China walks softly

	Associated Press It's the Year of the Pig in China, but the porcine ones are going to have to stay off TV. Click photo for larger image.

You think Americans jump through hoops at Christmas time -- I mean, at holiday time -- offending everybody while desperately trying not to offend anyone by, for example, concocting inclusive pageantry featuring, say, Frosty the Snowman riding shotgun for the Three Wise Men coming from a Hanukkah celebration, carrying a copy of the Quran for the Baby Jesus, while Mary and Joseph prepare for Kwanzaa once Christmas is out of the way. The alternative, of course, is to mention no religious (or secular) celebration whatsoever.

Well, now our nemesis-in-the-making China is going through politically correct contortions of its own, which, with any luck, will slow its march to progress.

The Year of the _ _ _

As you know, the Year of the Pig begins Feb. 18. The pig, it goes without saying, is very big in Chinese culture, otherwise they wouldn't name a year after it. It is viewed as honest, trustworthy and -- attention you masochistic dieters -- because it is often fat, prosperous. Even in death, the pig is revered, pork being the most popular meat in China.

The pig has so much going for it that bookings in Chinese maternity wards are soaring as couples aim to have children born in the Year of the Pig. But to avoid offending China's 21 million Muslims, who consider the pig unclean and not to be eaten, the government is going to keep the pig under wraps. Or at least off the airwaves during New Year's celebrations.

Pig out

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Everybody knows the whole world will be watching the Super Bowl Sunday. Or so we think. But the viewing audience will be dwarfed by the billion or so who will tune into the world's most-watched television show. That would be the Chinese New Year's Eve variety spectacular, and we hope they've booked the Flying Wallendas and Senor Wences. (How does "S'alright?" "S'alright." translate into Chinese?) The really big show will be celebrated, the government has decreed, with the least possible offense to Muslims, who account for 2 percent of the population. That means no pigs -- at least no four-legged pigs -- on screen.

We're pretty sure it's true

China is led by born pranksters, famous for the humor you'd expect from a totalitarian regime. So, as faithful readers know, The Morning File was dubious about a report that special Year of the Pig stamps were scratch 'n' sniff stamps, redolent of sweet and sour pork. (You'll get a LIVE stamp update in less than a minute.) But our information on the partial pig ban comes from the always reliable Wall Street Journal. Right now, it involves only television and maybe only advertising, the Journal said. Nestle had planned ads featuring a smiling cartoon pig saying: "Happy new pig year." Now, the company has just a few weeks to shoot new commercials. Coca-Cola is pulling its pig ads, too. Of course, the government could still change its mind.

Hold your applause to the end

Before we go overboard congratulating China on its multicultural sensitivities, we should point out that it gets most of its oil from Muslim countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, where Sudan is its biggest supplier. It's also working hard to build a reputation as a country that respects, rather than badgers, smaller nations, says the Australian newspaper.

Skeptical reaction

On classicvalues.com:

"China needs to buy lots of oil and Muslim countries have lots of oil to sell. If the Vatican was sitting on top of the world's biggest oil field, China would become Catholic in a heartbeat."

"Do you see the Chinese government give half a damn about Jewish opinion? No, you don't. And it's Jews who keep Chinese restaurants in business."

The pig must go on

The WSJ says that even as pigs are kept off the air, porcine images proliferate in stores as well as in print ads and on billboards. Starbucks shops in China are selling bright red piggy banks as well as stuffed-animal pigs.

"Walt Disney Co., which is making a major push into China after opening a theme park in Hong Kong, is building its marketing efforts around Piglet, Winnie the Pooh's cartoon sidekick," The Journal said. "The company says that market research into Chinese culture and traditions led them to prioritize Piglet, who is a lesser character in other markets."

Crossing Nestle is one thing, but would any country take on Disney?

Sweet and sour stamp update

"After reading your Jan. 12 article, 'Did China really release a scratch 'n' sniff pig stamp,' I ordered two mini-sheets and three first-day covers from a Chinese company online (some to save, some to scratch 'n' sniff!). I received them yesterday. The stamps are cute, ornate and beautiful, but unfortunately they do not smell of sweet and sour pork. Maybe I didn't scratch them enough? Oh well."

Michael Camp, Bethlehem