TV shows of various kinds have been flourishing these days, encouraging sponsors to compete for audience attention. Hunan Satellite TV, a long-time front runner in churning out entertainment programs, has taken on performance art lately in a move to promote one of its hit shows -- Miss Star Pageant 2006, reports the Chongqing Times.

In the promotion video, eleven beautiful women, all topless and each holding a huge white egg in her hands, crouch like embryos in a small wooden container.

A poster featuring contestant NO.12 with an egg bearing three Chinese characters "Shou Shi Lv (audience rating)." [Chongqing Times]

While undoubtedly eye-catching, posters featuring the half-nude participants in this promotion video have also triggered a strong debate among netizens, who argued whether such a promotion is pure stage art designed to entertain or sheer hoopla to draw attention.

Every egg is written with a word connected with the TV shows launched by Hunan Satellite TV, such as Li Yuchun (2005 Super Girl champion, a Chinese version of American Idol), Hei Mu (inside story of a plot), Fen Si (phonogram for fans), Tou Piao (vote). Each participant is expected to perform in relation to the key word written on the egg she holds.

Miss Asia candidates decked out in bikinis are seen taking a catwalk in a busy street in Hong Kong to gather votes Monday. [chinanews.com]

Tianyu Media Company, which is responsible for the promotion of Miss Star 2006, claims the promotion video is performance art with profound meaning.

According to its creative staff, the wooden containers represent the mother of China's TV shows, the egg means the thought-provoking results entailed by the flood of TV shows, while the 11 beauties are likened to 11 embryos.

"We are just promoting Miss Star 2006, hoping to forge the show into a real piece of artwork." said the staff.

Most netizens think the show boring and meaningless, and the promotion another trick to increase audience ratings.

"These young women will do anything in order to become a celebrity, even if it means stripping. This trend should be curbed," claimed a netizen on a website unidentified by the paper.

Still there are some netizens thinking the promotion an original idea, saying the women are beautiful and the pictures artistic and not pornographic at all.

In another report by chinanews.com, Miss Asia candidates decked out in bikinis are seen striking posed in the busy streets in Hong Kong to gather votes, which have also have also drawn strong comments,many claiming such an action is an insultation to women.