HBICtv: Ultra Rich Asian Girls () was a Canadian reality television web series created in 2014, featuring daughters of Chinese Canadians living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It ran for 3 seasons on YouTube, broadcast in Mandarin and English for a Chinese-speaking audience.
Promoted as akin to Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Crazy Rich Asians, and The Real Housewives, the show follows ultra-wealthy Chinese immigrants in Vancouver, travelling with them across various cities.
The show averaged a 4.6/10 rating on IMDb, and was criticised for its heavy promotion and "flaunting of wealth", with critics stating its premise promotes misogyny, interracial tensions, and racial stereotypes.
Premise Desmond Chen served as an executive producer and co-producer of the series.Li, creator and producer, was born and raised in Vancouver's working-class Eastside. He stated his reason for creating the show was witnessing the demographic shift of the city's 400,000 Chinese community.
The show's cast was promoted as "having fun, spending daddy's money... enjoying life and funding an economy", following them in their daily lives. The show examines the new-money class of fuerdai, Chinese "rich second generation", who provoke reactions of both "envy and censure" for their patterns of conspicuous consumption.
Reviews & Criticism Peter Guy of the South China Morning Post called the show a "case study in how not to flaunt wealth," citing the anonymous quote "You show me a highly unequal society and I'll show you a revolution or a police state."
The show Ultra Rich Asian Girls features a cultural drama, examining Chinese identity amongst second-generation immigrants, and how this relates to wealth, gender, and social relations.
Additionally, the show touches on Sinophobic sentiments towards Chinese immigrants in North America, and issues regarding extreme capital concentration in a communist nation like China.
The show averaged a 4.6/10 rating on IMDb, with public reactions regarding the cast as "Chinese version of trailer park trash," asking to "take their money somewhere else". Additionally, the web series was criticised as "boring and unoriginal", alongside heavy promotion and "flaunting of wealth", with critics stating its premise promotes misogyny, interracial tensions, and racial stereotypes.
The show also resulted in the 're-launch' of Ultra Hard Working and Not Rich Asians of Vancouver, a documentary also produced by Li, focusing on impoverished Asian immigrants.
Casting
Season 1
Chelsea Jiang Chelsea was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She studied in private schools in Beijing from the time she was seven years old until she was fourteen, and graduated from the Honour Math program at the University of British Columbia. She wants to enter fashion and run her own business: a clothing line called "C3", standing for "Choice, Change and Challenge".
Flo.Z (Florence) Florence, a graduate in of fashion design at the Istituto Marangoni in Milan, wished to be an entrepreneur and runs her own fashion line, "Flo.Z".
Coco Paris Nineteen-year-old Coco is Taiwanese and aspires to become an entertainer. Studying musical instruments since seven; she can play the guzheng, flute, drum, and violin.
Joy Joy is an international student focusing on fashion marketing. She walked her first runway show in September 2014 and showed up during the Opening Gala of Vancouver Fashion Week in Summer 2015. Her goal is to become a model.
Season 2
Chelsea Jiang Chelsea returned for season 2, with the show focusing on her pregnancy and subsequent new lifestyle.
Weymi Weymi has since graduated from Blanche Macdonald with a Fashion Marketing degree. Her parents gave her half a million dollars, and she plans to launch a bilingual luxury-lifestyle magazine.
Pam Pam is the Founder of PLY Talent Management, a local modelling agency. She also started a flower business, Concept Floral Vancouver.
Ray Ray holds a degree in Finance and Marketing from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. She has started Rono Marketing Group Ltd.
Diana Diana is a student at the University of British Columbia and speaks English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. She seeks to create and roll out a real estate app.
Season 3
Series list
Season 1 EpisodeTitleAiring DateLocation1Ultra Rich Asian GirlsOct.26, 2014Vancouver2Opium WarNov.2, 2014Victoria3Sleeping with Frenemy 1Nov.9, 2014Flo's private island4Sleeping with Frenemy 2Nov.16, 2014Flo's private island5Italy Shoppiccino Nov.23, 2014Venice6Italy - TiramisuNov.30, 2014Milan7Coco's Way Dec.7, 2014Italy; Vancouver8FinaleDec.14, 2014Nerves della Battaglia; VancouverBonusURAG BonusAug.30, 2015Vancouver
Season 2 EpisodeTitleAiring DateLocation1Growing PainsSep.13, 2015Vancouver2RegulatedSep.20, 2015Los Angeles3StartupSep.27, 2015Vancouver4Business Card GirlsOct.4, 2015New Mexico5$8 BallerOct.11, 2015Vancouver6Elephant in the RoomOct.18, 2015Vancouver
Season 3 EpisodeTitleAiring DateLocation
References