dannyman.toldme.com

China’s Cute Little Girls

I’m 32 years old, and so I try to behave like a grownup and not get excited over all the injustices of the world. And I try to have a reasoned, diplomatically nuanced outlook on world affairs. When it comes to Chinese politics I understand the tensions between regional independence and national cohesion, the tension between personal freedoms and the scary business of managing a rapidly industrializing nation of 1.2 billion people and limited natural resources . . . I care about what happens in China but I uhm, try to be a properly diplomatic adult and defer to them doing it their way.

But this latest story from the BBC, about something trifling, just makes me wanna smack somebody with a stick. It turns out the adorable little girl in the red dress they had sing at the Olympic opening ceremonies was lip-syncing for a girl who could sing better, but who wasn’t cute enough to be put on international TV.

That is just plain old wrong.

The Olympics is about recognizing the best in human achievement. Cute little girls have the advantage most days but there is a time and a place where, even if you aren’t so cute, we recognize you for being the best in your field.

The musical director, Chen Qigang, said “the girl appearing on the picture must be flawless in terms of her facial expression and the great feeling she can give to people.” Personally, I wish and hope the people of China the world can admire and be stirred by a girl with a beautiful voice, no matter what her face. Even so, you’d think that the Chinese nation had enough talent with beauty makeovers to make a little girl as fantastically cute as possible, or that they could honestly find one little girl within the planet’s largest nation who could both sing like an Angel and induce coos with her adorably rosy little cheeks.

Making the cute girl lip sync for her counterpart is the sort of obviously obtuse villainy that Disney movies are based on. Hiss!! Grr!! Both little girls deserve an apology.