Raymond Zhou

In a world of perverts, there is still rationale

By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-03-11 07:00

"Cats" is now being played out in China.

No, not the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, but a real-life horror starring live kittens, equally cute bimbos, kinky high-heels and cruelty so disgusting that even the nation's angry young men find nothing to cheer about.

Recent media reports have uncovered a smattering of websites that offer photos and video segments showing fashionable women cuddling kitties and then stomping them to death with their stiletto heels.

We're not talking about a few sick people venting out anger on their pets. It's an underground business with sexy ladies doing the jobs of killers for profit. The mind-blowing thing is, there are people who actually pay real money to access these images.

The outcry is thunderous enough to drown out any rationale. Yes, these people are disturbed individuals, but what can we do about them and their behaviour?

Well, the first solution is the "legal weapon." Many cite laws from Western nations that protect animal rights and call for similar laws to be passed in China.

This may work to wipe out commercial cat-killing videos, but may mean little to those who engage in such acts in the privacy of their own homes. Our law enforcement officers are straining their resources to solve murder mysteries where victims are human, and it's unlikely the same efforts could be applied to felines.

If we're going to use a law for the main purpose of deterrence, why not let the moral court do the job? As we have seen, public opinion can make would-be cat killers, however gorgeous they are, look like the proverbial mice trying to cross a busy street.

Then there's the question of why people enjoy these images. It may come as a shock to many in China, but sadism is nothing new. It exists everywhere in the world, in the hidden parts of every person.

Rational as we are, most of us can suppress these feelings because we're fully aware that, by emitting them, we will be harming others. The underpinning of a civilization says one should not, in the process of seeking self-satisfaction, destroy lives and happiness of others.

However, sadism is a psychological disorder that cannot be regulated out of existence. Sadists have to find an outlet.

Sadistic urges can often be channelled to bloody sports. Most of the war movies and computer games also function as safe outlets for potential killing machines.

The pleasure derived from these alternative activities may not always be sexual in nature. Those with a penchant for violence and brutality may not know why they feel that way and don't always know how to manage it. This is where professional help comes in.

In the online world of anonymity, many people have freely admitted that they actually enjoyed the cat-squashing pictures. That may make us look like a world of perverts, but it's better than suppressing the glee and pretending it exists only among a few sickos.

Having recognized the problem, we can tackle it in a rational way. We should help those with sadistic inclinations to seek counselling. And, at the very least, we can install a punching bag in the shape of a kitten for them to let off steam.

E-mail: raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/11/2006 page4)