The chapter explores the transition of personal ads in literary magazines from straightforward requests to self-referential irony and witty statements. Advertisers now boast about unique preferences and include ironic confessions, revealing underlying themes of self-love, self-loathing, and hope in dating ads.
Domestic divisions are already complicating the daunting task William Lai Ching-te has set himself: strengthening Taiwan while maintaining its ambiguous geopolitical status quo. With more and more big firms choosing to stay private—with good reason—the stockmarket is shrinking (09:37). And dating apps are putting an end to the lonely-hearts advertisement (16:47).
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