Since 2010, the insanely popular Chinese dating gameshow If You Are the One (非诚勿扰, Feicheng Wurao) has matched hundreds of bachelors and bachelorettes.
In case you've never heard of the show, the premise is this: 24 women decide whether or not they want to date a bachelor. The jury of single women ask questions of the guy, watch intro videos and press light buttons to decide if he's date-worthy.
The guy can also choose his favorite girl. If he survives the "trial," then he gets the chance to pick one of the girls to ask out on a date.
Think Tinder if it were turned into a Chinese gameshow. Or Taken Out, but with Chinese characteristics.
The show, which averaged 36 million viewers per episode in 2013, is the highest rated dating program in China.
It's also been embroiled in its fair share of controversy. Chinese authorities have cracked down on If You Are the One for promoting "wrong values," particularly when it comes to financial wealth.
Perhaps the most famous phrase ever uttered on this show — "I would rather cry in the back of a BMW than smile on a bicycle" — was spoken by a female contestant when asked if she'd like to ride bikes with her (unemployed) male suitor on a date. Following that (and a plethora of other controversial statements made by contestants), the show's format was tweaked to de-emphasize materialism.
If You Are the One is now being syndicated in English in Malaysia and Australia, where it's allegedly picked up somewhat of a cult following on the network SBS2.
Here are some of the craziest things (excluding the infamous BMW quote) that contestants have said on the show, translated into English.
1. Well that moved fast.
2. Same.
3. Blunt AF.
4. We hope this is the first and last time someone compares themselves to Spongebob when trying to get a date.
5. Put that on your CV.
6. And you wonder why he's on a dating show...
7. Us, IRL.
8. So much for female empowerment :\
9. High standards.
10. The self awareness is too real.
11. OUCH.
12. OUCH, Part 2.
13. Deep.
14. Wait... what?!
15. COLD.
16. But really... who doesn't have this routine?
17. We'll blame it on bad luck.
18. How refreshing it is to see a guy sticking to his principles.
19. And you wonder why you're single.
20. Yeah, who needs dignity anyway?
21. Truth.
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