What, are businessmen NOT smuttier than porn stars?

The above pictured is Sora Aoi (also known as "Sola Aoi"). You'd hug her if she offered, right?

Because she recently elicited controversy by attending a VANCL year-end party and hugging businessmen, real salt of the earth, those people. Best I can tell from this Global Times story, people are equally upset at the people who hugged her and at Aoi herself for simply existing.

One web user said, "For such a person to become so popular is a social tragedy. It displays that social morality has slipped off the edge of an abyss."

It's time to get off your perch, you.

For you see, this was a year-end party, a nianhui, and VANCL held it for the express purpose of one-upping its competitors in profligacy. Some netizens said Aoi's appearance was a "commercial stunt." OH REALLY? The woman has 9.14 million followers on Sina Weibo. She's a porn star (or "former porn star," if you had to get technical, but like syphilis, I don't think "porn star" is something someone ever shakes). She's not hugging shady old men (and Han Han) out of the goodness of her god-blessed and bountiful bosom.

Anyway, "one-upping competitors in profligacy" is the nice way of describing nianhuis, these year-end galas. You might be familiar with CCTV's Spring Festival gala, which is like America's New Year's Eve special crossed with the Super Bowl; company nianhuis follow the same concept: people perform individually or in groups, usually a song or dance or some other hidden talent, often in a banquet setting. And why? For the express purpose of jerking off the company's bosses. One boss will then say something about keeping up the good work and we hope next year you'll make even more money, blah blah blah. Then one or more of them pull down their pants and get blown on stage by the prettiest woman in the office with any real power -- with no one watching, because no one actually watches any performance at these things (or they're polite and pretend not to notice) -- then everyone engages in an orgy of drinking distilled liquor. It's fantastic. Remind me to tell you about the one I attended yesterday (I will upload a video soon).

The GT article goes on:

"If a company promotes itself in such a way, it smears its customers as well and won't go far. This challenges Chinese traditional culture out of the desire for profit," said another Weibo user.

VANCL employees defended the decision to invite Aoi, saying it was made based on the opinion of all members of staff and the move displayed the company's inclusive attitude rather than tarnishing its brand.

"I think inviting Aoi to the party was a splendid plan. It has fully displayed the company's courage, boldness, and tolerance. All criticism afterward is nonsense," a female employee from VANCL, who refused to be named, told the Global Times yesterday.

God, I don't know where to begin. Chinese traditional culture -- the one that miraculously survived the Cultural Revolution, or the one that died when Starbucks moved into the Forbidden City? Which are you talking about?

Desire for profit. As opposed to a publicly listed company's desire for...?

And oh hey, look at that, VANCL decided to do something because its members of staff wanted it. Wonderful company to work for, that. What a COURAGEOUS and BOLD company. And so TOLERANT, too. Except for criticism. Criticism, of course, is NONSENSE.

I leave you with this excerpt. Unravel it however you will:

Some have voiced concern that the phenomenon has shown young people's morality has been corrupted. However, Zhou Xiaozheng, a professor of sociology at Renmin University, disagrees with this.

"These conclusions are baseless. It's fine as long as what they do does not violate the law or go against the main stream of economic development and social stability."

Wait, we can't end on that social stability bullshit. I'll leave you with this: