Entertainment

Love Is $40,000 in 'Transformers' Tickets?

by Loretta Donelan

In one of the strangest grand romantic gestures we've ever heard of, a Chinese man bought hundreds of tickets to Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction, apparently to impress his ex-girlfriend. For what amounts to around $40,000, he bought all the tickets in four IMAX theaters in Beijing and gave them away on the internet for free, promising anyone who shared the post (and thus make it more likely for his ex-GF to notice) a ticket.

On his blog, he wrote that she left him because he was poor, and he tells her, "I only want to say that you might have been wrong when you made that decision."

There are so many reasons why this seems like a misguided gesture. First, it's a little late. The girl dumped him seven years ago — she's probably moved on by now, and, for the dude...that's a long time to hold a grudge. Apparently he's been working hard to make enough money for such grand gestures, but the amount of time that has elapsed makes him seem a little obsessive.

Secondly, there are much more prudent ways to flaunt wealth. Couldn't he have saved up for a really nice house or, I don't know, put it towards his retirement? Those actions show responsibility and financial savvy; this guy's frivolous purchase cost him half of what he claimed to be his monthly income. Thirdly, why Transformers? Seriously, it's a Michael Bay movie: not exactly the most romantic choice (though I guess it could have been their special thing?)

And if this man was looking to show off his generous spirit, there are worthier causes than enabling bloggers to see blockbusters. How grand can a gesture be if it makes no sense?