Cinematheque: Mulan is finally Chinese again! (and other film news)
Protest in Guangzhou: Why would you burn garbage?
Barbie Spa: For the cosmopolitan plastic beauty in you
Obama in China: Long gone, and still headlinin'
Lot o' Hotpot: Three Travellers
From February until August, Chinese TV "golden hours" (5-8pm) programming is going to go on moral diet, shedding excess and unwanted sex, violence, and moral degradation. This we learned from a Chinese report as well as Asia Times Online, where they quoted official Wang Weiping on the matter:
"The country's satellite TV stations should only screen ethically inspiring TV series during prime time," Shanghai Daily quoted Wang Weiping, an official from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.It's said that this is just one in a long string of clean-up jobs in the run up to the Olympics. What's wrong with the state of TV? The Asian Times Online says:
In an attempt to woo audiences many broadcasters have allowed reality TV shows, crime series, featuring heavy dose of violence, as well as shows with explicit sex scenes to feature prominently on Chinese television.
For example, the Chinese report (first link) says that popular US TV show Prison Break was not allowed in China, in order to "protect youth."
What will replace these shows are what are known in China as "main-melody" (主旋律) films, which are basically agitprop type films honoring the heroic deeds of the Party, military victories, etc. Think of this way: If Ron Howard was a Chinese commie, he'd probably be the best "main-melody" director there ever was.
Wang Weiping says that the public outcry and reaction is based on misperceptions of what "main-melody" implies—it's not all about the Party, but also about the economic and political reforms; basically positive and uplifting can be included in the new, gentler and kinder version of "main-melody."
Wang summed this up by saying in no uncertain terms: "Television is first and foremost the mouthpiece of the Party and the people, this is its primary mission, and only secondly is it for entertainment."
Photo from lifeweek.com.cn.
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Friday June 1, 2007
A little girl who became her daddies little princess
I am writing this article to portray the true realities of a little girl who grew up to become her Daddies little princess.
It all started out in a small town named Chengdu, Sichuan which is located in a very beautiful place that is in China. This place that I am talking about is the capital of (heavenly state) Tian Fu Zhi Guo and is the habitat of the giant pandas of China and a city of cotton-rose hibiscuses.
Now this little girl who is the pride and joy to both of her parents and was blessed by the opportunity be born into this world came out screaming so loud that the nurses that were around her at the time jokingly said that she would one day become a professional singer.
When she was a little girl, she used to watch and listen to her uncle practice playing a keyboard for a band that he was a part of.
At the age of 15, she faced a very sad time in her life when her father passed away. Her mother lost her job and everyone that was around her at the time grieved heavily over her father’s death.
Her father was a very wonderful man with a heart that’s so beautiful that it even makes the purest diamond in the earth look like a piece of rock that is as filthy as the coal that comes from the inner parts of the earth.
Sadden by the fact that her father has just passed away and her mother was in poor health without a job, this little girl had the specialness that was in her from the time before the creation of the earth to bring her family out of the situation that they were in at the time of her father’s death.
She used to tell her mother, “mama, don’t worry, there is nothing that we can't overcome”. Since then she drew out all of the strength that was in her pure little heart to support her mother and her. She sang at many local pubs, one of which was called “Music House” to make a living and support themselves.
What made her different from everyone else was the fact that she sang mostly English songs from artists like Mariah Carey and Christine Aguilera. As time went by, she drastically improved her vocal skills and her most beautiful and wonderful voice attracted many loyal customers who came to Music House just to see and listen to this wonderful little girl sing.
Now as time went by, she decided to participate in talent competitions to see if she had it in her to win.
In 2003 she won first prize at the Chengdu Regional College Student Contest and in 2004 she participated in the national Championships at the National College Student Contest. She also participated in the National Championships at the National Pop Singer completion in 2004 which she won very easily.
From May 2005 she participated in the Chengdu Regional Super girl Contest which captured the direct attention of the judges and brought her through six illuminating rounds into the regional finals. She eventually finished in 2nd place with more than 58,000 text messages and votes and was eligible to go to the National competitions which started in July 2005.
Now this little girl who was the pride of her father’s eyes at the time of her birth came all this way to be the best that she can be and to see if she had it in her to be what God made her out to be.
While at the National Competitions, she faced many tough challenges of which one was that she was not fully healthy at the time and her vocal cords became very tired by her ongoing singing adventures to become the number one star in China. With all that was in her, she tried her very best to present the best music that she could think of to her supporters at the time.
Now at this National Competition, it was extremely very difficult to win due to the fact that there were only 3 that would win from 5 regional finalists from all over Chansha, China. Throughout the competition, Jane continued to push forward and challenge herself to be the best that God wanted her to be by singing many songs from different genres with the majoring being her favorite, English songs.
With her grace and her most wonderful personality, she mesmerized everyone that saw her sing and left an amazing impressiveness upon all of the audiences that experienced the opportunity to see her compete.
In the last and final elimination round she sang the song, “Loving You” that astonished and mesmerized everyone to the point that made everyone speechless when she hit the most incredibly high whistle note 3 times without a crack in her voice.
Since then, she was known as the Dolphin Princess by her fans for the fact that the whistle note that she sang was known as the dolphin sound in China.
Her most beautiful and renown voice has deeply touched the hearts and souls of many both here in China and overseas.
The super girl competition ended in late August and she finished in 3rd place with more than 1.3 million text message votes.
From 58,000 votes to 1.3 million votes in less than 2 months, Jane has proved herself again and again in the competition and has won over the hearts of tens of thousands of fans. Not only do they love her voice, but they also love her personal charisma, her beauty, and her attitude toward music and life.
She is truly a very amazing person that has been blessed by God himself and put upon this earth to prove to everyone that there is a love that is in this world that is greater than all of the most wonderful things that you can find in touchable things that will eventually corrode and be destroyed by time.
Since her competitions, Jane has taken some time off to rest and prepare for her college studies at Sichuan University where she is majoring in English. Her dream is to finish her studies and to go abroad to study music.
These are some of the songs that she has sung:
1. Contigo en la distancia” original singer: Christina Aguilera
2. I turn to you” original singer: Christina Aguilera
3. Any man of mine” original singer: Shania Twain
4. Simply the best” original singer: Tina Turner
5. I still believe” original singer: Mariah Carey
6. Beautiful” original singer: Christina Aguilera
7. Remember me” original singer: Beverley Knight
8. Vision of Love” original singer: Mariah Carey
9. Don’t cry for me, Argentina” original singer: Madonna
10. Nothing’s gonna stop us now” original singer: Starship
11. Loving you” original singer: Minnie Riperton
12. What’s up” original singer: 4 Non Blondes
Well, that is the story about the little princess of China that made her parents smile with a love that is greater than anything that you can find in this world.
In closing, I would like to leave a short message directed solely to Jyang liang ying.
I would like to say that you are doing just a wonderful job and that you are truly the pride of your parents in everything that you do with your life. Your father may have passed on, but he is still with you both in your heart and your spirit looking down on you from time to time smiling with a smile that is brighter then all of the stars that’s in this galaxy. With your smile you make the heavens of God tear with pure joy, with your voice, you make everyone that’s in Gods heavenly kingdom cry with the love of God’s purified tears that runs down his face every time he thinks about you in his mind. You are so very wonderfully blessed with the purified blessings of Gods inner being and you are so special to your father who is standing next to God with a big smile of contentment on his face that even makes the wildest animals on this earth be at peace in their hearts and as fragile as a clouds that floats in the sky. I say, I say, I am so very proud of you for being who are and I am very proud of you for what you have become, you are truly the blessings that comes from the tears of God’s pure love.
William