Weird new job: 'Sunscreen applier'

File under implausibly odd jobs: The French resort town of Les Sables d'Olonne has posted a recruitment notice seeking two "creamers" with winning personalities to...apply sunscreen to tourists' bodies. Les Sables has a history of publicity stunts; last year, it guaranteed vacationers sunshine, offering refunds to those whose trip was curtailed by bad weather.

Here's the position (described as "the job of the summer"): Spend six weeks in July and August with your "toes in the sand," applying tanning lotion to the shoulders and back (only) of anyone who wants it, handing out samples, and dispensing safety tips. John Lichfield in Britain's Independent likens the job to lifeguarding: "But instead of saving people from drowning, [the creamers] will save people from burning."

The gig pays $1,160 per week. All applicants must submit a photo, and a 45-second video explaining why they deserve the opportunity to smear goo on strangers. Required: Fluent French. Desirable: Working knowledge of German and English, medical knowledge, and striking physical beauty. A jury will select two winners, one male and one female, in June from a list of finalists determined by an online poll.

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Competition is already heated: Within two days, 200 would-be creamers had applied to www.lejobdelete.com.