Journalists are chipping away at what was at first hailed as a spectacular opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics and finding things weren't quite as they seemed.First the opening sequence of the overhead shot of the firework "footprints" from the south of the city passing landmarks like the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and then to the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest were actually animated when shown on television.
I could tell already when I saw that on TV. Apparently real fireworks did go off in parts of the city, but that would have been impossible to show live overhead. Makes sense to me they were computer-generated fireworks. So why the outcry?
Then there is the shocking discovery that the cute little girl in the red dress lip-synched the song because the real girl who sang it was apparently not good looking enough.
True, nine-year-old Lin Miaoke was an absolute doll who wooed audiences with her big bright eyes and smile as she "sang" "Ode to the Motherland" (with the lyrics slightly changed).
The real voice was Yang Peiyi, 10, but some government officials didn't think she was cute enough in presenting a new image of China.
While Yang claims she's fine with the switcheroo, Chinese people on online forums weren't.
“Please save the last bit of trueness in our children,” wrote one person using the online name Weirderhua. “They think Yang Peiyi’s smile is not cute enough? What we need is truth, not some fake loveliness! I hope the kids will not be hurt. This is not their fault.”
Another person added: “Children are innocent. Don’t contaminate their minds!”
It'll be interesting to see 10 years from now what these two girls, who are also friends, think of the whole fiasco.China keeps wanting to present a "true" image of itself to the world so that people will have a better understanding of it.
This event has really underscored the lengths at which China will take to make sure it's the "right" image.
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4 comments:
dont forget this is just a show. does not need to be real. remember ' my fair lady' ? they had audrey hepburn to substitue julie andrews for her good looks . and she also lip-synched too. in order to present a perfect picture to the world that is the way to do . nothing wrong with it. it is show business not reality- cgi , computer music anything goes.
LUCKY STEVEN SPIELBERG WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THIS PRODUCTION OTHERWISE HE WILL REAP ALL THE CREDITS.
I recently learned that in 2000 Olympics the Sydney Symphony Orchestra also 'play synched' while the music was taped by Melborne Orchestra.
And menbers of the orhestra had to sign a statement to confidentiality. Also in the programme note of the Beijing Olympics it was clearly printed that Yang Peiyee was the original singer. Her name appeared before the little girl Lin Miaoke who lip synched on stage. It is another blazen example of China bashing by western media.
I recently learned that in 2000 Olympics the Sydney Symphony Orchestra also 'play synched' while the music was taped by Melborne Orchestra.
And menbers of the orhestra had to sign a statement to confidentiality. Also in the programme note of the Beijing Olympics it was clearly printed that Yang Peiyee was the original singer. Her name appeared before the little girl Lin Miaoke who lip synched on stage. It is another blazen example of China bashing by western media.
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