8 Asians

  • About us
  • Write for 8Asians
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Suggest |
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • GASP!
  • POP 88
Pete Hoekstra’s Offensive Anti-Asian Super Bowl AdPete Hoekstra’s Offensive Anti-Asian Super Bowl Ad
What I Learned From Posting A Dragon Lady Personal AdWhat I Learned From Posting A Dragon Lady Personal Ad
Jeremy Lin Shows He’s Just What The Knicks NeedJeremy Lin Shows He’s Just What The Knicks Need
Asian Men Have The Highest SalaryAsian Men Have The Highest Salary

Let 100 McMansions Bloom?

By Lily | Monday, November 5, 2007 | 10 Comments

According to this WSJ article, “Let 100 McMansions Bloom”, they’re building French style mansions in China. It always makes me sad to hear about these developments. I know it’s part of the nation’s economic rise, but it seems like it’s a loss of culture and history, as they pave over farmland and traditional styled homes.

The mansions have a “cookie-cutter” feel to them, and are just one manifestation of China’s “infatuation” with foreign (by which I think they mostly mean American/ Western/ European) lifestyles. The main place featured in the article is a set of mansions called “Palais De Fortune.” The French word for “fortune” is in fact “fortune” but it still gives it this half-translated, Le French Cafe feel to it. Not to mention the directness and lack of subtlety in the name “fortune”—like if someone built a block of mansions here and called it “Rich Street.” The name has even been printed in big letters on a box-shaped sign and plunked prominently on top of the corner gate.

The new houses are regarded as highly desirable by the new wealthy class, and the French mansions are just one of several themed developments—other themes include Europe, Canada, and Space. In response to the suggestion that this is like Disneyland, an real estate agent replies that the Chinese people wouldn’t really mind the comparison. If they saw the WSJ article, they would probably think “McMansions” was a compliment too.

Basically, tacky and tasteless things are happening! And no one is stopping it! It is noted that the building of chateaus by the newly rich is not unprecedented (Gatsby comes to mind, though I suppose there are real-life examples). But that’s no reason to let history repeat itself. Someone say to them Look, this isn’t really what you want to do. Trust me, in a few years, or even right now, people will be ridiculing these places.

MOODTHINGY
How does this post make you feel?
  • Excited
  • Fascinated
  • Amused
  • Bored
  • Sad
  • Angry

Categories:

Lifestyles
Tweet

NOTE: 8Asians.com is a community, and we thank you for being a part of it. While we welcome and appreciate differences in opinion, if you're rude or you're promoting spam, we have a right to edit or delete your comment. Read our comment policy for more information.

If you see a comment that violates the 8Asians.com comment policy, you may flag the comment by mousing over the comment and clicking "FLAG."

Sign in
Livefyre logo
  • Comment help
  • Get Livefyre
Post comment as
twitter logo facebook logo
Sort: Newest | Oldest
Bertie

who are we to judge? just take a look at the mcmansion explosion in the u.s.! and as to non-mcmansions, check out some of the "quaint" houses in certain parts of queens and nassau county - they're not "authentic" either. they're tudor style knock-offs. and so what? they're cute. i'd like one. hell, i'll take a mcmansion. to hell with the detractors.

i think people who ridicule mcmansions fall into two categories: (1) cultural classists and (2) people who can't afford them. the people in the first category are snobs and look down upon the people who buy them as coarse and unrefined; it's really just a bizarre form of classism. it gives these people a sense of smug superiority to think the following: "wow, look at the clueless hoi polloi who have come into money but who are unaware of how unrefined they really are. how gauche. i'm better than them, because i know they have no taste. hee hee hee hon hon hon." and the people in category two are just jealous. i suspect some people fall into both categories.

why can't people who finally have some money enjoy the fruits of their labors without being ridiculed? i mean, good for them! communism sucks, and i'm excited that these folks in china are finally getting to own some kick-ass property from their perspective. if it makes them happy, then i'm happy for them.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
Bertie

who are we to judge? just take a look at the mcmansion explosion in the u.s.! and as to non-mcmansions, check out some of the "quaint" houses in certain parts of queens and nassau county - they're not "authentic" either. they're tudor style knock-offs. and so what? they're cute. i'd like one. hell, i'll take a mcmansion. to hell with the detractors.

i think people who ridicule mcmansions fall into two categories: (1) cultural classists and (2) people who can't afford them. the people in the first category are snobs and look down upon the people who buy them as coarse and unrefined; it's really just a bizarre form of classism. it gives these people a sense of smug superiority to think the following: "wow, look at the clueless hoi polloi who have come into money but who are unaware of how unrefined they really are. how gauche. i'm better than them, because i know they have no taste. hee hee hee hon hon hon." and the people in category two are just jealous. i suspect some people fall into both categories.

