From CNN:
It’s a dizzying reversal of traditional gender roles in a country long known for geishas pampering male clients with conversation, singing and dancing. Now a new breed of entertainer has cropped up — think of them as male geishas.
« I give women things that men normally don’t do, like complimenting their appearance, » says one host, 24-year-old Yunosuke, who only goes by his single host name. « I make women happy. »
And they make him happy: Yunosuke says he earned more than $200,000 last year, enough to let him visit a salon once a day to have his hair dyed and blow-dried.
« Women see us as one of their accessories, » he says. « They like to wear nice things, so I try to look prettier for them all the time. »
There’s definitely a trend here. After reading Vers le sud, I need to get my hands on Cliente, a novel by Josiane Balasko (soon to be a movie). And of course there’s Christian who pulled a few tricks (link= video) as a high end escort recently on Nip/Tuck. (The video link doesn’t lead to the right scene but the striptease is kinda worth it, in a campy, Nip/Tuck way)
Check out the picture of the guy who is quoted in the CNN article. He looks strangely like that creepy woman who follows your mouse with her eyes. I wouldn’t want to be his « cliente » if he did that to me. Yikes.
Trop cool!!!! J’ai parlé de ce billet sur mon blogue!
I have to read Cliente some day. I’ve heard it’s a good book. And I’m really interested in the fact that Balasko (who certainly had more than one hit in France as a director) decided to write this book because her script was refused by french producers. Most of them being men, of course. Now, that the book has been a success here. I believe she’s sort of « allowed » to make the movie…