Chinese companies 'rent' white foreigners

[Jetboogieman]

Beijing, China (CNN) -- In China, white people can be rented.

For a day, a weekend, a week, up to even a month or two, Chinese companies are willing to pay high prices for fair-faced foreigners to join them as fake employees or business partners.

Some call it "White Guy Window Dressing." To others, it's known as the "White Guy in a Tie" events, "The Token White Guy Gig," or, simply, a "Face Job."

And it is, essentially, all about the age-old Chinese concept of face. To have a few foreigners hanging around means a company has prestige, money and the increasingly crucial connections -- real or not -- to businesses abroad.

Chinese companies 'rent' white foreigners - CNN.com

Holy ****... I'm an actor, I should be there doing this ****ing job!

 

[jujuman13]

Chinese companies 'rent' white foreigners - CNN.com

Holy ****... I'm an actor, I should be there doing this ****ing job!

Please, do not let us prevent you from going.
Hope you have a lucrative career in China.

 

[Deuce]

Hell, sign me up.

 

[LaughAtTheWorld]

It's a pity that my face is Asian...Sigh. I could really use some extra money

 

[The Mark]

It's a pity that my face is Asian...Sigh. I could really use some extra money

Here's a question...

I wonder if some companies (in other countries) who have majority non-asian looking employees in their tech dept. hire asians (stereotypically good at tech stuff) in a similar manner?

:mrgreen:

Or is that only a stereotype in the USA?

 

[MKULTRABOY]

They dont have to hire them to hang around they hire them to work. White guys would have more trouble working amongst in china.

 

[peepnklown]

Hell, sign me up.

I concur! I would like to sign up.

 

[Orion]

This is not new. Companies in China have been doing this since the opening of the economy in the 80's. Last year when I was there, my friend and I were offered a job for two days which was exactly this. They offered to get suits made for us and all we had to do was show up with their business delegation and pretend we were part of their company. We just had to shake some hands and speak English. I didn't end up having the time off school to do it but my friend did. It's funny because my friend was German and his English was not so great but they pawned him off as an American, and the other Chinese company had no idea.

It's very common... that, and getting foreigners to appear on game shows. I was on one of those in Guangzhou I had to hum western tunes and the contestants had to guess what songs I was humming. It was good times.

 

[the makeout hobo]

This is not new. Companies in China have been doing this since the opening of the economy in the 80's. Last year when I was there, my friend and I were offered a job for two days which was exactly this. They offered to get suits made for us and all we had to do was show up with their business delegation and pretend we were part of their company. We just had to shake some hands and speak English. I didn't end up having the time off school to do it but my friend did. It's funny because my friend was German and his English was not so great but they pawned him off as an American, and the other Chinese company had no idea.

It's very common... that, and getting foreigners to appear on game shows. I was on one of those in Guangzhou I had to hum western tunes and the contestants had to guess what songs I was humming. It was good times.

You know if it pays at all?

 

[Orion]

We were offered 150RMB/hr to start, but got it upped to 200 RMB. Divide that by 7 to get American dollars. They're usually quite generous, especially if you are an attractive white person.

 

[Mell]

Both times I visited Mumbai, India, I was heavily in demand by Bollywood. They are always looking for white western people to put in their movies and advertisements.

Last May, when I was there, they were looking for white women to be filmed in bikinis. They were always trying to recruit white female tourists walking around the streets to do it. I think, they were trying to make shocking advertisements, aimed at Indian audiences. Women in bikinis are still shocking in India. And, to make it worse, there is already way too much gossip amongst Indians in India, about the poor morals of western women.

 

[the makeout hobo]

Both times I visited Mumbai, India, I was heavily in demand by Bollywood. They are always looking for white western people to put in their movies and advertisements.

Last May, when I was there, they were looking for white women to be filmed in bikinis. They were always trying to recruit white female tourists walking around the streets to do it. I think, they were trying to make shocking advertisements, aimed at Indian audiences. Women in bikinis are still shocking in India. And, to make it worse, there is already way too much gossip amongst Indians in India, about the poor morals of western women.

Did the offer samosas? If they did, it'd be worth it.

 

[the makeout hobo]

We were offered 150RMB/hr to start, but got it upped to 200 RMB. Divide that by 7 to get American dollars. They're usually quite generous, especially if you are an attractive white person.

