If You Are The One

So, I just read a NY Times article about a Chinese reality TV show that I find really funny.

Background: There's a Chinese reality TV show called "If You Are The One" and a man will be the lucky bachelor who comes up in front of 24 women. He presents himself through various levels, and the women will scrutinize him and at each level, women will buzz out, meaning they find the man undesirable. If there are any women who still want him by the end of four levels (I think), then he gets to choose his next date!

Most of the time these women are really picky. If some guy is not so good-looking at first glance, several will buzz out like crazy. More importantly, if he doesn't have a good job (and they do mention his salary in the show) or salary, then he really doesn't stand a chance.

The show really exemplified how many Chinese girls seek men nowadays. In essence, they search for the "big three": big bank account, big in stature, and big brain. That's the truth. In a time when China's gap between the rich and the poor is just getting bigger by the day, people need financial security.

The extreme materialism expressed by the women on the show made the Chinese government take action and change the way the show works. I haven't seen the show after these changes, but apparently are "[maintaining] core Socialist values" and that isn't too bad if they're trying to let the Chinese masses feel: "Hey, maybe money isn't that important...we should be with good people with admirable values."

Even though the show isn't as juicy as before, the show doesn't show Chinese society as being as vulgar and materialistic as before. It's a good way to promote the values that are slowly vanishing in contemporary Chinese society.