Korean Narrator Models

Not to be confused with racing or car show models, narrator models, also called "doumi," (Korean word for "helper") have been a fairly common sight on city sidewalks and in stores of South Korea since the early 90s.

Hired through agencies by businesses promoting grand openings, special events or sales, these ladies can be found outside the entrances to night clubs, restaurants, stores, or even in supermarkets like Jang Yoon-jeong, the lovely lady pictured at right (and not to be confused with the singer of the same name). Their duties include such things as handing out flyers and promo freebies, delivering sales pitches, and dancing to pulsating techno music pumped out by large PA systems under archways of colorful balloons. In addition to their appearance, these girls are chosen through auditions for their speaking and dancing abilities, and have to be of a certain size, in order to fit into the outfits provided to them.

North Korean Traffic Wardens

Rather than traffic lights (and probably because they can't afford to run and maintain them), larger cities in North Korea employ attractive and immaculately uniformed female traffic wardens at main intersections who direct what little traffic there is with military-like precision. Maneuvering atop small metal plates within white-bordered circles in the middle of those intersections, these ladies seem to have a sort of emotionless charm about them. While I have heard that there are also male traffic wardens in some cities, the capital, Pyongyang, has only female ones, typical in appearance as the one pictured at left.

Women have to meet certain physical standards in order to become traffic wardens in North Korea. According to unconfirmed but knowledgeable sources, in addition to being in good health and at least 164cm tall (not consider tall by Western female standards), they must also be no older than 26, unmarried, and apparently, easy on the eyes.

Due to the relatively high status and privileges the female traffic wardens enjoy in North Korea, they are said to be highly desired by the North Korean men, so I assume the average man there would stand little chance with one of these ladies. All of the photos that follow were taken in Pyongyang. The uniforms they wear depend on the time of year.

Teasers Girls

Teasers was a small Tennessee-based restaurant chain that was, in essence, a Hooters rip-off. From the color scheme and interior of the restaurants, right down to the outfits of their sexy female servers. (I'm not complaining, mind you, just saying.) They'd hoped to give Hooters a run for their money. They didn't. Not because anything at Teasers was bad (I ate there and I'd give the food, atmosphere, and servers all a thumbs up) ....it just wasn't Hooters.

I happened to run into these two Teasers Girls at right, during the 1994 Summer Lights festival in downtown Nashville. The ladies were handing out these fliers and just doing some PR for the then-newly-opened sport grill. What they're wearing here wasn't the official Teasers Girls uniforms, which were very similar (of course) to the Hooters Girls uniforms.

Teasers has long since gone out of business, which isn't a surprise, especially since Hooters franchises started popping up all around Nashville during the mid-90s. So, the reason this post isn't in the "Whatever Happened to.." file, is because it's no mystery whatever happened to the Teasers Girls. They got jobs at Hooters.