Cross Cultural 3

A reader left a brief comment on the initial post, Cross Cultural, saying that money drives a much younger gay man of one ethnicity into the arms of a much older gay man of another ethnicity. He also referred to the gay bars in South East Asia specifcially catering to foreign men.  FuelMix has some comments on that.

Assume that the younger gay man is Asian and the older gay man is Western.  Assume also 2 main scenarios:

• Younger Asian male from a rural background;
• Younger Asian male from an urban background;

Younger Asian Male From A Rural Background

Origins

1.   In  countries like Thailand, Laos, Kampuchea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and China, despite their fast-emerging economic status, there is massive rural poverty. Younger men and women will do anything to get a better life.  That better life starts with the bright lights of a larger city, like the nation's capital or a beach or tourist resort where white foreigners with fat wallets (and fatter waistlines) are guaranteed to show up.


Motivations

2.   For the young guy, getting out of the village may have been forced on him, or he fled, or he decided he had enough ambition to make it on his own, or his friends from the village had already moved to town and were calling him to join them.  Throw in some naiveity and gullibility; and let's not rule out covert or overt human trafficking where young people of both sexes are lured into the city with cash as bait.

"Will the Young Asian Village Guy be aware of what he might have to do in order to get the cash?........." 

3.   Is the Young Asian Village Guy aware of his sexuality?  He might - in which case, living as a gay guy in the village is a doomed proposition at worst, or uncomfortable at best. All signs point to the exits.  If he's not definitively aware of his sexuality, he'll certainly be aware of the lure of cash.

4.   Will the Young Asian Village Guy be aware of what he might have to do in order to get the cash?  That depends on his looks, his view of his sexuality, his naiveity, peer pressure, his family obligations back in the village, his willingness to take an opportunistic risk and perhaps a dash of calculating cynicism.


Execution

5.   What he might lack in formal education, is replaced by a PhD in Street Smarts as soon as he hits the Strip with the Go-Go boys in the flourescent yellow G-strings who start work at 10pm.  He's gonna find out how to survive either through incremental wisdom, unofficial mentoring from the other Go-Go boys, exploitative trauma - or a combination of all three.

6.   Sooner or later, Young Asian Village Guy will discover the fundamental truth in advertising that sex sells ....... and....... his looks will sell - or at least can be rented. The proliferation of go-go bars, clubs, gay massage parlours, discreet all gay resort boutique hotels, a burgeoning gay travel industry focused on the Asia Pacific region,  cruisy gay or gay-friendly gyms, gay cafes and  gay friendly shops may be his introduction to a body focused culture - regardless of how he defines his sexuality.

"What he might lack in formal education, is replaced by a PhD in Street Smarts as soon as he hits the Strip with the Go-Go boys in the flourescent yellow G-strings who start work at 10pm."

7.   Considering that the age of consent might be somewhat lower than in the West, Young Asian Village Guy will learn quickly  that multiple streams of income in a body focused culture - coupled with an exotic ethnicity and tropical heat -  are most easily obtained from a parade of older male (fat) white foreigners with age spots and pudgy fingers.  Thanks to them, The Strip goes 24/7 and thanks to them, he might have a job in a G-String till he turns 30 (either his looks will go by then or pressure from the family to marry and have a kid might be unbearable and he'll succumb).  That's a lot of cash than can be sent back to the village between now and then.

8.   More importantly, he'll learn about competition - there's no shortage of exotic looking twinks from the boonies, bailing into The Strip by the Toyota truckload.  Over time, Young Asian Village Guy will define his looks -  masculine buffed gym jock or skinny effeminate doe-eyed twink or EMO boy...? Not only his body, but his dress sense, mannerisms and language will change to reflect his new persona........and so they should......he's independent and earning an income in the "entertainment" or "hospitality" or "tourism" (they're all euphemisms) industry.

"Thanks to the Web, the whites have done their homework.  They know exactly which joints on The Strip to patronize or avoid."

9.   But the competition cuts 2 ways.  Not only is he competing with the newest arrival on The Strip, but he's also competing for the attention of the fat older white males. Thanks to the Web, the whites have done their homework.  They know exactly which joints on The Strip to patronize or avoid.  They are fully capable of telling the difference between Raunch and a Rip-off and they have a grapevine to boot.  They'll tip well - even handsomely - but they'll demand The Full Monty and Full Service.

10............And more than one fat older white guy will have his eye on him...... an initial sexual attraction will morph into fascination and obsession - for at least as long as the fat  older white guy remains checked in at the budget, or more upscale boutique resort, hotel.

11.  Over time, Young Asian Village Guy will develop a photographic memory of his white customers. He'll know who the Big Spenders are, what time of year they show up, how long they stay, what they like to talk about, how buffed he needs to be, how tight his T-shirt and jeans need to be, where they fondle him, what they drink, how much they'll drink and how much they'll spend - on him.

12.  He'll learn the art of Rehearsed Vulnerability - judiciously casting personal details about how tough life is in the village.  Creating empathy is important to keep those drinks flowing, those tips coming and a loyal customer base of fat older white guys.

13.  As he builds up his confidence, he'll take to Upselling to the fat older white guy.  That will take 3 forms:

• Hustling -  Heck, it may even be expected of him by his employers sooner rather than later. He might have a stable of smitten regular fat older white guys.  He might even date them in succession, giving each the impression that they are "The One".  Along the way, he'll pick up cash, gifts, compliments, a trip to another city...........
• Drug Dealing - it's a lucrative side income and par for the course on The Strip.
• Pimping - he'll offer to introduce fat white guy to some of his buddies who know exactly what to do and say to please him.  To the fat white guy in the tropics, an offer of a sun-kissed harem of Go-Go boys for the duration of his stay - and potentially on his repeat visits -  is too tempting to resist. Of course, Young Asian Village Guy will get a cut from all those pelvic thrusts. It's just not publicly discussed.

How long can this "arrangement" go on? At this point, let's just say it's one of convenience or expediency, or simply supply meeting demand.


Coming up in Part 4:  The Young Asian Urban Guy
Coming up in Part 5:  Profiles of the Ageing White Guy: Paternal, Predator or Pathetic?

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