F*cked Gao Bizi Dancing Bears

[Mulboyne]

WSJ (No link - abstract only)19/1/05: China Searches For Stars

Dozens of contestants gathered in a windowless room hoping for a chance to become famous in China. Jennifer Johnston, a furniture seller from Tucson Arizona sang her favourite song - "Tzee" or "Chess Piece" about a woman who is played by her lover like a pawn - for a panel of stone-faced judges. "This is an incredible opportunity," said Ms Johnston who speaks fluent Mandarin. Ms Johnston is here to audition for "Arts of Our Land", a popular talent show broadcast every year in China during the Lunar New Year holidays. In the show, non-Chinese people show off their skills. More than 100 million people are expected to tune in.
The competition is formidable. Michael Grubman performed on the qin, an ancient type of zither believed to be played by only 1,000 people in the world. John Savelll did tai chi choreographed to the music of Sigur Ros. "Arts of Our Land" helps send the message that "Chinese culture is so powerful that even foreigners want to learn it". The perfect execution of Chinese acts by a foreigner also serves to "shame" Chinese people into preserving their culture.
For the Chinese viewer in far-flung areas, the foreigners are an entertaining oddity, which they applaud rather than poke fun at. Take the country-western guitar rendition of a folk song about the cultural revolution performed by anthology professor Eugene Cooper. In impeccable Mandarin, he declared his love for China before belting out a tune that glorifies Mao Zedong. Lauren Elliott, an African-American nurse sporting dreadlocks performed "Fung Yu Tong Lo" in Cantonese sprinkled with English to a rap beat. In all, about 400 gao bizi are expected to perform in the show. Most are self-confessed Sinofiles who would covet any measure of fame in China. Mark Roswell, a blue-eyed Canadian, has achieved near cult-status since mastering xiangsheng, or comediic dialogue. Virtually unknown in Canada, "Dashan" is an advertising icon in China.
"Let's face it, Americans who do this tend to be nerdy," said Michael Cherney, after demonstrating Chinese calligraphy. He learned that he was on of only two Americans chosen to fly to China. The other was Mr. Cooper. "Look at us all in our Chinese outfits."

I vaguely remember a similar FG New Year's song contest in Japan back in the 80s.

[nullpointer]

Chinese culture is so powerful that even foreigners want to learn it

I have never come across the use of powerful for describing a culture before

[Mulboyne]

Chinese culture is so powerful that even foreigners want to learn it

I have never come across the use of powerful for describing a culture before

That was actually said by Stanley Rosen from the University of Southern California. Apologies for the lack of citation.

[Taro Toporific]

Chinese culture is so powerful that even foreigners want to learn it

That was actually said by Stanley Rosen from the University of Southern California..

Sounds like it's time to post gr-r-r-eat pix of FG emeritus, "mercutio"(FG member number 29), hee, hee.

Via his website"Project Hasselhoff.

[nullpointer]

Sounds like it's time to post gr-r-r-eat pix of FG emeritus, "mercutio"(FG memeber 29), hee, hee.

Via his website"Project Hasselhoff.

and I thought I was the only one missing him!

[mr. sparkle]

I've met this guy, Ghaffar, a couple of times. A worthy doc subject. Actually, he is doing a doc himself, not about him - but about the dying art of Beijing Opera. All the old masters are dying off.

BTW, this form of theater completely kicks ass with kicks, sword fights and singin'...way cool.

Ghaffar Pourazar, from Britain, paints his face as he prepares for his role as the mischievous Monkey King, backstage at the Beijing opera theatre 16 June 1999.

Pourazar, better known in Chinese as Ge Fa, is the first foreigner to play the role of the Monkey King in traditional Chinese opera.

Go here for more pix.

He's got some great stories about how he became "the monkey king".

The full store is here.

[Socratesabroad]

"For the Chinese viewer in far-flung areas, the foreigners are an entertaining oddity, which they applaud rather than poke fun at."

While it still does put us da bizi in the spotlight, the lighting is a lot better than that in Karakuri whatever that Sean Camus does. I've seen a couple years' worth of the some of the shows.

One is akin to 'academic bowl' (or Jeopardy without the 'who is' format) with individuals competing in China-related topics - the last time, I sat and watched with a Chinese friend and he was stumped by several of the questions that lao wai got right. I haven't seen the entertainment version, but participants in the academic competition were all quite fluent (from what my friend said) and made a good name for the other long-term foreigners here.

That sure beats having a couple of foolish foreigners ridiculed by a Japanese-speaking foreigner as host.