Comfortable but inelegant couch potato style now in vogue

Perhaps the heat-induced fatigue is to blame.

While good upbringing in China dictates that the proper position for sitting is upright, one tends to be sucked in by the sofa in this weather, ending up with much of the body supine - to the extent that, as a new joke goes, below the neck are the legs.

It is said that Beijingers are especially prone to this way of reclining. Many entertainers of Beijing origin have been caught on camera in this inelegant but comfortable position. But the ultimate champion for this "Beijing repose" is Ge You, a master comedian whose cameo appearance in a situation comedy spawned a wave of good-humored interpretations and imitations.