Tsai Chung-yu (蔡宗育), 22, is looking for the perfect Valentine's gift for his girlfriend. As he parks his motorcycle, a beautiful model posing in lingerie winks at him from a nearby billboard. As he steps into a mall, Vivian Shu (徐若瑄) coyly greets him, advertising the latest beauty products -- perfect for the ladies on the special day. On the second floor, a stunning blonde in a low cut tank top and fitting jeans asks him to take a look at a new fragrance for women.
By this time he has been bombarded with so many images that he's forgotten why he's here in the first place. Ah, yes. Valentine's Day. Too bad his girlfriend doesn't look or act anything like the models. Tsai's predicament is easily understood by many of youths across the country.
As Taiwan's first generation brought up under the brainwashing images of TV, movies and fashion magazines, it is not surprising that by the time they reach their 20s, it has indirectly affected their views on the opposite sex.
The perfect body, the ideal look, the right boyfriend or girlfriend. The so-called "Strawberry generation" has a preconception as to what a partner should be like long before it is ready to judge for itself. For many of these young Taiwanese, the gap between advertised ideal and real life couldn't be more obvious than on Valentine's Day.
"Japanese culture has heavily influenced my views toward girls," Tsai says. "Ever since being exposed to Japanese trends at middle school, I've always thought that the perfect girlfriend should look more Japanese. Cute clothing, big watery eyes, long silk-like hair and a small but very developed figure were the characteristics of the perfect girlfriend."
How has this influenced him in every day life?
"When I'm out looking for gifts or clothes to buy, I often tend to lean towards Japanese trends. And for many guys, Japanese porn has played a big part as well. Years before encountering the situation in real life, porn has already taught us what beautiful women should look like and [how they should] behave. After years of all this, there's already a fixed mold of what a young, attractive and successful female should look like.
"If you don't look like a cute Japanese school girl, then you should look like Lin Chi-ling (
Girls are not the only victims, as this phenomenon works both ways. "Ideally, my Valentine's Day date would be Wang Lee-horn (
Due to the recent explosion of teen TV dramas and the exposure of young and wealthy businessmen, the image that has been pushed forth by the media of an ideal male is clear: He should come from a wealthy family, drive a Mercedes and own three companies before turning 35. There is mounting pressure for men to meet social expectations of what it means to be young, successful and wanted.
Doesn't all this affect one's idea of the perfect date?
"Of course. Whenever I watch TV and there's a character that is around my boyfriend's age but is already a famous musician or a big shot CEO, I joke to him why isn't he like that. But, for us [girls] it's just harmless joking as opposed to being brainwashed.
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