More China-bashing
Regular readers have enjoyed my occasional tirades against China, an evil country, run by corrupt individuals. The fact that I once suffered at the hands of a manager who was an insane, yammering Chinese woman only made my loathing of China deeper and richer.
I don't blog about hard news stories often but if I stumble across one that's going to reinforce my prejudices, I’m more than happy to oblige.
The Chinese steal every western technological innovation they can get their tiny hands on because they lack the freedom of imagination and creative juice necessary to invent things like Apple products and movies. Although, admittedly, they’ve gotten pretty good at hacking into the computer systems (a western invention) of other countries via the internet (another western invention). Also, paying royalties doesn’t mesh with their agenda of crushing the west.
My latest out-loud laugh at China came when they canceled Super Girl. Super Girl is an American Idol/Pop Idol rip-off. The official reason for the cancellation was that the show exceeded the :90 minute, state-imposed, time limit placed on ALL talent competitions. Additionally, it was branded as “vulgar, manipulative and poison for our youth.” The culture minister issued a harsh statement saying, “What the market chooses is not necessarily a good thing.” Have you seen Jersey Shore or Teen Mom? He might have a good point. He also said, “...we can’t have working people reveling all day in low culture.”
In its place, the state will run shows with programs that promote “healthy morals, public safety and practical information about housework.” One fan of Super Girl blogged, “I will never be happy again!” and another suggested that, “Maybe we need another revolution.”
The real reason it was canceled is that bureaucrats were caught off-guard by the show’s astounding popularity. The show relied on audience votes to pick the winner and the LAST thing the Politburo wants is for people to become accustom to voting.
I just won a pair of tickets to the Broadway musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. (Which, as an aside, I would never pay to see. It's just not my thing.) Mrs. Wife and I will soon be reveling in some low culture and I’ll bet our life will be better off for it.
If Christian fundamentalists were to come into power here in the U.S., I could see them doing the EXACT same thing as the Chinese communists. Canceling shows they deemed "poison for our youth." Controlling what's allowed over the airwaves so that only their approved messages came through. They're cut from the same cloth.
I don't blog about hard news stories often but if I stumble across one that's going to reinforce my prejudices, I’m more than happy to oblige.
The Chinese steal every western technological innovation they can get their tiny hands on because they lack the freedom of imagination and creative juice necessary to invent things like Apple products and movies. Although, admittedly, they’ve gotten pretty good at hacking into the computer systems (a western invention) of other countries via the internet (another western invention). Also, paying royalties doesn’t mesh with their agenda of crushing the west.
My latest out-loud laugh at China came when they canceled Super Girl. Super Girl is an American Idol/Pop Idol rip-off. The official reason for the cancellation was that the show exceeded the :90 minute, state-imposed, time limit placed on ALL talent competitions. Additionally, it was branded as “vulgar, manipulative and poison for our youth.” The culture minister issued a harsh statement saying, “What the market chooses is not necessarily a good thing.” Have you seen Jersey Shore or Teen Mom? He might have a good point. He also said, “...we can’t have working people reveling all day in low culture.”
In its place, the state will run shows with programs that promote “healthy morals, public safety and practical information about housework.” One fan of Super Girl blogged, “I will never be happy again!” and another suggested that, “Maybe we need another revolution.”
The real reason it was canceled is that bureaucrats were caught off-guard by the show’s astounding popularity. The show relied on audience votes to pick the winner and the LAST thing the Politburo wants is for people to become accustom to voting.
I just won a pair of tickets to the Broadway musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. (Which, as an aside, I would never pay to see. It's just not my thing.) Mrs. Wife and I will soon be reveling in some low culture and I’ll bet our life will be better off for it.
If Christian fundamentalists were to come into power here in the U.S., I could see them doing the EXACT same thing as the Chinese communists. Canceling shows they deemed "poison for our youth." Controlling what's allowed over the airwaves so that only their approved messages came through. They're cut from the same cloth.
posted by The Unbearable Banishment at
7:35 AM
21 Comments:
I think of Christian Fundamentalists and whack job Muslim's as cut from the same cloth. Something that would really piss them off to hear I'm sure.
My parents went to see Priscilla the other week. Having seen the film, I told them a bit about it: that it was fun, rude, transvestites all that. At the interval, I got a text from my dad: "You didn't tell me it was all about a bunch of..."
