Another Spin on China Reporting

With the Beijing Olympics less than three weeks away, The New York Times is beefing up its coverage of China for obvious reasons. But how many stories can the paper run on architecture, earthquakes, anti-smoking campaigns, and human rights before readers get bored?

Surely there must be a new, sexy angle on this thoroughly covered nation.

How about an article about young Chinese women learning to writhe and dance erotically? Yep, that'll do.

In today's Times' Jimmy Wang takes a serious look at a pole dancing class where:

Clad in knee-high leather boots, spandex shorts and a sports bra, Xiao Yan struck a pose two feet off the ground, her head glistening with sweat and her arms straining as she suspended herself from a vertical pole.

This is well-spun territory: Back in January 2007, China Daily reported: "Girls cautiously pole dance their way to fitness"; and in February 2007, NPR had a segment called "Aerobic, Not Erotic: China's Latest Fitness Fad," but that was boring old print and radio! Did we mention The Times' video? There's a video. Happy Friday!