhen Undercover's reaction to this was one of shock, my first thought was, why not? Allow me to explain. When I was a lad of maybe ten growing up in small town middle America, one of my best friends, Pete Collins (a/ka/ The Big Man), somehow managed to snare some tickets for a professional wrestling event in my town. So we went to some disgusting patched together arena for the event and what an event it was. The Sheik was there (I think). Tony Marino was there (I think). Bobo Brazil was there (of that I am almost certain). The women wearing skimpy bikinis who would come out between rounds and between matches were there (of that I am 100% certain). The crowd was at least half of the show. People would get so worked up for or against a particular wrestler, huge numbers of security would constantly have to rush in. These people clearly thought it was all real. In doing a bit of background research for this post, I came across a bunch of disparaging blog comments about those "idiots who actually thought this crap was real." I have to admit that at ten, I was a professional wrestling agnostic; I just was not really sure. Shenzhen Undercover seems surprised by the WWE coming to China TV. My only surprise is that it took so long. Since when have sex and violence not sold?

Full post as published by China Law Blog on October 01, 2008 (boomark / email).