I wanna move to china now.

 

[Mell]

Did the offer samosas? If they did, it'd be worth it.

I did it once. It is too boring to do more.

There was food, including samosas. There was also Chai, and cigarettes.

I didnt wear a bikini though. Even samosas would not be worth being made into such a scandalous spectacle for.

 

[Orion]

I wanna move to china now.

You gotta shave that beard of yours, get a suit, and be prepared to drink copious amounts of baijiu (the most disgusting hard alcohol ever) with other business men. Chinese business deals basically consist of getting extremely hammered until one or both parties can't take it anymore and they retire to their fancy hotel rooms.

If they decide they think you are a good drinking buddy, then they'll likely sign the business contract.

 

[Orion]

Both times I visited Mumbai, India, I was heavily in demand by Bollywood. They are always looking for white western people to put in their movies and advertisements.

Last May, when I was there, they were looking for white women to be filmed in bikinis. They were always trying to recruit white female tourists walking around the streets to do it. I think, they were trying to make shocking advertisements, aimed at Indian audiences. Women in bikinis are still shocking in India. And, to make it worse, there is already way too much gossip amongst Indians in India, about the poor morals of western women.

That kind of marketing is why western female tourists get sexually harassed a lot in India, and why it's unsafe for them to walk the streets alone. If you have blonde hair and blue eyes, you can forget about it.

 

[Mell]

That kind of marketing is why western female tourists get sexually harassed a lot in India, and why it's unsafe for them to walk the streets alone. If you have blonde hair and blue eyes, you can forget about it.

That attitude was there, before the movie and advertisement makers started to take advantage of it. There is a general opinion amongst all but the most modern Indians, that western people are very sexully promiscious. They forget to take into account, that even the most promiscious western women are particular about who they have sex with, and harass them all in the presumption that we want all men in that way.

 

[the makeout hobo]

You gotta shave that beard of yours, get a suit, and be prepared to drink copious amounts of baijiu (the most disgusting hard alcohol ever) with other business men. Chinese business deals basically consist of getting extremely hammered until one or both parties can't take it anymore and they retire to their fancy hotel rooms.

If they decide they think you are a good drinking buddy, then they'll likely sign the business contract.

How do you know about my manly and impressive beard?

 

[Orion]

How do you know about my manly and impressive beard?

I saw a picture of you once, in the tavern I think?

Beards don't fly in China, unless you are living in the more westernized areas.

 

[the makeout hobo]

I saw a picture of you once, in the tavern I think?

Beards don't fly in China, unless you are living in the more westernized areas.

Ah. I currently have it shaved like General Burnsides (google for a pic)

 

[Orion]

lol... that's even more audacious!

You would have to look conservative, and non-western... which means short hair and shaved.

 

[ludahai]

You gotta shave that beard of yours, get a suit, and be prepared to drink copious amounts of baijiu (the most disgusting hard alcohol ever) with other business men. Chinese business deals basically consist of getting extremely hammered until one or both parties can't take it anymore and they retire to their fancy hotel rooms.

If they decide they think you are a good drinking buddy, then they'll likely sign the business contract.

Not to mention a willingness to engage in chain smoking... Americans have no idea how serious a smoking problem can be in society until they spend any appreciable time in China...

 

[Orion]

Not to mention a willingness to engage in chain smoking... Americans have no idea how serious a smoking problem can be in society until they spend any appreciable time in China...

Oh god... don't get me started...

One time I had a lung infection there and the doctor actually told me to go buy a pack of cigarettes, and he was a western MD. I just stared at him blankly.

 

[ludahai]

This story doesn't surprise me. This was going on when I lived in Shanghai in the early 90s. I didn't get into this, but I was in a few local TV ads when I lived in Shanghai -- even easier for me because I am blond, reasonably fit and can speak Mandarin Chinese...

 

[ludahai]

Oh god... don't get me started...

One time I had a lung infection there and the doctor actually told me to go buy a pack of cigarettes, and he was a western MD. I just stared at him blankly.

I dated a girl when I lived in Ji'nan (A Manchu who claimed connections to the former royal family, BTW) and though her dad was a doctor, he was also a heavy smoker...

Few women there smoke, but nearly all adult men do... Great opportunities for Western non-smoking men, I can assure you...