I was watching History Channel International the other day. It was about the "Chinese mob." One of the most amusing lines went as follows:
The Emperor became concerned that the mafia were an organization that was undermining the dynasty.
The Chinese state is so busy looking down trampling the little bugs underfoot that it's going to slam its head against a tree branch one of these days. And boy will that be fun to watch.
The second amusing thing that happened was that the commercial for Joe Millionaire aired on E!, and it was longer than the one on Fox. Boy, these women are going to humiliate themselves. I was crying I was so laughing so hysterically. And it's just the teaser commercial! I hope it doesn't turn out to be like a movie trailer that promises a lot more action (read: humiliation) than turns out to be the case in the full length feature. (the premise is that a bunch of women are given the false impression that the bachelor is inheriting $50 million dollars when he actually only makes $19,000 a year)
Posted by razib at December 30, 2002 02:37 AM | TrackBack | Email this articleI find the show, at least the hype and trailers, a sad commentary about entertainment these days. It is this kind of stuff that makes me watch cable only channels more & more.
Posted by: Thoth at December 30, 2002 08:40 AMI winced in sympathy pain when I saw that commericial. But a part of me just says "That's what you get for being on a reality show." They'll be the Darva Congers of 2003
Posted by: duende at December 30, 2002 09:54 AMit's mean to laugh at people that don't ask for humiliation-but these people are going on TV of their own free will. it's the price of 50 million dolars (so they think!).
Posted by: razib at December 30, 2002 12:45 PMspeaking of gold diggers.. i wonder if there is a difference between gold diggers across societies. are some cultures more prone to produce gold diggers?
Posted by: Wesley Dabney at January 1, 2003 09:45 AMGood question, Wes. Obviously, wanting a husband with high status is universal in human cultures (though not in all people). I'd guess that in patrilineal cultures with strong marriage bonds sex-for-money becomes a less obvious part of marriage when the primary focus is on raising children. In cultures where marriage bonds are weaker and more based on romance and entertainment there's more gold-digging.
Prime Example: You know those rap videos where a drug dealer is sitting on a leather couch surrounded by dozens of beautiful women? According to my sources, these videos are based on mating habits common in the ghetto. A dealer will make a lot of money on a major deal, and when word gets around the projects all the welfare moms go over to have sex with him. The little boys see this and think it's the most fabulous life possible. And we wonder why these little boys become crack dealers.
Posted by: duende at January 1, 2003 12:10 PM