First Image of Brendan Fraser in ‘Rental Family’ - A down-and-out actor living in Tokyo is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental-family company, leading him on an unexpected journey of self-discovery through the roles he plays in other people’s lives.

    • Gerudo@lemmy.zip
      38·
      6 days ago

      There is a whole industry in some Asian countries for people to hire other people as fake boyfriends, girlfriends, foreign friend or just someone to hang out with because you’re lonely. As a foreigner, you could be used as a “prop” basically showing how cultured you are by having a foreigner around.

      Think of it like renting pineapples for fancy dinner parties in the old days.

      • IWW4@lemmy.zip
        5·
        6 days ago

        It is also an innovation on the concept of professional mourners. For thousands of years eastern and middle eastern cultures have hired professional mourners to make funeral attendance larger.

        • sartalon@lemmy.world
          6·
          6 days ago

          I’m pretty sure an upside down pineapple symbol has a meaning similar to that.

          Back in the day, hanging a pineapple out front was something like, “Hey, I just got back from a voyage abroad, come hangout and see what I brought back with me and listen to my tales.”

          Then slowly turned into just a party. But pineapples were super rare, so people would rent one.

      • Notyou@sopuli.xyz
        5·
        6 days ago

        you could be used as a “prop” basically showing how cultured you are by having a foreigner around.

        Is that why Gwen had those 3 Japanese girls around her for a time? I thought it was weird having human accessories.

  • memfree@piefed.socialEnglish
    101·
    6 days ago

    Do any experiment for me, okay? You’re down here reading comments.
    When you finish this post, just scroll up to the pic real quick and scroll back down and lemmie know what you think.

    “Hello, Newman.”