why can't people who finally have some money enjoy the fruits of their labors without being ridiculed? i mean, good for them! communism sucks, and i'm excited that these folks in china are finally getting to own some kick-ass property from their perspective. if it makes them happy, then i'm happy for them.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
Xxxtine

it's not a direct comparison ... but when I visited Vancouver for the first time the first thing that hits you are the mountains. I'm from Toronto, on the other end of the country where we have no such items in our cityscape. The guy I was staying with, didn't think to much of them, because they were just there - part of the environment - but me as a visitor, never seeing anything like it, was fascinated.

This works much the same way. If you're looking at an environment that just sprouts up the same thing over and over again - same old same old, it's get boring. People like unique things and the more obsessive become collectors. I mean, for myself, I'm in North America, but am more fascinated with what is coming out of Asia like Swiss Army Featured cellphones and clothes that actually fit!

Also, the Chinese were never good at giving flowery names to items - just look at a menu for a Chinese restaurant and compare to a menu from a French restaurant.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
Xxxtine

it's not a direct comparison ... but when I visited Vancouver for the first time the first thing that hits you are the mountains. I'm from Toronto, on the other end of the country where we have no such items in our cityscape. The guy I was staying with, didn't think to much of them, because they were just there - part of the environment - but me as a visitor, never seeing anything like it, was fascinated.

This works much the same way. If you're looking at an environment that just sprouts up the same thing over and over again - same old same old, it's get boring. People like unique things and the more obsessive become collectors. I mean, for myself, I'm in North America, but am more fascinated with what is coming out of Asia like Swiss Army Featured cellphones and clothes that actually fit!

Also, the Chinese were never good at giving flowery names to items - just look at a menu for a Chinese restaurant and compare to a menu from a French restaurant.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
Chook

When I lived in the U.S, I was amazed at how much of an inferiority complex some Americans had when comparing their culture to that of Europeans. For instance, when I lived in Houston, they imported British phone booths and placed them in some upscale parts of town where these objects supposedly added to the air of "culture" of the neighbourhood.

In the U.K (where I'm from) these phone booths were nothing more than convenient lavatories for the post-pub-crawl drunk and the homeless. More often than not the phones had been vandalized or simply didn't work and reeked of urine and vomit. Some cultural symbol!!

So, yes it is sad to see people placing more value on other people's culture than there own but it is a natural process I think.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
Name unavailable

When I lived in the U.S, I was amazed at how much of an inferiority complex some Americans had when comparing their culture to that of Europeans. For instance, when I lived in Houston, they imported British phone booths and placed them in some upscale parts of town where these objects supposedly added to the air of "culture" of the neighbourhood.

In the U.K (where I'm from) these phone booths were nothing more than convenient lavatories for the post-pub-crawl drunk and the homeless. More often than not the phones had been vandalized or simply didn't work and reeked of urine and vomit. Some cultural symbol!!

So, yes it is sad to see people placing more value on other people's culture than there own but it is a natural process I think.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
courageous kiwi

I thought I deleted that first sentence because it turned out to have no relevance to the rest of the comment. I guess not ...

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
courageous kiwi

I thought I deleted that first sentence because it turned out to have no relevance to the rest of the comment. I guess not ...

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
courageous kiwi

You know what they say - the whores are greener on the other side of the brothel. Or something to that effect.

Cheesy facsimiles of foreign culture aren't news. Remember Larry Ellison's old house in Atherton? Talk about a sad, sad Otaku.

An interesting paradox in the general science of culture assimilation is that cultural aspects which become "Lost in Translation" by purists ends up having more importance than the original. Orange Chicken has far more prominence in the American lexicon than, say, Ma Po Tofu, and arguably, at least in America, is more "real" than "real" Chinese food. Where do you get off acting like you're better than the people buying these houses just because you think you have taste? Whatever, as long as it helps you sleep at night.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
courageous kiwi

You know what they say - the whores are greener on the other side of the brothel. Or something to that effect.

Cheesy facsimiles of foreign culture aren't news. Remember Larry Ellison's old house in Atherton? Talk about a sad, sad Otaku.

