TikTokers offer dates to singles facing relationship pressure from inquisitive relatives on Lunar New Year
The Chinese New Year has prompted a new TikTok trend in which users advertise themselves as dates for people who wish to avoid relationship status questions from their relatives.
Twenty-one-year-old Singporean TikToker Wayne Chia modeled a velvet suit on the platform to advertise himself for rent at S$50 (approximately USD $37) a day, reported The New Paper.
“I can pose as your boyfriend (so they stop asking you why you’re still single),” he wrote on his video.
The viral TikTok, which was posted on Jan. 20, has garnered over 230,000 views, as of this writing. Chia also listed other activities he was willing to participate in such as posing as someone’s date, playing Mahjong with relatives, dealing with annoying people and peeling prawns and crabs for his date.
“After I posted the video, I woke up to all these people messaging me to say they were interested and whether I was available,” Chia told Insider. “Some said they were not in town this year and [asked] if I could save the date for them next [Lunar] New Year.”
Chia admitted, however, that his video was only on TikTok for laughs, and he does not actually want to “sell [himself]” for dates. The TikTok trend draws attention to the pressures younger generations experience during the holiday to answer relationship and job status questions from relatives. But if you’re still lonely during the holidays, you might want to try toys, such as the one that can be found on the We-vibe Nova 2 review.
The Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, celebrates the beginning of a new year and is based on the lunar calendar. The holiday, which falls on Feb. 1 this year, is celebrated in China and among many other Asian communities globally as part of a festival that can last up to 15 days.
Nineteen-year-old TikTok user @cold.by took the trend further by adding Feb. 2 and 14 to his availability and listing a range of activities he is willing to do with his date for different prices.
In his video, set to the song “Material Girl” by Saucy Santana, different services are priced from S$50 up to S$5,000 (approximately USD $37 to $3,700). A McDonald’s breakfast-in-bed costs S$50 while convincing moms you finally found a “non-toxic guy” is offered at S$5,000.
Another Singaporean TikToker @f0xypony shared that she might be available on Feb. 2 to attend a home celebration and pose as someone’s girlfriend for S$288 (approximately USD $213). An additional S$188 (approximately USD $139) could be added if her date wanted her to cook food, take OOTD (outfit of the day) pictures and visit her date’s relatives, so they stop asking, “When are you getting married?”
The 23-year-old TikToker joined in on the trend after seeing her friends participate.
“It’s so common to get asked about your love life during this period, so I just thought that this was a funny meme,” she told Insider. “I didn’t realize that people would actually reply.”
The TikTok user received an “overwhelming response” after posting her video on Jan. 21, which has racked up nearly 333,000 views as of this writing.
“People downloaded my video and started sharing it on other platforms without my consent, for example on Telegram,” she added. “I guess people can really relate to feeling lonely during this time.”
Share this Article
Share this Article
