Guo Meimei arrested for World Cup gambling

Had Guo parlayed her notoriety into something resembling a career as an entertainer, she would have received slightly more respect. The kind of money she regarded as small change would be enough to launch a budding career. But the feature film she was reported to be making last year was called I Am Guo Meimei, which shows the depths of her infatuation with herself. She uses the real world as a stage and insists on playing herself all the time, complete with hedonistic details.

Despite my deep suspicions about her acting talent, I'll give her credit for drive. She has many of the characteristics of an artist: She chases what she wants regardless of whatever obstacles may lie ahead; she likes to conduct her life in high profile; she has a way with men in decision-making positions who somehow always yield to her material demands; and she is a pathological gambler, never afraid to take risks. If only she could act on screen or stage.

Usually if a person has talent, the public is willing to forgive their eccentricities. A genius with a big ego is still a genius, even though getting close to, or getting along with, them may be an uncomfortable experience for other people. The saddest thing is that people such as Guo have no intention of using their ill-gotten gains to achieve a meaningful goal, such as preparing themselves for financial independence. Perhaps they regard their ability to attract a legion of sugar daddies as a unique talent that will never dry up?

I'm sure Guo sees other young women who work hard for their money as fools who've failed to locate the easy route. From her perspective, she has many reasons to revel in her cleverness. While most women of her age have to squeeze onto crowded buses and subway trains to get to work, she drives around in her Maserati and spends most of her day shopping or gambling. She might even see regular workers as tragic.

Even if she is proven innocent of the accusations leveled against her, Guo's kind of life is a true tragedy of our society. Yes, it is wonderful to leave behind the era of poverty and be able to relish a life of plenty, but every person has to contribute to society's well being. I don't want to judge her by sticking a label on her, and I figure she may have strengths we are unaware of, but the way she's throwing her life away is at once bewildering and tragic. At least if she'd made her money by honest means, spending it would have been so much more enjoyable.

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