An interesting paradox in the general science of culture assimilation is that cultural aspects which become "Lost in Translation" by purists ends up having more importance than the original. Orange Chicken has far more prominence in the American lexicon than, say, Ma Po Tofu, and arguably, at least in America, is more "real" than "real" Chinese food. Where do you get off acting like you're better than the people buying these houses just because you think you have taste? Whatever, as long as it helps you sleep at night.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
 
Google
Custom Search
Advertise on 8Asians
Recent Posts
  • Chinese New Year Lanterns
  • Is Kim Jong Un Dead? Assassination Rumors Hit the Internet
  • Help Fight Stereoptypes With Asian Crew Clothing
  • Deftones’ Chi Cheng Wakes Up From His 3-Year Coma
  • SXSW 2012 Has a Nice Handful of Asian Movies
  • Woman In China Gives Birth To 15 Lb Baby
  • Naruto & Dragonball Now Available On Barnes & Noble Nook
Recent Comments
  • LH Lawson: @dcj125 Riiiiiiiiight.... cuz that's exactly what I meant with my comment. – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
  • dcj125: Why does Gawker seem to think that random Chinese citizens would know what's going on in North Korea? Seems kind of ignorant. – Is Kim Jong Un Dead? Assassination Rumors Hit the Internet
  • Blamster: I'm only familiar enough on this issue with the Chinese communities in the Northeast so I can only speak to those. Along the I95 corridor... – Bonnie Tsui & “The Changing Face of America’s Chinatowns”
  • Blamster: No one should ever feel "bound by the shackles of" their own heritage/culture. To feel burdened by your roots is to have the wrong attitude... – White Tigers: Being Caught Between Western And Asian Cultures
  • Blamster: Thanks for making my day Akrypti! Too often I see Asian girls with such low self-esteem that they embrace this crap when condescended upon by... – To The White Guy Who Tried To Give Me Pointers On How To Snag A White Guy

APA Events

  • Feb 16: Adam WarRock and Kirby Krackle: West Cost Tour Dates!!!
  • Feb 16: (New York, NY) Amar Chitra Katha: Monica Ferrell, Chitra Ganesh, Keshni Kashyap, and Himanshu “Heems” Suri of Das Racist
  • Feb 17: (Los Angeles, CA) All My Sons
  • Feb 18: (Stanford, CA) Stanford’s 16th Listen to the Silence Conference
  • Feb 18: (San Francisco, CA) NAAAP-SF Lunar New Year Gala 2012
  • Feb 25: (Los Angeles, CA) Past Present I Future Imperatives: Queer Space Time
  • Mar 3: (New York, NY) Vong Pak’s ‘Electric Shaman’ Concert
  • Apr 30: (Sacramento, CA) California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit 2012: iAdvocate
Add Your Event
www.8asians.com

Staff and Contributors

  • Editors
  • Ernie Hsiung - Founder, Editor-in-Chief
  • Moye Ishimoto - Co-Editor, Editorial
  • Joz Wang - Co-Editor, PR & APA Outreach
  • Contributors
  • Jeff S.

    LATEST POST: California Shark Fin Soup Suppliers Sue State Over Ban
  • John L.

    LATEST POST: Jay Chen Announces Run for Congress
  • Koji Steven Sakai

    LATEST POST: What LA Thinks Japanese Food Is Vs. What Japanese Really Eat
  • Tina Tsai

    LATEST POST: Naruto & Dragonball Now Available On Barnes & Noble Nook
  • Mary Tam

    LATEST POST: Is Classical Music Alive For Long?
  • Lexington

    LATEST POST: Jeremy Lin Shows He’s Just What The Knicks Need
View all Authors

Other Links

  • AsianFashion.com
  • Get your very own 8Asians merchandise here!
GASP!: A Shopping Blog
  • Mohzy Loop USB & iPhone/iPod Cable
  • My Travel Bunny Bottle Set
  • Color Ink Book, Volume Fourteen
  • “Oldboy”
  • EOS Lip Balm
POP88: A J-Pop and K-Pop Podcast
  • POP 88 #51 – I’m READY, 2012 – Non-Stop Mix
  • POP 88 #50 – Special Non-Stop FemBOTmix
  • POP 88 #49 – Somewhere Between – Interview with dir. Linda Goldstein Knowlton
  • POP 88 #48 – Mixed Bag: Chinese, Japanese, Korean and French (!?) music
  • POP 88 #47 – Back and Ready for 2011
8Asians Tumblr: Beautiful Things
  • jasmined: raeraerae: sympathyfortheartgallery: giant...
  • "I’m riding [Jeremy Lin] like friggin’ Secretariat."
  • Minh is “an emerging Asian-American artist that’s...
  • jasmined: h/t @patrickjd
  • neaato:  legendary L.A. graffiti artist Tony “Tempt” Quan gets...
Advertise | Contact Us | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Privacy Policy