OT-China's fakery
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:40 amby Angiekay
Apparently the need to impress overrides all
BEIJING, China (AP) -- A 7-year-old Chinese girl was not good-looking enough for the Olympics opening ceremony, so another little girl with a pixie smile lip-synched "Ode to the Motherland," a ceremony official said.
9-year-old Lin Miaoke had the 'cute' face that Olympic organizers wanted for the opening ceremony.
A member of China's ruling Politburo asked for the last-minute change to match one girl's face with another's voice, the ceremony's chief music director, Chen Qigang, said in an interview with Beijing Radio.
"The audience will understand that it's in the national interest," Chen said in a video of the interview posted online Sunday night.
The news follows reports that some footage of the fireworks exploding across China's capital during the ceremony was digitally inserted into television coverage, apparently over concerns that not all of the 29 blasts could be captured on camera.
China has been eager to present a flawless Olympics image to the world, shooing migrant workers and so-called petitioners who come to the central government with grievances from the city and shutting down any sign of protest.
The country's quest for perfection apparently includes its children.
Lin Miaoke's performance Friday night, like the ceremony itself, was an immediate hit. "Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke becomes instant star with patriotic song," the China Daily newspaper headline said Tuesday.
But the real voice behind the tiny, pigtailed girl in the red dress who wowed 91,000 spectators at the National Stadium on opening night really belonged to 7-year-old Yang Peiyi. Her looks apparently failed the cuteness test with officials organizing the ceremony, but Chen said her voice was judged the most beautiful.
"The national interest requires that the girl should have good looks and a good grasp of the song and look good on screen," Chen said. "Lin Miaoke was the best in this. And Yang Peiyi's voice was the most outstanding."
During a live rehearsal soon before the ceremony, the Politburo member said Miaoke's voice "must change," Chen said in the radio interview. He didn't name the official.
So Peiyi's voice was matched with Miaoke's face.
"We had to make that choice. It was fair both for Lin Miaoke and Yang Peiyi," Chen told Beijing Radio. "We combined the perfect voice and the perfect performance."
Chen couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.
A photo of Peiyi posted Tuesday on popular Web site Sina.com shows a smiling girl with bangs and crooked teeth. A China News Service story posted with the photo says a China Central Television reporter asked Peiyi whether she felt regret over the opening ceremony.
Peiyi responded that just having her voice used for the opening ceremony was an honor.
Whether the move was unethical, or unfair to both girls, has become a hot topic among Chinese and is racing across the country's blogosphere.
"The organizers really messed up on this one," said Luo Shaoyang, 34, a retail worker in Beijing.
"This is like a voice-over for a cartoon character," Luo said. "Why couldn't they pick a kid who is both cute and a good singer? This damages the reputation of both kids for their future, especially the one lip-synching. Now everyone knows she's a fraud. Who cares if she's cute?"
Zhang Xinyi, 22, who works in marketing in Beijing, disagreed.
"I can understand why they picked the prettier girl. They need to maintain a certain aesthetic beauty during the opening ceremonies. This situation is not so bad, especially since it gives two people an opportunity to shine rather than just one."
Peiyi is a first-grader at the Primary School affiliated to Peking University. Her tutor, Wang Liping, wrote in her blog that Peiyi is both cute and well-behaved, with a love for Peking opera.
"She doesn't like to show off. She's easygoing," Wang wrote. She and other school officials couldn't be reached Tuesday.
Miaoke, however, was a minor celebrity even before the opening ceremony. The third-grader appeared in a television ad last year with China's biggest gold medal hope, hurdling champion Liu Xiang, and she was in an Olympics ad just before Chinese New Year, China Daily reported.
Miaoke has her own blog, and one of the latest photos posted since the ceremony shows her looking up nervously at the ceremony's director, film director Zhang Yimou. "Giving the child encouragement," the caption says.
Her father, Lin Hui, told China Daily he learned Miaoke would be "singing" only 15 minutes before the opening ceremony began. The newspaper wrote Lin "still cannot believe his daughter has become an international singing sensation."
It was the second straight Olympics where the opening ceremony involved lip-synching.
Luciano Pavarotti's performance at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin was prerecorded. The maestro who conducted the aria, Leone Magiera, said earlier this year that the bitter cold made a live performance impossible for Pavarotti, who was in severe pain months before his cancer diagnosis. Pavarotti died in September 2007 at age 71
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:16 amby Barb
I'm not too surprised. It is China after all. Poor little girl. That had to hurt.
