Sarong Party Girl (also abbreviated to SPG) is a derogatory term
used in Singapore, and, less frequently, in Peninsular Malaysia. It
describes a local Asian woman (Chinese, Malay, Indian, etc.) who
usually dresses and behaves in a provocative manner; and
exclusively dates and prefers caucasian men. This can be considered
a variant of the Pinkerton Syndrome, as it involves an Asian woman
who only dates Caucasian men and considers them superior to their
local counterparts.
The term first achieved international notoriety after Jim Aitchison
(with illustrations by Theseus Chan) published a book entitled
"Sarong Party Girl" in 1994 that offered a satirical portrayal of
the SPG and related aspects of Singaporean culture.
Common traits and stereotypes
The stereotypical Sarong party girl has extremely tanned skin, a
false foreign accent, and is provocatively dressed. Originally, the
outfit of choice was thought to be a bikini/tank-top paired with a
sarong. Many of them frequent clubs or nightspots that are popular
with expatriate Caucasians in order to meet and form relationships
with these men. Sarong party girls are known to prowl specific
nightspots in Singapore along Clarke Quay, Emerald Hill and City
Hall, the classic place being The Next Page on Mohammed Sultan
Road.
Sarong party girls in Pop culture
Portrayals of Sarong Party Girls in local entertainment often
present them to the audience as gold-digging, husband snatching
Asian sirens. This perception contributed much to Singapore's
decadent era in the 70's, as seen in films of that time period,
like Saint Jack. The Sarong party girl stereotype was also
popularised by a series of humorous books by Jim Aitchison in the
nineties, but later fell out of use.
Isabella X
The term regained popularity in 2005 after, nineteen year old
Isabella X, a Singaporean blogger, writing first under the alias
"Sarong Party Girl" and then later as "Miss Izzy." She received
attention in the local press after posting nude photographs of
herself on her webpage. Her blog, which began in 2004, often
discusses the politics of sexuality, religion and controversial
issues such as the death penalty, in addition to documenting her
often tragic/comic encounters with Caucasian expatriates. She
continues to post provocative photos of herself on the site and
writes articles for Today and a monthly column for FHM
Singapore.
