If you are not the one

 

Ma Nuo (left), a model from Beijing and a guest on Jiangsu Satellite Television's If You Are The One program, has been derided for her material girl image. [Pohot: China Daily]

"If You Are the One" was a popular 2008 Chinese romantic comedy film directed by Feng Xiaogang. Telling the story of a single nouveau riche man in his late 40s who listed open invitations to potential partners online with the only stipulation being "if you are the one" which actually means "do not disturb unless sincere."

This year, a dating show with the same name, created by Jiangsu TV, stirred a buzz for its moral ambiguity and visually electrifying format.

Aired every Saturday and Sunday, a jury of 24 single women from all walks of life question one male contestant, watch his introductory video and vote via light buttons to determine whether or not he should remain on the show.

In turn, the guy is allowed to choose his favorite among the women for a date should he survive this "trial."

The show has drawn in millions of viewers, but the outspoken remarks about materialism by the young women on the show have stirred extensive controversy.

Ma Nuo, a 22-year-old model from Beijing who appeared on the popular dating show, haughtily rejected an offer for a ride on a jobless male contestant's bike. She claimed she would "…rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle."

For some young women like Ma in modern China, true love is all about the numbers. No matter how humorous or handsome a potential suitor is, what really matters to some women is if he owns an apartment and a luxury car.