Chinese Singletons Snatch Up Cinema Seats to Sabotage Valentine’s Day Dates · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Every year before Valentine's Day, a mischievous online group known as the “Damn Lovers” has mobilized its members to buy odd-numbered movie tickets in a bid to ruin the romance for couples who want to sit together.
This year, they finally succeeded in occupying every other seat in at least one cinema in Shanghai during the Valentine's Day primetime movie screening.
In China, Valentine's Day is rather special this year as it overlaps with Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xiao Jie, a festival which debuted during the Qin Dynasty around 200 BC during which single people would hung around in the streets under the lantern light with the hope of finding love.
The story about single netizens occupying alternating seats in a movie theater during a Valentine's Day primetime show was reported by local newspapers. Image circulated widely online. (via ChinaSMACK)
As singles in recent years gained more visibility and power via the Internet and the modern invention Singles Day, a collective of singles called “Damn Lovers” (情侶去死去死團）or “Damn Love” （戀愛去死去死團）emerged among Chinese communities in China and Taiwan in 2005. The group belongs to the Kuso Internet culture, which relishes campy or outrageous content. According to Chinese Wikipedia:
去死去死團號稱「對抗『戀愛資本主義』社會風氣」，以「破壞浪漫氣氛」為目的。許多民眾以為它是社會上的激進運動團體，但去死團的多數活動只是以一種戲謔方式，用KUSO、搞笑和幽默的風格表達單身的孤單，亦有人藉此表示單身也可以很快樂，並且反對「商業化」的慶祝方式。在各種節日，譬如聖誕節或情人節，可提供一種有別於浪漫過節的消遣管道。
參與去死團活動的人被稱為奉行去死去死團精神或死死精神、死死主義。創團宗旨是：「我們獨善其身，為的是要渡化那些誤入歧途的情侶們。」
The Damn Love group claimed that they wanted to resist the culture of ‘love capitalism’ by ruining the ‘romantic atmosphere’. While some may think that it is a radical organization, but most of its activities are just for fun in the [Japanese] Kuso style to give a platform to the lonely feelings of singles. Some members want to broadcast the message that you can be single and happy or that they are against commercial styles of celebration. Thus, they want to create an alternative way of celebrating festivals such as the Valentine's Day and the Christmas. Members who participate in Damn Love activities have to uphold the spirit of ‘to be damned’ or ‘damnism’. The mission of the group is: ‘we are singles and devoted to save those who are trapped in relationships”.
In the past few years, the group usually spread their messages online using darkly humorous cartoons and stories. For example, the song, “Wish all the lovers turned out to be long lost brothers and sisters” by band “Good Sister” was a big hit last year's Valentine's Day:
The song takes reference from a modern Chinese play, “Lei Yu” meaning thunderstorm to curse Valentine's Day. The tragic love story of “Thunderstorm” depicts two lovers who have overcome family pressure to be together but who turn out to be long lost brother and sister. The first half of the song's lyrics goes:
今天是2月14，傳說中的情人節
滿大街的男男女女，都要在今天晚上過節。
平時買的玫瑰花是兩塊錢一朵
今天晚上要翻上十倍，姑娘還是樂歪了嘴
今天是2月14，傳說中的情人節
我打算回家一個人呆著，沒事看書吃泡面
可有個傻B在QQ問我，你怎麼還是一個人
我忍不住地對他喊出這樣親切的慰問
（祝天下所有的情侶都是失散多年的兄妹
祝你今天晚上的電影院和餐館，全都沒座位
祝天下所有的情侶都是失散多年的兄妹
不管是莫泰如家7天漢庭，全都訂不到床位
Today is February 14, the legendary Valentine's Day
Boys and girls in the streets are enjoying the festival
A rose costs about 2 yuan on an ordinary day
Today it is 10 times more expensive, but the girls still wear such a happy smile on their faces.
Today is February 14, the legendary Valentine's Day
My plan is to go home, read and eat instant noodles
But a f**king [instant messaging] QQ user asks me why I am alone
I can't help but send him this warm regard:
I wish all the lovers in the world are long lost brothers and sisters
I wish all the cinemas, restaurants are full tonight
I wish all the lovers in the world are long lost brothers and sisters
And all the beds in [hotels] Mo Tai, Home Inn, 7-days, Han Ting are occupied.
For 2014, single netizens decided to move beyond spoofs into action. So far, they have been successful in occupying one cinema in Shanghai. According to Shanghai Morning Post (via ChinaSMACK), one of the organizers of the occupation said that many of those who participated did so wanting to meet new friends, hoping to turn a “prank” into a “blind date”.
Of course, the lovers are also fighting back. Many are saying that they are happy to share just one seat.