Seriously, I want to know: Chen Qigang, the music director for the fantabulous opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics has admitted that the young, oh-so-cute girl singing China’s national anthem was actually just lip-syncing. The real singer? Not the pig-tailed Lin Miaoke, but a seven year old Yang Peiyi who was unfortunate enough to have “a chubby face and uneven teeth” at such a precarious age.
But why? I mean, c’mon; we’re Asian. We’re literally born with fat cheeks and if you’re not American (or Canadian), you’re SUPPOSED to have crooked teeth. Right? I would know. I have Japanese family members. I had braces. They did not.
“The reason was for the national interest. The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings, and expression,” said Chen, a renowned contemporary composer and French citizen.
“Lin Miaoke is excellent in those aspects. But in terms of voice, Yang Peiyi is perfect, each member of our team agreed,” he said.
Dang, yo. That probably has to be the most eloquent way to say that you’re not pretty enough for the global community, even for a 7 year old. I wonder if Chen practiced that response in front of the mirror, or maybe it’s filed away in some Chinese etiquette handbook on how to turn someone down. It’s better than the whole “it’s not you, it’s us” excuse. Cause in this case, it really IS you. All I have to say, though, is that’s way harsh, Tai.
But you want to know what’s worse? It wasn’t even Chen’s fault!
He said the final decision to stage the event with Lin lip-synching to another girl’s voice was taken after a senior member of China’s ruling Communist Party politburo attended a rehearsal.
Whaaaaaaaaat? Who’s this senior member? This is ridiculous! Someone find out who this guy is and pull up his Facebook profile because I will bet you a week’s salary that this “senior member” is NOT all that. And a bag of chips. Just kidding. About the chips. Who says that anymore?
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jozjozjoz wrote:
Have you seen pictures of the girl whose voice was used?
She is a cutie!
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 2:25 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
That’s too bad that they didn’t use the cutie’s voice… As for lip syncing - I don’t have a problem with that. Hey, is rock stars can do it, surely you can do it at the Olympics!
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 2:33 pm | Permalink
Moye wrote:
really?? REALLY? I think this is horrible. Maybe I’m super American about this, but a young child’s singing talent (which was clearly good enough to be showcased for the opening night) should be enough to validate her presence on international TV. But because she wasn’t aesthetically pleasing enough for the Chinese government, they had to replace her with a girl who couldn’t even sing. That’s ridiculous.
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 2:54 pm | Permalink
jozjozjoz wrote:
John, I don’t have a problem with lip syncing, per se. After all, Luciano Pavarotti famously lip synced during the Turino Olympic ceremonies. He wasn’t physically able to sing life due to the harsh winter conditions; but he was syncing to a recording of himself; not of another singer.
The issue here is not lip syncing and whether or not it’s ok. The issue is the deception as well as the issue that China only wanted “good-looking” people showcased. The only reason to have the cute girl pretend to sing was because the real singer was not pretty enough to be on camera.
What is that saying?
That good looks counts more than talent?
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 3:17 pm | Permalink
jozjozjoz wrote:
And may I just say again, the girl who CAN sing is a cutie patootie, IMHO.
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 3:18 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
I wasn’t saying I didn’t have a problem lip syncing someone else’s voice with the cutie. I just didn’t have a problem lip syncing one’s own voice to oneself for a large performance. Obviously, what the Chinese did sucks.
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 3:24 pm | Permalink
Hong Nguyen wrote:
It’s messed up. Why just get a girl who has both the voice and looks? I mean there’s plenty of kids out there… I’m glad you pointed this out.
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 5:36 pm | Permalink
David Shankbone wrote:
I found the Chinese citizens quoted in the AP pretty disturbing, too — calling a 9 year old girl a “fraud” etc. I blogged about it here.
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 8:48 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
I was watching local NBC 11 and they called the incident puling a “Milli Vanilli” which cracked me up. Maybe some of you are too young to remember this Milli Vanilli… Apparently there are efforts to get Yang Peiyi to sing in the Closing Ceremonies.
Posted on 12-Aug-08 at 11:46 pm | Permalink
Obi wrote:
From my reading, the Chinese government seem to have declared a news blackout on that particular event.
Posted on 13-Aug-08 at 8:25 am | Permalink
Rob wrote:
I think both girls are cute but I would like to point out how hypocritical the West is regarding this issue. Surely they know that this is the same excuse that mass media uses to shun minority groups, right?
“Oh, you don’t fit the model of what we perceive to be our core audience so…too bad!”
Posted on 13-Aug-08 at 12:24 pm | Permalink
lostsoul wrote:
Is “chubby-cheeked with crooked teeth” the closest phrase they can come up with to identify this 7 year-old’s appearance in a major media such as the Times? Which insult is going to do more harm to the self-esteem of this young voice talent, Yang Peiyi? Not finally making it on stage in the Olympics Opening (but winning rounds and rounds of elimination process nonetheless)? Or, rather, being finger pointed by two educated adults from another continent in a major media as having chubby-cheeks and crooked teeth?
According to the the director of the opening program, it was a tough choice and that Miaoke herself probably didn’t even notice that Peiyi’s version of the recording was used to replace hers at the actual opening. Anyone with some knowledge of acting audition process knows that choosing one actor over another for their looks is procedural, cruel to the actors but not an uncommon practice. Actors can get over it, but these two reporters just had to bring it up onto a political level. “It’s them Communists’ inhumanity!” “Look at their ill-treatment of children, look at their deceitfulness!” O, give me a break! In this case, having extensive on-screen acting experience, Miaoke was simply chosen over Peiyi among other finalists. Yes, she is pretty. But she’s not the pretties 7 year old in China. She was chosen for her look, her demeanor and also the artistic goal of this performance. But the music director wasn’t satisfied with Miaoke’s voice recording. So Peiyi’s voice recording was played at the end. The reporters, having done no homework, fabricated and twisted details here and there with the goal of manipulating readers to sympathize Peiyi’s “suffering” in mind. They don’t in fact care a single bit of what happens to Miaoke, or Peiyi after their report is published online. The two young children are simply the reporters’ objects to reflect a certain barbaric aspect of the “bad Chinese.”
Posted on 14-Aug-08 at 12:55 am | Permalink
John wrote:
I heard that some are calling this the “Wrong Child Policy” - a play on China’s “One Child Policy.” Thought that was funny…
Posted on 14-Aug-08 at 2:23 pm | Permalink