Models

One of the things I love over here in China is the western models used on billboards. For example, there are billboards that are probably three stories high on the front of many of the department stores, and invariably they feature at least a few Western looking individuals in amongst the Chinese models. These Western models always look just a little bit off when compared with models you might see in ads in North America. Sometimes their hair isn't quite right or they're REALLY pasty white. Other times they simply aren't very attractive.

My favorite example of this right now is a sign on the front of a school that teaches English. It has a closeup picture of an American guy smiling, holding a textbook in his arms. The only problem is that his teeth look as though he chewed up a bag of concrete just prior to the photo shoot. It's really bad. His teeth literally come to points in several places. Not good.

The other thing I love is the well documented complete abuse of the English language on clothing here. Last night, I saw a guy wearing a shirt that said something along the lines of "This is sign of xsccesful man." Huh? You also frequently see young ladies wearing slogans that they probably wouldn't wear if they understood them. I have to imagine some English speaking college kid someplace putting these phrases on shirts, knowing that they're completely inappropriate. It always reminds me of the line in "The Princess Bride" when Inigo Montoya says "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." That applies to virtually every use of English on Chinese clothing...