I had a long conversation earlier today with a friend  who is discouraged by the current State of the Union, as our worldwide standings in education, health, science, justice, and infrastructure continue to droop, a slide that predates the Trump presidency. But at least the US doesn’t have Programmer Motivators.

With a Noogler in the family, we can confirm all the rumors about Silicon Valley programmer coddling, which includes work-while-you-ride luxury-bus commutes all over the Bay Area; multiple free gyms; continuous free, high-quality food, from vegan to BBQ; free dropoff wash-and-fold laundry; subsidized haircuts, dry cleaning, and clothing stores; wine tastings; and cold brew coffee.

Though SV is not known for its female-friendliness, even a full compilation of SV perks would not include Programmer Motivators, young, attractive women hired to provide snacks, shoulder massages, diversion, and sympathy to male programmers. According the NYT, this is a Thing in China. The age range, gender, and appearance are specific job requirements, including a height specification. Many Chinese people, including women working as PMs and rare women programmers, seem to be ok with this concept.

Programmers are hard to recruit, and at least one Chinese company is venturing farther along this slender branch. An online recruiting ad shows Chinese strippers proclaiming their fondness for nerds while they demonstrate their craft, interspersed with the voiceover of a female who sounds like she is wearing more clothes listing technical job requirements.

So while the US falls behind our peer nations in most categories, we continue to lead in the spectrum ranging from political correctness to legal protection of gender rights, as evidenced by the #MeToo movement and the recent Cosby conviction. Not such a bad thing, quoth the Raven.* Though it is not obvious why we can’t achieve both.

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* The folk dancing community on the Peninsula uses larks and ravens rather than men and women to describe dance moves.