Chinese Media Mocks London 2012 Olympic Handover

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the reactions of Chinese media to the London 2012 Olympic handover ceremony, with participants expressing various opinions on the performance, cultural perceptions, and the implications of the ceremony. The scope includes cultural critique, international relations, and personal reflections on the event.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express surprise at the Chinese media's remarks, suggesting they reflect an offense taken at the British performance, possibly indicating a disregard for the event.
  • Others argue that the Chinese audience's unfamiliarity with British cultural icons, like Jimmy Page, is a problem of their own making, exacerbated by government censorship.
  • There are claims that the handover ceremony lacked identity and was poorly executed, with some participants feeling it was overly serious and not representative of the Olympic spirit.
  • Concerns are raised about China's own human rights record, with participants questioning the legitimacy of their criticisms of the British ceremony.
  • Some participants suggest that the Chinese media's focus on the British performance reveals a cultural misunderstanding and an obsession with image management.
  • Comments about Boris Johnson's demeanor during the ceremony indicate a perception of him as out of place and unprepared.
  • There are references to historical grievances between China and Britain, particularly related to the Opium Wars, which some participants believe inform current attitudes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express disagreement regarding the significance and execution of the handover ceremony, with multiple competing views on the cultural implications and the appropriateness of the Chinese media's response. The discussion remains unresolved with no consensus on the validity of the criticisms or the performance itself.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various cultural and political contexts, including historical tensions between China and Britain, which may influence their perspectives. There is also mention of the broader implications of national image and propaganda in the context of international events.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2626544/Chinese-media-mocks-London-2012-Olympic-handover-performance.html

I'm surprised by the remarks that were made by the some of these Chinese writers, apparently they were offended in someway, perhaps they considered the performance as a sign of disregard by the British i.e. " We have more important things to be concerned about ". The mayor of London did seem to be rattled a bit, perhaps he was brought in without notice.
 
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What the...? Do the Chinese people not have anything better to do with their time? Here's a few thoughts:

1. Boris Johnson looks rattled, and out of place all the time. It's just the way he is.
2. The people that were part of the handover ceremony were supposed to show some of the successes to have come out of Britain. If Jimmy Page, once member of one of the most famous bands in the world, is 'not well enough known to people in China' then I think it is China's problem and not ours. Afterall, if the Chinese government didn't censor what their people can see, then perhaps their people would not be so ignorant to the outside world.
3.
"During the performance, when the London bus pulled over, all the passengers waiting for the bus rushed into the door at the same time, which truly damaged the 'British image'."
I would say that this was meant to signify the fact theat everyone wanted to get onboard and to the 2012 games as quick as possible: afterall, the bus was marked "London-Beijing-London": i.e. the bus went from London to Beijing to 'bring the games home.' I don't see how difficult that is to understand...

I think the Chinese need to stop taking themselves so seriously. It's an olympic ceremony, and the olympics are meant to be fun, not some regimented army march.

[/rant]
 
[antirant]

I didn't see the handover to Boris Johnson, but I personally thought the show kinda sucked. I was disappointed. It lacked any kind of identity (except for the bus theme), and seemed to be a cobble job of putting together a bunch of pop celebs on the podium. I so like Whole Lotta Love, but at the Olympics? Really??

The comments by the Chinese media are ridiculous too, by the way. They've really got an image complex that they need to deal with.
 
cristo said:
Do the Chinese people not have anything better to do with their time?
And with their brains. The olympic games is about sports. They have deeper issues with the life and death of human beings. I hesitate between outrage and sadness. I should be happy when british people are mocked, after all, I'm french, and apart from being my history long enemy, London stole the 2012 olympics from Paris.

If China is so concerned about the way things look, why are they so little concerned about what other people think of what is beyond one can see. A beautiful meal can hide quite a cruel kitchen. That should be a french saying.
 
What's stupid about this response is that it only draws more attention to the lengths the Chinese went in the name of "image" to fake things for the viewers. From the little girl that had to be hidden from the public, to the gymnasts, to the street murals, to the traffic bans, to the forced evictions of the poor, to the imprisonment of protesters and activists without recourse to trials, to the policing of media and internet coverage,...

I guess they don't see how the rest of the world might find these things completely disgusting - just another case of cultural incomprehension?
 
cristo said:
If Jimmy Page, once member of one of the most famous bands in the world, is 'not well enough known to people in China' then I think it is China's problem and not ours.

China, China... you mean that country NW of Taiwan?
 
Borek said:
China, China... you mean that country NW of Taiwan?
Yes, that's it. China, better known as Taiwanese Beijing! :-p
 
Sadly it was a ceremony that took itself far too seriously. It was a long way from the end of games celebration I recall in Los Angeles. I thought the Lionel Richie song Fiesta was a great punctuation and the drawing together of all the athletes certainly was a great contrast to the competitions that had concluded.

The ostentatious Chinese presentation was simply too much of a propaganda vehicle for China and completely lost what seemed like the more intimate feel from LA.

Boris looked diffident and sloppy and not exactly tuned into what I think he must have felt was a foolish symbolic display of waving the flag of the Olympics about like a cheerleader. But all in the name of harmony it looked like he soldiered through. I'm sure Gordon Brown was relieved that he didn't have to the one up on the stage. It looked a bit silly.
 
Yes i thought China was a trade mark, a mark of crapiness.
 
  • #10
It also occurs to me thinking ahead to the next Olympics that there won't be the kinds of attempts to put out the flame on the way to the games as there was this time in making its tortured way to Beijing.

The Chinese are fine ones to be mocking the British, given the Chinese record on human rights and the subjugation of the peoples of Tibet. What kind of display of brotherly getting along have they been showing beneath the skirts of their lavish production?
 
  • #11
LowlyPion said:
The Chinese are fine ones to be mocking the British

Well, to be just, they don't like British since Opium wars, and not without a reason.
 
  • #12
Borek said:
Well, to be just, they don't like British since Opium wars, and not without a reason.

True enough. But all the same these Chinese are the ones that are trampling human rights. These Chinese are the ones that would mock British participation in their propaganda ceremony - a ceremony that at once touts drawing peoples together at a time that they are repressing others?