Making mountains out of molehills? Avatar-branded rocks stir controversy in China
Some context, in case you haven’t been paying attention…
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So – predictably, things haven’t gone quite as planned. In addition to the usual kvetching about the importation of Western popular culture, there is also a competing interest in Huangshan who claims that Cameron namechecked their [...]
Kingdom of the Little People theme park raises awareness for Chinese dwarfs
Okay…true story.
A few years ago I took my son to the Hamilton County fair here in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’m not a big county fair guy, but my dad thought it would be entertaining. And it was, despite having to repeatedly curb my dad’s instinct for taking my three-year-old son on the various deathtrap rides that [...]
This Just In: Firecrackers Kill
So you know how your mom was always saying that you’d blow your hand off by lighting a Roman candle or two? How firecrackers were sooooo dangerous and that’s why you can’t even buy the good ones in this state and she wouldn’t take you to Indiana to get the good ones?
Turns out she was [...]
Old Chinese People Win Gold
Old Chinese people Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo won the Olympic gold medal in pairs figure skating. This would not be unusual except they are old, and by ‘old’ I mean 31…my age (Xue) and 36 (Hongbo). And they are married, which is nice. Although after being churned out of the China Athlete Factory, I [...]
Chinese woman to undergo Alba-fication surgery; Jessica Alba horrified
Actress Jessica Alba has expressed doubts about a Chinese woman’s decision to alter her appearance to mimc Alba in a bid to impress a former lover.
“I think you should never have to change yourself like that,” Alba said. “If somebody loves you, they’ll love you no matter what.”
Apparently the woman’s ex-boyfriend was obsessed with Ms. [...]
James Cameron vs. China: The Na’vi are Tibetans?
Newsweek speculates that China’s uncertainty (wait – didn’t they name a mountain range after the movie?) about Avatar has less to do with its usurpation of local cinema fare (namely a recent Confucius biopic starring Chow Yun-Fat) and more to do with uncomfortable parallels between the Na’vi and Earth’s Tibetans, who are not exactly blue [...]
Cantonese Opera on CNN
This too-short report on Cantonese opera showed up on CNN today. I’ve been interested in Chinese opera since I saw Farewell My Concubine (though I’ve discovered most opera actors aren’t as attractive as Leslie Cheung). If I remember correctly from when I read Jackie Chan’s autobiography, he also went to opera school. Anyway, it’s all [...]
Pandora is Far, But China is…Also Pretty Far
I would really like to visit Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, in China. That is the place with all the crazy towers of rock and lots of fog and foliage.
But I don’t want to take the Avatar tour.
You Sold Out Your Mountain?
Zhangjiajie is trying to capitalize on the movie’s popularity in several ways.
The municipal government website has [...]
No Mr. Gay China : (
Maybe the bar really wasn’t licensed for a pageant. Maybe the Chinese government really wants to suppress homosexuality. All I know is, if I waited in line to see hot gay Chinese dudes parade across a stage in fabulous costumes, only to be told it was cancelled, I would be pissed off.
Mr. Gay China Shut [...]
In China, Porn Sites Pay You!
Actually the government pays you to find porn sites so they can block them.
Surf Porn, Win Prizes!
The winner of a contest to report porn turned in 32 sites. He was motivated by his own tragic history:
“In the past, when I was in middle school, I used to get grades that were good enough to enter [...]
24 Million Chinese Men Seek Ladies for Fun, Relationship
In ten more years, there will be a gender imbalance in China- to the tune of 24 million men being unable to find wives!
24 Million is a Lot
So ladies, if you ever wanted to pick up a hot Chinese husband…another decade and he will be yours!
Chinese Post-Apocalyptic Photo Spread
Chinese FHM has discovered the winning combination of hot chicks and motorcycles, in this photo spread with pretty ladies and guns and bikes.
China Has an FHM?
The pics are pretty cool, except the second one. The position of the lady’s shirt and the cutout parts make it seem like you should see her nipples. But there [...]
Being Black in China
I am going to be out of town doing family stuff from tomorrow to Sunday, so hopefully you won’t miss me too much (hopefully you have better things to do over the holidays than read my banality, anyway!). Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate or don’t celebrate!
Here is an interesting article about a black girl [...]
Tatty Pigs in China
Dressing up some people is like putting lipstick on a pig (*cough*JuliaRoberts*cough*) but one weirdo artist is taking it a step further in China- he’s putting tattoos on pigs.
Wim Delvoye\’s Art Farm
Piggy Pics
Now, it doesn’t seem nice to tattoo pigs. I understand that afterwards, there is much itching and burning until the skin heals (no [...]
Mao’s Underground Beijing
I’m fascinated with underground places: New York’s forgotten subway tunnels, the underground city that allegedly lies under the subway in Tokyo, catacombs and bunkers of all kinds. So Viceland’s trip to the underground city beneath Beijing, constructed by Chairman Mao in case of nuclear war, is right up my creepy-ass alley.
Mao\’s Underground City
Mao was nuttier [...]