I'll let you fill in the gaps on that one. The upshot is, despite the GAY MEN in TRANSVESTITE SHOCK, they both liked it.
Enjoy!
Cat: Amen, sister. I consider ALL extremist, on both the left and the right, to be destructive forces in society.
Jo: What?! There are transvestites in Priscilla?! I never saw the film. I'm returning my free tickets immediately! My friend said the show has costumes that "go on for days." Now, THAT'S clever. It's just the type of show that lunatic Muslims/ Christian/ Communists would never allow.
the girl who wrote "Maybe we need another revolution" better watch her back
'Vulgar, manipulative and poison for our youth', ya, that just about sums up these Pop Idol/X-Factor/....'s Got Talent type shows. But the kids love 'em! :¬)
If it's anything like the movie, Priscilla should be great fun.
nurse: I never thought of that angle. You're right. Gee... maybe I'd better watch MY back, too! [Since having met you, I always read your comments in your voice and charming Aussie accent.]
map: How can they expect kids to embrace things like a program about housework?! It shows how crazy they are.
LX: I heard the U.S. version was slightly sanitized from the UK version. Some of the more outlandish costumes and jokes were castrated. We're too delicate, you see.
I saw the title of your blog post in my Google reader and thought this was going to be about crockery and porcelain!
Sx
See, those Christian Fundamentalists already have a big hand in life in the US of A! When I watch tv shows on US channels and then see the same thing of Cdn channels, sometimes the "sanitization" is glaringly obvious. I truly hope those whackjobs don't get into power down there.
SB: Hey! Maybe that's the one innovation we took from the Chinese. Did China invent China?
Ponita; Sadly, some of the likely Republican candidates for the upcoming presidential election have a frightening bent towards legislating their religious beliefs. Stay tuned!
I recall learning that they spent a long time discovering glass... hence all the paper lanterns... [Probably something I picked up on Stephen Fry's QI] I don't know about china though, I will check.
Sx
It appears that China was the birthplace of porcelain making!
So now we know.
Sx
SB: A useful tidbit. I am chastened. It would seem that "borrowing" is something that occurs across boarders in both directions. This is going to make it difficult to maintain my preconceived notions but I'll do my best.
slowly putting down my eggroll and General Tao chicken...
heading out for pizza
I'm wary of saying anything that could sound racist. My age group are renowned for being non PC.
Something is poisoning some of our youth. I listened to a young Australian this morning who had been stabbed in the stomach and leg after trying to calm young thugs down, who were bullying a pregnant woman and some elderly ladies on a bus in London. Tim Smith - who comes from Melbourne, said he would do it again. Hats off to him.
SF: Feel free to order take-out. I don't have a big problem with Chinese, especially if they're here. They've joined the club. I've got a problem with China.
Pat: More like him, please. Perhaps it's true that some protections are in order because kids are growing up too fast. But what's to be done? I don't trust censors.
It's so nice to come back to blogland and read one of your rants, I've missed them. Didn't the Chinese invent gunpowder? They have a lot to answer for.
You know, I just can't hate anyone that cancels something like American/Australian Idol, X Factor etc. It's about time housework got it's due. These shows really are a poison on our youth. And they're a poison on old guys like me who didn't have that sort of exposure when we were first starting out and can't help but be a little bit jealous now.
And Priscilla fucking sucks.
Extremism, of any stripe, is to be eyed with grave concern.
As to China...perhaps Nixon's uber-right stance was a perfect fit with Mao's ideology.
(Like Ms Scarlet, your title made me wonder if you'd been to a Greek wedding!)
Eryl: It's nice to see you again. You are correct! They DID invent gunpowder. Nothing good has come from that, although I like their pasta invention.
Hem: I don't have ANY envy at all, which is uncharacteristic of me. Those shows are a parade of mediocrity. Will let you know just how badly Priscilla did (or did not) suck.
dinah: Ah, the double-meaning again. If I had been clever enough, I would have worked it into the post. Drat.
Loved this piece - from the title on through to the end. I'm laughing trying to envision 1,000,000,000 Chinese people all together in one place, cursing the fate of their tiny hands and wondering if chopsticks look as huge in the hands of others as they do in theirs.
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