To expand upon Roger Fan’s blog entry ‘Red Dawn Attacks’, it’s pretty apparent from this piece on PRI’s The World, that having classical Anglo looks continues to have its advantages. Apparently Western expats are being hired by Chinese companies to pose as executives to help them close deals with Asian clients. Journalist Bill Marcus talks about how he was hired by Philip Tang, regional manger for Cotik, a Hong Kong based architectural design firm to be their Business Development Director for the day.
http://www.theworld.org/2009/07/09/western-expats-in-demand-in-china/
While these business tactics are disconcerting on racial and ethical grounds, it did make me think about what life would be like if I could simply hire someone to be my proxy for a day.
If you could hire an actor to be you for a day, who would it be and why?
Can I hire three people? Yao Ming and his parents. Have you seen his parents? They look just like our parents except the mom is 6’4″ and the dad is 6’10″.
If in the spirit of your piece, I would be required a white dude–a young Marlon Brando or Sean Penn since I’m sooooo like them. Asian–Sung or Roger of course. But if I can choose anything–Bugs Bunny. That mofo could do anything.
i was just in vietnam and a friend of mine who is vietnamese american, just hired a white guy with less credentials and also went to a low ranked university, and gave him a VP title. So now this white guy will accompany my Asian American friend to meetings and basically make them look like “they mean business”.
So if I had to choose a white guy, I’d go for James Spader or Alan Rickman; go the sinister white man route.
OMG! That PRI audio/article was insane. What recession? yeah, ok, so you’re a caucasian wall street executive that got laid off. can’t find work? just pack your bags (don’t forget to bring your Armani suits) and buy a one way ticket to Shanghai. Work abounds. Why be a CEO or banker when you can just play one for a few hours to help the Chinese close large corporate deals. what could be better?
as for hiring an actor to be me for a day? hmm…
I would pick Jessica Alba. Why? I’d die laughing watching all my guy friends faint when she introduces herself as Roger Fan.
A Muppet, please. lew zealand, rowlf, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew . . .
I just looked up Muppet Wiki. There were 2,266 characters! I’ll take any of them.
The one and only Gary Coleman. Circa Different Strokes…”What you talkin about_______?” The best answer for any compromising situation.
i.e
A. Cop pulls you over for a violation. Cop asks, “do you know how fast you were going?” ANSWER= “What you talkin about copper?”
B. Man asks you what your name is while your in the steam sauna. “What’s your name young man?” ANSWER= “What you talkin about pervert?”
C. Guy asks you to come to a vigil. ANSWER= “What you talkin about Mentally Challenged?”
[...] found this link from The Minority Militant’s blog, which linked me to the original story. In China, they [...]
If I were to choose a proxy, then I’d choose Mike Myers doing Dr. Evil with Mini-Me as his proxy. So I’d be represented by proxy squared: “One million dollars…”