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Christian Living

chinaconnection 01/23/08

Metro Make Out Madness

We've all seen or been part of public displays of affection: the reunited lovers embracing at the airport, the soldier and his wife saying goodbye before he ships off to war, even the marriage proposal at the table across the restaurant. 

For most of us, only a handful of people witness the event, and it barely leaves an impression.  For one Shanghai couple, however, an extended kiss at the metro has been witnessed by over 140,000 of their closest friends worldwide, thanks to YouTube and Chinese site Ku6.

After discovering that their embrace in a public place wasn't quite as private as they thought, the pair has decided to sue the metro company.  They say that the video and comments made by metro workers in the background are a violation of their legal rights, and deliberate attempt to humiliate them.

The Shanghai Metro Company has been investigating the stiutation, and if employees did, in fact, shoot the video, there could be legal consequences.  On the other hand, it could also be the handiwork of a very bored individual with a video camera.

While I'm sure the two lovers are embarrassed,  they haven't really done much to stop the momentum.  If anything, the lawsuit has made it worse.  I wouldn't have known or cared about the kiss, let alone watched it on YouTube if they hadn't protested.  I doubt many others would, either. 

Before it really caught fire in the international news media, only about 15,000 had seen the kiss, and now the number's closer to 150,000.  This probably isn't the type of increased privacy the couple wanted, unless it's really a ploy to become more famous.   

At any rate, thanks to the Internet they've gone from obscure college students to global celebrities.  Could the talk-show circuit be next?

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