Lesbeau

The latest office chitchat is all about Hong Kong billionaire Cecil Chao, and his bounty of HK$500 million to any guy able to sweep Cecil’s lesbian daughter off her butch feet. (I make an assuredly misguided assumption with my very first sentence, as Gigi Chao might very well be what some circles call a lipstick lesbian. Thus, she may be more prone to wearing Blahniks rather than Doc Martens.)

One colleague has no problems with Gigi’s sexual preference, confident about his persuasive powers.  This macho self-confidence is apparently prevalent all over the world, as new reports have it that Gigi has received many Facebook requests from total strangers, to the point where she has declared she will now stop accepting friend requests.  In turn, her father claims to have garnered a hundred marriage proposals, including an offer by a Brazilian to add the sweetener of another woman, a la ménage-a-trois, so as to ensure his daughter’s pliability.

Those guys who wrote Cecil and sent expressions of interest have it all wrong. Their first stop shouldn’t be the father – they should be targeting the daughter. Even if papa has the bucks, it’s the fille that has to say “yes” and walk down the altar.

Which leads to the problem – how will papa Chao know that the marriage is genuine?  What if a gay guy propositions Gigi, and  makes a deal to enter into a sham marriage, just so his own conservative Chinese parents and Gigi’s own embarrassing father can heave a sigh of relief and go on to their next lives, satisfied that their children are safely within the cordon of marital bliss?

(I know, I just invented Gigi’s best gay friend and his own issues into the picture, just to make it more interesting.  The storyline is so rich with possibilities.  In fact, Hollywood has already asked Gigi for permission to buy the rights to her story.  What with a girlfriend whom she married in Paris and her privileged lifestyle in that capital of the wealthy, and her father who’s boasted of bedding thousands of nubile lasses, who wouldn’t want to watch the movie?)

Back to Gigi’s beau.  Will papa Chao impose conditions before releasing the funds?  Like, a million dollars a month while they stay married, and if they call it quits by the fifth year, nothing more gets paid?  And, only if they stay beyond five years, will the stud get the bonanza? 

Or will papa Chao require that offspring be produced?  The husband-to-be has to prove his manhood, and Gigi has to get impregnated, so that the next generation of Chaos will be assured? (That’s also one way papa Chao can make sure the money stays within the family.) 

Oh, might as well stipulate that Gigi has to stay alive for the next ten or so years.  The husband might be a cunning serial killer who’s not going to be contented with what papa Chao will dole out, but also has his eyes on what he’ll inherit if a sudden misfortune befalls Gigi.  (Although better to wait until after Papa Chao dies before making his move, so the inheritance pot’s larger.)

I’m surprised that Gigi didn’t react more violently towards her father.  She could be screaming and kicking at the violation of her privacy and at being outed to the whole world, plus she’s just been exposed to world press scrutiny.  (Even TMZ ran a feature on them, for Christ’s sake.)  But no such inflamed reaction came from her.  From her interviews, she seemed resigned and a bit amused at the turn of events, with maybe just a touch of exasperation at her father. 

The good thing about papa Chao’s move?  It opens up a glimpse into other cultures and the lives of gay people within them.  It’s a peek into the attitudes of Asian families (albeit comfortably up there in the upper class stratosphere). It also opens up discussions on family relationships between fathers and lesbian daughters, and what’s permissible behavior between them.  (I wouldn’t call what Cecil did permissible, but heck, at least he didn’t throw boiling oil on her face for the ‘shame’ she brought to the family, like what happens in Pakistan.) 

I’d like to see what happens next.