The Bald Restaurant Hostess

(Sina.com) 

On the morning of June 5, 2005, a female graduate from a School of Finance at a Wuhan university began her first day of work as a hostess at a local restaurant.  After signing the formal labor contract, she was led to a local barber shop and had the hair that she kept for the last 21 years completely shaved off.

Upon information, her parents and her university classmates gave their tacit approvals and were in fact happy that she found this job.  According to the restaurant manager, this is their third bald hostess.  The previous two had quit after they fell in love.  The restaurant intends to hire two more bald hostesses.

Here is my hypothetical Q&A session (which is based upon Baidu/Google searches on the subject of "Bald-Headed Restaurant Hostesses" in various China cities):

Q: Why is it necessary to have her hair shaved?

A: If you have no hair, then there would be no question of your hair falling into the food.  The customers will appreciate the hygienic implications.

Q: Great idea!  But in looking at these photos, there were at least three bald guys but also at least four women with hair.  So this cannot be the real reason.  Why do you say?

A: Well, you are right.  Obviously, the real reason is that it is difficult for a restaurant to stand out among the competition these days.  This restaurant is not called The Bald-Headed Fragrant & Spicy Restaurant for nothing.  This is a novelty that will make people patronize us just so they can take a look at the bald women.

Q:  That's nice.  But what gives you to right to demean women this way?

A:  We are not forcing anyone.  We tell them what this is going to be about, and they have to right to sign the labor contract or not.  In the United States, for example, they have strippers, pole dancers, lap dancers and all that.  That is certainly much more demeaning.  This is about free choice, really.  Anyway, if you think shaving your hair off is demeaning, you should go talk to the Buddhist monks and nuns.

Q:  Why would a woman agree to have all her hair shaved off?

A:  She gets more than twice the pay for the women who keep their hair, in appreciation of her contribution to the restaurant's brand name.