Setting aside the situation of China pointing missiles at my homeland (i.e., Taiwan) or the news we hear in the States about media censorship by the Chinese Communist regime, general violations of human and civil rights, lead-poisonous toys, subjugation of the Tibetan people, outlawing reincarnation (just because they can?), among other miscellaneous shameful ways China behaves, I could not have foreseen myself singing in the shower a song with the lyrics, “I love you, China! I love you, China!” I also never imagined myself glowing with admiration for the Chinese people (look at how they came together to help victims of the Sichuan earthquake; when Hurricane Katrina happened, Americans plundered and looted; when 512 shook up China, the Chinese ran toward ground zero to rescue their countrymen). Dare I say it, my heart has begun to beat with a pulse of pride in China, the blessed Middle Kingdom.
Why? Because here in China, I’ve been watching TV and shopping at malls.
There has been a massive scale movement in both the government-controlled media and the subculture of Generation X and Y to breed patriotism. And I, like many other folks in China, have been swept away with giddy nationalism and gotten brainwashed. But can I really help it, without proactive self-evaluation and 24/7 critical analysis? Why exhaust myself like that? Especially when the “I Love You, China!” jingle is so darn catchy! As I mentioned, I absent-mindedly croon the chorus in the shower.
A popular T-shirt worn by youths in China sports a knock-off of the “I (Heart) New York” logo design, replacing “New York” with “China.” Waiters at night clubs, restaurants, and mall employees wear the “I (Heart) China” T-shirts as part of the company uniform. Furthermore, the T-shirts are sold for cheap anywhere one buys clothing, so many of the kids walking the streets are wearing these tees as well. When I passed a street vendor selling cute little baby tees with the logo and the tees cost 10 yuan (about 2 bucks US), I succumbed and bought one, too. I now own an “I (Heart) China” baby tee. Who among those familiar with my politics could have seen that one coming?
Also, if I watch three commercials, one of those three will refer to the greatness of China. A particular toothpaste commercial begins with a celebrity declaring, “I trust in the strength of China. Likewise, I trust in the strength of [Toothpaste Brand].” I’m not too good with my philosophy, but I think that’s a logical fallacy. Moving on.
There are frequent interruptions to scheduled programming on TV to air government-sponsored music videos featuring singers belting from the Great Wall or dancing hand in hand in the blooming pastures of central China. (There are tons of depictions in the media of various minority cultures in China wearing their traditional garb, holding hands and smiling, a la It’s-A-Small-World-After-All; who’d know from watching such footage that many of these cultures clash in civil strife and ethnic tension.) The songs for these music videos are always about the beauty, the magnificence, the strength and tenacity of China, the determination and heart of the Chinese people, yada yada ad nauseum. I say ad nauseum now, but at the time of watching such musical numbers, I get moved to tears and feel compelled to leap into the air and applaud. They’re so feel-good you can’t possibly watch unscathed. The direct correlation of America’s MTV-youth-subculture here in China would be pop stars singing and rapping about how great it is to be Chinese and fashion that include national Chinese emblems, like the Chinese flag.
There’s at least one channel on TV that broadcasts around the clock heartrending inspirational news about the earthquake. By news, I don’t mean the corruption of government officials in the Sichuan area who let negligent construction of public schools go uninspected, thereby causing the buildings to collapse like a tower of playing cards. By news, I mean the heroism of Chinese soldiers, the bravery of law enforcement officers, and the greatness of earthquake victims who received government relief checks but gave every penny right back to the government to “help other earthquake victims…” or so the story goes. The truth of the matter? I do not know. Nobody but the government really knows. Basically, after watching that channel for an hour, one cannot help but feel a sense of respect and esteem for the Chinese government, grateful are we to the core for all the Communist Party has done to rescue earthquake victims.
I caught the evening news a few nights ago and couldn’t help noting the difference of tone in Chinese news broadcasting and American news broadcasting. If negative news is reported in China, such as a horrific crime or natural disaster, it ends the broadcast with an uplifting message about what the Chinese government has done to step in and help victims or survivors. This gives the viewer a sense of security and reliance and faith in the government. I don’t ever recall feeling that way after watching American news broadcasting. In American news broadcasting, I get the daily sense that the world is coming to an end tomorrow and all hell is breaking loose. The more news I watch, the less sense of security and reliance and faith in the government I feel. No wonder the Chinese people seem to love their government and we Americans seem to hate ours.
Finally, while the rest of Asia’s soap operas and dramas are about unrequited love, suicide in the name of love, threats of suicide in the name of love, and general deaths as a result of being lovestruck, soap operas and dramas produced in mainland China are about the Communist Party. I’m constantly flipping past programs on TV about the courage and bravery of soldiers during the Cultural Revolution, the Communists fighting the KMT, the evil KMT, and the intellectualism of Maoist philosophy. The number of military movies is quite frightening. After watching just one or two of them, the seeds of patriotism were deeply implanted into my subconscious. Nurturing that seed with a shower of Chinese-pride commercials and music videos and before I knew it, I found myself a born again Chinese patriot. And I’m not even Chinese. I’m Taiwanese.
