Is this the night of the living dummies?
While many jobs are becoming automated, some gigs are apparently going in the opposite direction. Shoppers in China were stunned after seeing human “mannequins” modeling clothes while walking on a treadmill, as seen in a viral X video with 8 million views.
“A Chinese retail chain has swapped traditional mannequins for real women walking on treadmills, wearing their clothes,” reads the caption to the somewhat dystopian-seeming clip.
According to the post, using humans rather than inanimate demo dolls helps “customers see how the garments fit and move on a person.”
In the somewhat unsettling footage, two of the sentient clothing racks can be seen striding on the moving catwalks, which were positioned outside the designer clothing store ITIB at an unspecified mall in China, News18 reported.
All the while, bystanders can be seen stopping by the display, flabbergasted over the hamster wheel-evoking hustle.
Commenters had mixed reactions to the automated-runway models, with some claiming the nonstop walking helps keep them in shape as a bonus.
“Not a bad hustle if you’re looking for some extra cash … and it keeps you fit too!” wrote one supporter on X. “Get paid to walk and show off the latest styles!”
“That’s wild. I suppose it is job security and helps them get their steps in for the day,” said another.
Others found the job quite redundant.
“Lol … that doesn’t sound like a weird unskilled dehumanizey job, does it?” said one dissenter while decrying the monotonous-seeming gig.
Real-life mannequins might seem like something out of a “Black Mirror” episode.
However, many commenters pointed out that it’s conversely quite retro, harking back to the earlier part of this century in the U.S. when clothes were modeled by real people.
“In the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s department stores like Bloomingdales had employees walk around displaying clothing for sale so clients could see different styles and know what the clothing looked like on a person,” observed one armchair fashion historian.
