Jun 19, 2012

Love For Sale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNvGVVqRJEs

Bachelor auction is very common in the States. You can see it in many Hollywood movies too. One of my favorite movies, Groundhog Day, has a scene when Bill Murray is dragged away by a very happy Andie MacDowell after she wins the bid.

It's a popular way to raise funds for the church, community center, high school football team, etc. However, it’s such an alien idea in Japan. In fact, charity itself is still a fairly new concept here. Japanese usually rely on family or the government for help.

But I thought they would have at least heard of bachelor auction when I suggested that we have one for Japan Cat Network, the only animal welfare NPO authorized to enter the 20km zone in Fukushima.

To my surprise, almost all my Japanese friends had never even heard of bachelor auction. Although I spent hours explaining how it worked, I am sure they are still worried about my sanity now. It’s almost impossible to convince them that I am NOT trying to sell men for slavery, start a matchmaking service, or become a pimp.

Another problem is somehow I just can’t imagine Japanese ladies trying to outbid each other on anything, let along men. They will probably have to apologize first, “I am terribly sorry, but I am afraid I will outbid you now, if you don’t mind of course.” And they probably believe the highest bidder will be obliged to marry the bachelor in the end.

So naturally I started to think about having it the other way around and doing a bachelorette auction instead. But then can you imagine the nightmare of Japanese men excitedly bidding on the woman with the biggest boobs with their tongue hanging out?

Hmmm, I guess I would really have to wear an Afro wig, a fur coat, leather boots, and approximately 4.8 pounds of jewelry then!