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View Comments to “A Sub-Culture of Pride: Why the Chinese Are So Patriotic”
Akrypti wrote:
Since I can't access WordPress in China, another fellow 8A blogger uploaded this post for me. That Youtube link for the I Love China jingle isn't right. Come on, guys; use your common sense…could I feasibly sing Chinese opera? Really now. I can't find the song I was referring to, but here's somebody's video recording of the kind of feel-good fuzzy China-love music videos that randomly appear on TV – http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Op4HnrNCu8
Here's another good example of the kind of Chinese-pride-inducing commercials I refer to: http://youtube.com/watch?v=LZgsleoGRDQ
Posted on 18-Jul-08 at 1:41 pm | Permalink
ErnieAtLYD wrote:
Sorry bout that – it was me. That was the best link for WoAiNi ZhongGuo I could find. I'll use the second link instead.
I like how a YouTube commenter called it a “ZhongGuogasm.”
Posted on 18-Jul-08 at 1:44 pm | Permalink
JC John Sese Cuneta (謝施洗) wrote:
Hmm, if you are from Taiwan, aren't you “Chinese” as well? But you spoke like you aren't and that the only “Chinese” are the ones who are citizens of Mainland China or Red China.
I'd rather call them as they are known – “Mainlanders”. Then Taiwanese, then the rest of us as “Overseas Chinese”.
I think the Totalitarian Communism government (or Red China) doesn't really represent the Mainlanders. But for fairness sake, they are slowly moving to the right towards Socialism. The question now is, will it be Social-Democracy or Democratic-Socialism (which are deeply different)? Or will they start a new form of Socialism (once again) – Totalitarian-Socialism? But that I believe is another discussion for another day
Posted on 18-Jul-08 at 10:13 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
There is Chinese as in ethnic Chinese which you can refer to as the Chinese dispora, and then there is Chinese to refer to those from mainland China. Taiwanese sometimes refers to those specifically born-and-raised in Taiwan, rather than those who are citizens of Taiwan or native Taiwanese, to differentiate from those whose roots are post-1945 immigrants from the Mainland.
Posted on 18-Jul-08 at 11:15 pm | Permalink
THE_BANANA_REPUBLIC wrote:
Wow.
I think so long as you recognize that you could be under the influence, you're above it.
Posted on 19-Jul-08 at 3:07 am | Permalink
Asianmommy wrote:
Wow–that's a really interesting perspective. I can see how easy it is to get caught up in all of the propaganda.
Posted on 19-Jul-08 at 7:03 am | Permalink
David Markland wrote:
“when Hurricane Katrina happened, Americans plundered and looted; when 512 shook up China, the Chinese ran toward ground zero to rescue their countrymen).”
No, the difference here is that in America we're able to show the looting and unexcusable acts by our own people, and not just the acts of heroism. Did looting take place in China? I don't know… but I wouldn't trust that the Chinese gov't would show it if it did.
Great post, but I think this is one major facet you overlooked: that the propaganda works not just because of what they say, but because they don't allow you to hear, see, or read anything else.
Posted on 19-Jul-08 at 11:53 am | Permalink
uRB4N wrote:
Coming from someone who's parents are Taiwanese, the reason why Taiwanese don't want to be lumped into the same catagory as Mainland Chinese is because China is still viewed as “bad” or “ass backwards.”
Asian people are label whores. If China were to turn into, say, the beacon of a model civilization for the rest of the world, Taiwanese people would fight to be called “Chinese.” It's no different than when the American colonies referred to themselves as British but when American rebels started to win the war, it was nothing but “Yea, America, man. America. Fuck yea.”
Posted on 20-Jul-08 at 4:12 pm | Permalink
A Sub-Culture of Pride: Why the Chinese Are So Patriotic « ¡Qué Bien! 歐洲驚豔 wrote:
[...] read more | digg story [...]
Posted on 22-Jul-08 at 1:10 am | Permalink
ErnieAtLYD wrote:
And from there, this news: China one of the most optimistic nations
http://www.citizensugar.com/1805531
Posted on 23-Jul-08 at 12:55 pm | Permalink
ttw wrote:
read the ny times, dated july 23 – you'll find a similar article. not as good of course, it's actually pretty short and lacking, but its amusing since i just read it right before reading this
Posted on 24-Jul-08 at 9:36 am | Permalink
ttw wrote:
read the ny times, dated july 23 – you'll find a similar article. not as good of course, it's actually pretty short and lacking, but its amusing since i just read it right before reading this
Posted on 24-Jul-08 at 4:36 pm | Permalink
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