Anyone who watches enough television or browses magazines will have noticed the surfeit of real estate commercials. These commercials often incorporate the image of pop and movie stars to give their houses the proper sense of glamour and affluence.
The most popular concept of late has been the "villa" - a mansion by Chinese (or most anyone's) standards, surrounded by verdant fields and forests, with a golf course, swimming pool, library, etc. all located conveniently nearby. What you are buying isn't just a piece of land, but an entire lifestyle.
The narrator of these tedious infomercials claims he's discovered the meaning of life, which is to "xiang shou sheng huo" (enjoy life). We see images of "family life", adults drinking champagne, children playing with dogs, men relaxing in the sauna or flipping through heavy tomes in the library whenever they get that intellectual urge.
It seems to me that what they are attempting to sell is something manufactured, a pseudo-aristocratic lifestyle that attempts to merge the best of the West with the essentials of the East.
If we're going to talk about the upper classes, I have to say that I liked them all better when they occurred "naturally" in their respective countries. There's something more dignified about living as the Duke of someplace in England or as a Chinese official during imperial times than as a Chinese or expat noveau riche buying some kind of pre-packaged lifestyle.
In America, there was a similar reaction to the nouveaux riches created by the Industrial Revolution - they were disparaged by the old elite, which had more of an Old World flavour, soaked in history and culture.
Far be it from me to claim that a system where a self-made millionaire can relax on a manicured lawn with a bottle of champagne and a cocker spaniel by her side is worse than a system where wealth was begotten by the exploitation of workers and peasants.
After real estate commercials end with a sunset, violins, and a fade to black, the furniture commercials begin. The furniture outlets use much of the same language as the real-estate commercials: luxury, comfort, style, East, West, hybrid, and everything in between.
I live in an apartment complex with mostly working-class Chinese, and watching these commercials often strikes me as absurd, because I'm sure most of them don't know what manicured lawns or landscaping is. I bet none of those fancy tables costs less than their yearly salary.
But don't think they're facing destiny lying down. There are supplements that boost brainpower and memory, overpriced institutes to learn foreign languages, schools where you can specialize in foreign trade, and huge lines outside consulates for people looking to get an MBA overseas.
Everyone wants to climb upwards, leaving the past behind, indulging in new creature comforts. This is the new China.
kan9177@yahoo.com