Here are the pictures of the girl who was on tv and the girl who actually sang the song:
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:28 amby Suzanne
Both are cute. China is bending over backwards to APPEAR great for the olympics but what about the workers and farmers? (Or anyone else having to suffer because of the hosting of the olympics) The news had a special on the farmers who are having to let their rice fields die because of the shortage of water. Water that is being saved for the olympic events. They are apparently having a rain drought there and were using the water to keep the fields going. How sad.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:30 amby Barb
Suzanne wrote:Both are cute. China is bending over backwards to APPEAR great for the olympics but what about the workers and farmers? (Or anyone else having to suffer because of the hosting of the olympics) The news had a special on the farmers who are having to let their rice fields die because of the shortage of water. Water that is being saved for the olympic events. They are apparently having a rain drought there and were using the water to keep the fields going. How sad.
The good thing (if there is a good thing) is that this stuff is coming out so the world can see China for what it is. Anyone else really believe those Chinese female gymnists are really 16 years old? They look like they are 12!
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:53 amby brywool
Michigan Girl wrote:Barb wrote:I'm not too surprised. It is China after all. Poor little girl. That had to hurt.
Here are the pictures of the girl who was on tv and the girl who actually sang the song:
The
real singer is also the
cuter child!!!
They're both cute, but the original is the cuter.
China also faked some of their fireworks on the opening ceremony. The footprints were photoshopped in.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200808/s2333175.htm?tab=latest
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:09 amby separate_wayz
They also faked my Kung Pao Chicken. Turns out it was cat.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:36 amby epresley
Dang Chinese, so who was the real voice behind this?
It's a joke.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:37 amby Rhiannon
Awesome that the story came out though so the little girl can have her due credit.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:38 amby journeypower
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:03 amby The Sushi Hunter
Well this little stunt is the least of their worries over there I'm sure. They should have had this Chinese woman below sing at the Olympics because she's both extremely beautiful looking and sounding.
China's version of American Idol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMYFqhXIW1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfHj0JPx3Mk
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:10 amby The Sushi Hunter
Barb wrote:I'm not too surprised. It is China after all. Poor little girl. That had to hurt.
Here are the pictures of the girl who was on tv and the girl who actually sang the song:
I read an article about this and apparently both the girls are very happy that both of them got to participate in the event. The 7 year old girl said she's happy that her voice was heard by everyone. Some of the Chinese involved with this said it was good that two girls got to be part of this instead of just one. But then again, who really knows if what they claim the 7 year old is saying, actually came from her. But for crying out loud, she's only 7 years old. Not like she's going to loose a house or something cause her face wasn't used. It's like a muppet puppet. The voice isn't coming from the actual puppet, no one's complaining about that so who cares. None of us went go out and purchased an album like in the Milli-Vanilli case.
Plus everyone is just looking for anything to pin on the Chinese. I guarantee that if this story or the photocroped firework display story hadn't broke, they would have complained about something else, like not enough hotdogs were available for sale in the stands or the beer was warm.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:16 amby Barb
The Sushi Hunter wrote:Barb wrote:I'm not too surprised. It is China after all. Poor little girl. That had to hurt.
Here are the pictures of the girl who was on tv and the girl who actually sang the song:
I read an article about this and apparently both the girls are very happy that both of them got to participate in the event. The 7 year old girl said she's happy that her voice was heard by everyone. Some of the Chinese involved with this said it was good that two girls got to be part of this instead of just one. But then again, who really knows if what they claim the 7 year old is saying, actually came from her. But for crying out loud, she's only 7 years old. Not like she's going to loose a house or something cause her face wasn't used. It's like a muppet puppet. The voice isn't coming from the actual puppet, no one's complaining about that so who cares. None of us went go out and purchased an album like in the Milli-Vanilli case.
Do you actually believe they can speak freely about this?
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:17 amby The Sushi Hunter
Barb wrote:The Sushi Hunter wrote:Barb wrote:I'm not too surprised. It is China after all. Poor little girl. That had to hurt.
Here are the pictures of the girl who was on tv and the girl who actually sang the song:
I read an article about this and apparently both the girls are very happy that both of them got to participate in the event. The 7 year old girl said she's happy that her voice was heard by everyone. Some of the Chinese involved with this said it was good that two girls got to be part of this instead of just one. But then again, who really knows if what they claim the 7 year old is saying, actually came from her. But for crying out loud, she's only 7 years old. Not like she's going to loose a house or something cause her face wasn't used. It's like a muppet puppet. The voice isn't coming from the actual puppet, no one's complaining about that so who cares. None of us went go out and purchased an album like in the Milli-Vanilli case.
Do you actually believe they can speak freely about this?
