Much to everyone's dismay, Vietnamese celebrities, models and beauty queens will be banned from taking nude photographs and distributing them online beginning May 15.
According to Thanh Nien, a new circular from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism forbids artistic performers and beauty contest winners from “taking photos or recording personal videos without costumes or with costumes which are objectionable” as well as disseminating these images online.
The circular also indicated that celebrities cannot display actions or express opinions which are inconsistent with the values, ethics, traditions and customs of Vietnam and which may cause negative consequences on social media or other platforms, reports Zing.
Once the regulation takes effect, a review board will be appointed to adjudicate all incidences which may violate this law and instruct authorities on how to handle such cases.
Since its announcement, the regulation has sparked controversy because of course it has. While some were quick to support the regulation, others stood in clear opposition to the new rule. Model Xuan Lan backed the new law, telling Thanh Nien: “Nude photography is a personal matter, but releasing it to the public, especially photos of celebrities, is clearly not recommended. Artists, models and beautiful people must take responsibility for their pictures when posted on social media. When the nude photography is art, I believe there will be a review board to license it.”
On the other hand, photographers and even some government officials feel the ban prohibits their ability for self-expression. “It's a violation of the freedom of the people,” one official from the Department of Fine Arts told Thanh Nien. “The issue is that those who take healthy nude photos must be supported. If there is pornography, then it must be banned immediately. [With this law,] both photographers and models are affected.”
There are, of course, several questions surrounding the enactment of the regulation, including what constitutes “artistic” nude photography and what constitutes your standard, run-of-the-mill smut. According to Department of Performing Arts director Nguyen Dang Chuong, this will be determined by the review board tasked with enforcing the law. In cases where the photographer's skills are lacking, Chuong argues, the images cannot be considered art because they are ugly.
“When dealing with such cases, the authorities have to consider carefully whether [the poor quality of the photo] was unfair or intentional before giving instructions,” Chuong told Thanh Nien.
Another touchy issue is the length of the ban, as these so-called “beautiful people” are forbidden from taking and releasing nude images for life. In cases where a beautiful person took nude photos before winning a beauty contest, for instance, and the images were later released, Chuong also believes these situations will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis.
“These cases have to be followed more closely,” the director told Thanh Nien. “But it is important to determine whether she herself actively captured the photos or she was cheated.”
Whatever happens, there are probably more than a few Vietnamese celebrities who hope The Fappening never comes to their neck of the woods.
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