Original article: China embraces Western values: Image is everything. Girl lip-synchs song sung by another in Olympic opening ceremonies
Lin Miaoke, a nine-year-old Chinese girl who lip-synched “Ode to the Motherland” at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
From the International Herald Tribune:
Girl lip-synched another’s performance at Olympic opening
By Jim YardleyBeijing: Pigtailed and smiling, Lin Miaoke, age 9, stood in a red dress and white shoes during the Olympic opening ceremony last Friday and performed “Ode to the Motherland” in what would become one of the evening’s most indelible images: a lone child, fireworks blazing overhead, singing a patriotic ballad before an estimated one billion viewers.
Except that she was not really singing.
When Miaoke opened her mouth to sing, the voice that was actually heard was a recording of Peiyi.
It was unclear whether Miaoke knew she was being dubbed.
“The reason was for the national interest,” Chen Qigang, general music designer of the opening ceremony, explained during a Sunday radio interview. “The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feeling and expression.”
Dubbing music during large outdoor performances has been known to happen. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti, then 71, lip-synched an aria because of his age and the cold. But the recording was still his voice, as is usually the case when performers resort to lip-synching.
After the performance Friday, Zhang appeared at a news conference with Chinese reporters and praised Miaoke. “She’s very cute and sings quite well, too,” he said.
Asked to name which section of the show he found most satisfying, he first mentioned Miaoke.
“I was moved every time we did a rehearsal of this, from the bottom of my heart,” he said, according to a transcript of the news conference.
Miaoke’s song was considered critical because it coincided with the arrival of the national flag inside the massive National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest. In his radio interview, Chen said that an unnamed member of the ruling Communist Party’s powerful Politburo attended one of the final rehearsals, along with other officials, and demanded that Miaoke’s voice “must change.”
By Tuesday, the Chinese media had pounced on the story, instigating a national conversation that government censors were quickly trying to mute by stripping away many, but not all, of the comments posted online. The outrage was especially heated over the cold calculation used to choose between the girls.
“Please save the last bit of trueness in our children,” wrote one person with an online name of Weirderhua. “They think Yang Peiyi’s smile is not cute enough? What we need is truth, not some fake loveliness!”
Another person added: “Children are innocent. Don’t contaminate their minds!”
Just not her face: Photos posted online showed a happy girl with imperfect teeth, hardly an uncommon problem in China. “Everyone should understand this in this way,” Chen said. “This is in the national interest. It is the image of our national music, national culture, especially during the entrance of our national flag. This is an extremely important, extremely serious matter.”
He added: “I think it is fair to both Lin Miaoke and Yang Peiyi.”
On Monday, Peiyi appeared on China Central Television, the state network. “I’m O.K. with it,” she told her interviewer, even performing a song. “My voice was used in the performance. I think that’s enough.”
Miaoke’s father, a newspaper photographer, was worried about how she would take the news. Since age 6, Miaoke has worked in television advertisements, even appearing with the country’s hurdling champion, Liu Xiang. Her appearance in the opening ceremony made her an instant celebrity in China, and her image was reproduced around the world.
Huang Yuanxi contributed research.
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Another article reads: A pretty girl who won national fame after singing at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games was only miming. Wearing a red dress and pigtails, Lin Miaoke charmed a worldwide audience with a rendition of “Ode to the Motherland”.
But the singer was Yang Peiyi (shown left), who was not allowed to appear because she is not as “flawless” as nine-year-old Lin.
The show’s musical director said Lin was used because it was in the best interests of the country. They faced a dilemma because although Lin was prettier, seven-year-old Yang had the better voice, Mr Chen said.
“After several tests, we decided to put Lin Miaoke on the live picture, while using Yang Peiyi’s voice,” he told the radio station.
“The reason for this is that we must put our country’s interest first,” he added.
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"The reason for this is that we must put our country’s interest first"
"The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feeling and expression"
So to say, that the more pleasant things has got priority first?
If the original cannot perform as well, one must hide the truth and find the latter a clone that performs all-so-puurfect?
Or, China's government are rather judgemental by one's appearence???
Peiyi is just a 7 year old with couple of broken / unbudded tooth. Not like she's handicapped and deformed. Will this little girl with few minor flaws bring China and it's culture their downfall?
The above proves well of reality's harshness I think. The saying "Never judge a book by it's cover" is apparently invalid in this modern era.
Honestly, I daren't even think of how will our next few generations perceive the terminology of "beauty", if such teachings are spread across the world.
So people, I say next time we tell our younger generation, NO USE BEING INTELLIGENT OR SOME PRODIGY, JUST STAY ONE SIDE, ACT PRETTY, GO FOR PLASTIC SURGERY OR WHATSOEVER, AND NEVERTHELESS - BE A BIMBO. The country / nation / sky will drop you some real good opportunities.
