A funny Valentine

In Shanghai, as in cities all around the world, people celebrated Valentine's Day this year with their romantic partners, treating them to special dinners and giving chocolates and flowers. There was plenty of evidence of this in Shanghai. The flower sellers were out in full force marking up the price of roses. And there was a very long list of romantic events and special dinners on offer in candlelit and rose-cluttered restaurants.

But not everyone was in love and some were certainly not in love with the Valentine's Day concept. Some Shanghai residents were determinedly opposed to the day and many ignored it because it did not suit or they believed it was an invention of businesses (since the Roman Catholic Church deleted Valentine as an official saint in 1969 the day has lost much religious significance).

There were alternatives to chocolates, roses and romantic dinners that were the norm and the Global Times checked alternative Valentine's Day events.

Desperate and dateless

Leading up to Valentine's Day, American Paul Nunzio did not realize that there were opportunities to enjoy the big day without a girlfriend beside him. As far as he knew, there were only events for couples on the day. So he planned to spend Valentine's Day by himself, maybe watching DVDs.

As it came closer to the day, however, he found himself fielding calls from women. In the week leading up to Valentine's Day, Nunzio received several calls from women, looking for a date. Even on the big day itself several more called him, wanting a date. But this made him unhappy. He believes these women were using him not for love but so they could appear busy and popular. This experience has been repeated often enough for him to form his own philosophy about how the sexes relate to each other.

"I find the excitement around Valentine's Day very superficial and I think it also shows a big difference between men and women. Most men, including me, don't feel particularly awkward by not having a date on Valentine's Day. We don't need a calendar to tell us when to be romantic or to dictate our love lives. They do and they call me, thinking they can use me to be their sidekick on a day that they think they need one," said Nunzio.

This year Nunzio struck lucky. He found a Valentine's Day event that did not require a date.

He discovered that the Dada Bar was screening the violent, action-packed kung fu flick Black Belt Jones (the film was listed at number 38 on the documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made) and he went there confidently and happily by himself to watch the movie with similarly-minded people - some of the thousands not looking for a romantic evening out.

The bar was not as packed as for some Dada movie nights, which are popular attractions. And the action movie is about as far away from Valentine's Day as possible. Gareth Williams, who organizes the weekly Tuesday movies at Dada, said that he didn't plan a special Valentine's show. This movie, with its violence and bizarre romance, was a happy accident.

"The whole month is a month of blaxploitation film and there aren't any romantic blaxploitation films. We didn't really think of the Valentine's Day thing," Williams said.

The audience, which included a good share of women, were much impressed though the film only has one love scene.

"It was a big relief," said Gerald Nelson, who laughed through most of the movie. "I came here without a date. I have been feeling a lot of pressure lately and coming here and watching the movie let me blow off some steam. I didn't come with anyone, but now I'm not alone."

He said that the movie offered a fun viewing experience because it was ridiculous. And it did not bother him that it was misogynistic. Others in the bar, who were also spending Valentine's Day without a partner or thoughts of romance, said that they also had fun with the movie.

Though it was not planned as an anti-Valentine's Day event, the movie seemed to spur feelings against Valentine's Day.

"You don't see interpretations of love like this, not in life or in movies anymore. It just seems so over the top and it's kind of funny to see. And on Valentine's Day, when everyone is super lovey-dovey, it makes me laugh to see this bizarre kind of love," said audience member Kristine Catherine.