China feminist actress’ ‘sexy is fine, but objectification is not’ speech resurfaces

Chinese television host and actress Liu Yan, who has long been seen as a sex symbol, has recently received plaudits for being a feminist.

An interview with Liu gave in 2016 went viral recently in which she said she had stopped being sexy.

“I think being sexy is fine but objectification is not. The question is, do our times allow actresses, or women, to be sluts? I do not think I am allowed to be too sexy in these times. I do not want to be a woman that everyone thinks it is OK to harass,” Liu said.

The 44-year-old quit her nursing job after being discovered as a model at the age of 17. She won a major television host contest in 2005 and has been a host and actress since then.

She was known for her sexy image and often played alluring woman characters in films and television dramas.

In March 2016, Chinese actor Bao Beier and several groomsmen, who are also show business celebrities, carried Liu and tried to throw her into a pool at Bao’s wedding in Bali, Indonesia, ignoring her screaming protests.

One guest uploaded the video seeing it as a prank, but it triggered a discussion about women’s rights. It was believed that Liu was targeted because of her sexy figure.