After reading a few articles today, obviously a number of them are.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:19 amby edcha
The Sushi Hunter wrote:Barb wrote:I'm not too surprised. It is China after all. Poor little girl. That had to hurt.
....
.... But for crying out loud, she's only 7 years old. Not like she's going to loose a house or something cause her face wasn't used. It's like a muppet puppet. The voice isn't coming from the actual puppet, no one's complaining about that so who cares. None of us went go out and purchased an album like in the Milli-Vanilli case.
TSH,
I respect your opinion. However, if I were the parent of that little girl (the real singer), I would really be pissed off big time! The principle is
not right. It's just
unfair, to say the least.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:23 amby Barb
The Sushi Hunter wrote:Barb wrote:The Sushi Hunter wrote:Barb wrote:I'm not too surprised. It is China after all. Poor little girl. That had to hurt.
Here are the pictures of the girl who was on tv and the girl who actually sang the song:
I read an article about this and apparently both the girls are very happy that both of them got to participate in the event. The 7 year old girl said she's happy that her voice was heard by everyone. Some of the Chinese involved with this said it was good that two girls got to be part of this instead of just one. But then again, who really knows if what they claim the 7 year old is saying, actually came from her. But for crying out loud, she's only 7 years old. Not like she's going to loose a house or something cause her face wasn't used. It's like a muppet puppet. The voice isn't coming from the actual puppet, no one's complaining about that so who cares. None of us went go out and purchased an album like in the Milli-Vanilli case.
Do you actually believe they can speak freely about this?
After reading a few articles today, obviously a number of them are.
I really, sincerely doubt it. China wouldn't allow them to say anything negative to the press.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:27 amby The Sushi Hunter
edcha wrote:The Sushi Hunter wrote:Barb wrote:I'm not too surprised. It is China after all. Poor little girl. That had to hurt.
....
.... But for crying out loud, she's only 7 years old. Not like she's going to loose a house or something cause her face wasn't used. It's like a muppet puppet. The voice isn't coming from the actual puppet, no one's complaining about that so who cares. None of us went go out and purchased an album like in the Milli-Vanilli case.
TSH,
I respect your opinion. However, if I were the parent of that little girl (the real singer), I would really be pissed off big time! The principle is
not right. It's just
unfair, to say the least.
Yeah, that would piss of the parents I'm sure, unless they are team players right?
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:28 amby Maui Tom
My bro went to China and sent me some knock off Ping Irons.....fell apart within weeks....
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:33 amby DrFU
Please, peeps; this is a dunderheaded decision by a bunch of bureaucrats. It does not represent the values/actions/quality of an entire nation of 1.3 billion people...
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:37 amby Barb
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:44 amby brywool
Rhiannon wrote:Awesome that the story came out though so the little girl can have her due credit.
I would think that whoever let it out is in big trouble...
I'd also think that this little girl will probably also have a rough time. Hope not.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:46 amby Arkansas
So is somehow out here, current or former, gonna write a blog about 'lipping' this thing?
Btw, who the F cares? I think it's great. I see their point, so what?!
later~
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:00 amby journeypower
now that you know that the lil girl is only lipsynching? are you going to hate her?
I'll adopt her if nobody wants her.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:05 amby Barb
Arkansas wrote:So is somehow out here, current or former, gonna write a blog about 'lipping' this thing?
Btw, who the F cares? I think it's great. I see their point, so what?!
later~
You see their point? I don't. Who on earth judges a young child like that? She has a beautiful voice and they should have let her sing and be shown. She's a little kid. Is the world really going to sit there and go "ooh, gross that's a homely kid?"
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:15 amby journeypower
I swear, Jackie Chan sounded best in his past Kung Fu movies. I wonder why he doesn't sound the same anymore in the Rush Hour Trilogy.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:25 amby journeypower
Barb wrote:Suzanne wrote:Both are cute. China is bending over backwards to APPEAR great for the olympics but what about the workers and farmers? (Or anyone else having to suffer because of the hosting of the olympics) The news had a special on the farmers who are having to let their rice fields die because of the shortage of water. Water that is being saved for the olympic events. They are apparently having a rain drought there and were using the water to keep the fields going. How sad.
The good thing (if there is a good thing) is that this stuff is coming out so the world can see China for what it is. Anyone else really believe those Chinese female gymnists are really 16 years old? They look like they are 12!
I do believe they are 16. it is probably because of their petite,lean bodies and baby-face features. and besides, just because they don't have obvious bosoms, makes them 12 years old.
on the otherhand, the child labor practice and china's secretive dealings and witholding real birth records does create some form of suspicion.
Posted:
Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:35 amby MrsPerry
they are not only bureocrats but communists.,
