2008-08-13

Is any remedy available for the "bird nest gate"

Regarding the Bird Nest Gate, my view is the same as the Ming Pao Editorial (translated by ESWN here).

I am not going into the alternative one could have taken, which are plentiful (e.g. having the 2 girls sing side by side, etc). We do not have a time tunnel.

But there is indeed remedy, if taken, would more than compensate China (and the people responsible) with the honour it lost. The remedy is very simple, but requires some courage, quite some substantial courage. I would ask for all those responsible, Director Zhang Yimou, Music Director Chen Qigang, BOCOG chairman and the Politburo member to issue a public apology to the world, the nation and the 2 girls. China will not lose face, instead, it will earn enormous respect from the world.

This is how to turn a disaster around, just as they did during the earthquake.

The BOCOG and Mr Chen Qigang had done some damage control by telling the truth. But this is not enough. Can we expect such courage from the Chinese leaders, "for the nation's interest"? Is China really becoming the country our "Motherland Hymn" sings to?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apology? There ain't such a thing as "too serious" for us. FT Editorial didn't laugh at us for doing anything wrong, which i don't either, but that we tried to control a game like a totalitarian. Official apology would make us look like even funnier.

From CNN to this, we just show the world we cannot relax.

remember this is nothing as serious as cheating in the competition. it is a show, that everyone is happy to see and it was a great show. Unlike in the competition, there is no victum.

my solution is:
At the ending ceremony, do a swap. the pretty girl would sing and the good-voice girl stand at the stage. Make it even.

For those who pay sympathy to the good-voice girl, they would feel better.

For those accused of the organizer cheating, who are mostly heart-broken Chinese who expected a perfect show, this arrangement shows the "mistreatment" is part of the plan.

For those who laughed at our seriousness, we show we can make fun.

Sun Bin said...

a swap at the closing is a good idea. but still, better just let them both on stage together in the closing.

Sun Bin said...

(saw this in a reader comment somewhere else)
They should also get someone like Liu Ye to lip sync with Liu Huan behind the curtain in the closing ceremony.

Random said...

Hi Sun-Bin,

Always have enjoyed your blog.
However in this case I fail to see how this is even an issue. If the westerners wants to have an epileptic fit over this then be my guest. I'll even bring my own popcorn and couch.

This whole adlibbing controversy recalls my watching the CCTV-produced Romance of 3 Kingdoms tv series from a decade ago. In scenes right before the battle of Red Cliff, CaoCao was doing a song-and-dance set, in which, it was entirely obvious that he was adlibbing.
It struck me as being fine. He was acting a role on stage.

And if western popstars like Britney Spears on tour, decided that she's not feeling too confident and decided to adlib it, and seems that that's fine for most people as well.

Anonymous said...

Didn't Shania Twain lip sync at the Olympics a few times ago? If I'm not mistaken, she did.. just as a surprising number of famous singers (unfortunately) do.

I don't think it's a good thing necessarily, but it's become somewhat of a norm.. I don't think a whole nation needs to apologize for something like this.

Sun Bin said...

not the whole nation apoligize, just a few people involved in this stupid decision.

and the apology is mainly to their fellow compatriots, and the 2 girls, not necessarily to the 'world'

and i am not talking about 'need to', it would be a PR stunt if they did.

. said...

exactly. this have nothing to do with how the westerners thing. westerners won't be serious, but Chinese do, and it is their money.

it is the national feeling getting hurt and needs a compensation, i,e,讨个说法.

Anonymous said...

I agree with comment #1. Apologizing will be way too serious. This lip syncing is not an issue at all and have been done often in the past. Why should anyone apologize? It's just a director artistic decision. The singer is not cute enough, so they put a cuter one on stage. Big deal. You do not know PR. It could likely be worse if they did apologize. It would not earn enormous respect from the world. When in the past high profile apologies made by CCP earned enormous respect from the world? They shouldn't have told the world in the first place. It only brought more attention to the issue. They are stupid to believe that openness will always bring good results. Do you really want Chinese leaders bending their authority by apologizing for such trivial matters? If they did apologize, it would only brings attention to thousands more less-trivial things that they should apologize for, since they already apologize for something so trivial.

Anonymous said...

I don't think true lip syncing of her own voice would have been a problem. Not quite the same as dubbing someone else.

However, I wonder if Sun Bin now believes this stuff and other faked stuff were the reasons Spielberg quit? He must have known known Mr. Zhang's idolization of North Korea was too close to his anti-totalitarian beliefs.

Either way, the message is clear. China is following the North Korean model and not the Singaporean one. Chinese people must learn to stand in diapers for hours and love their pain.