This is part 5 of a series of 9 blogposts. Read other posts in the series here:
(1) Introduction
(2) The physical
(3) The body specific
(4) Demographical compatibility
(5) Family life
(6) Self-identity
(7) Gendered imaginaries
(8) Personal interests and abstract metaphors
(9) Existential navigations

This fifth installment aims to loosely thematize some discursive negotiations of love and life based on season 5 of Fei Cheng Wu Rao (非诚勿扰)/If You Are The One around ‘Family life’. [Image heavy]

Screen grabs obtained from ‘Commemorative Fashion Shoes‘ Tumblr with permission from the owner

(a) Most of the women are on the show for marriage.

Some of them have short-term goals.

Others already have timelines all worked out.

And some male contestants are happy to pander to these aspirations.

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(b) Some women desire marriage and a baby (again with the timelines).

And a subset have specific rationales for their timelines.

Some male contestants see childbearing and rearing as the crux of a woman’s responsibility/function/purpose in life.

But there is little wonder why, given the time pressures and reminders about reproductive corporeal expiry dates.

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(c) Although the women contenders featured usually have full-time jobs and some level of financial independence, some desire to be homebodies.

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(d) Moving from homebodies to homemaking, some women are willing to take on the full burden of domestic chores.

And some men expect this of them.

Yet, expectations of gender role reversal are not uncommon.

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(e) Parents can be a tricky lot. Many female contenders and male contestants openly quip about signing up for the show to fulfill their (grand)parents’ last wishes of witnessing their marital bliss.

Although there is the odd parent whose pressures/incentives are more… innovative.

It seems parents give one all sorts of advice and yardsticks for assessing a prospective partner.

As expected, parental approval is important.

And better yet, the more alike, the more approval.

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Any thoughts? Beep me! Installment six on Self-identity to come.