The term "off-color humor" is used to describe anything from dirty jokes, poems or prose to black comedy and skits that deal with topics considered to be in poor taste or overly vulgar by prevailing morals.

According to an Internet survey jointly conducted by the social investigation center of China Youth Daily and the news center of sina.com, nearly 90 percent of respondents were deeply concerned about the negative impact such humor has on young people and urged that the mass media set about creating a more healthy environment for them.

More than 1,000 Internet users took part in the survey.

About 79.8 percent of respondents believe that the mass media could play a more important role in the growth of young people now than 10 years ago. Some 31.6 percent feel that the current environment is chaotic and 49.7 percent are of the opinion that the media is being "vulgarized."

About 89.5 percent complained that too many unhealthy or dirty jokes ruin young people's values and morality. Adult humor does harm to innocent teenagers. This might cause them to abandon their studies for TV and other forms of entertainment. 

One respondent went so far as to say that society should maintain a pure and unpolluted area for young people and keep them away from the adults' world.

Limits should also be set to how far off-color humor can go. About 84.6 percent of respondents are opposed to swipes at morality and ethics; 73.1 percent are against clashing with traditional culture; 67.9 percent criticized laughing at other people's personalities; 63.3 percent think that faith and religion should not be made the butt of dirty jokes.

About how to purify and create a pleasant environment for teenagers, 76.8 percent suggested that the mass media should promote its development, and while 71 percent said using traditional culture more actively should be considered.

On August 22, a draft amendment to the Law on the Protection of Minors that went into effect in 1992 was submitted to China's legislature for a preliminary reading. The draft amendment contains 25 new provisions, but no specific penalties.

The draft amendment would prohibit the production and sale of books, newspapers, audio-video products, computer games and cartoons with pornographic, violent, or disturbing content or gambling information to minors, for which offenders would face "severe punishment."

Some 66.2 percent of survey respondents said that off-color humor should be defined and restricted by this law.

(China.org.cn by Wang Ke, August 30, 2006)