Archive for the 'Media' Category
August 29 2008: I’m On “So You Think You Can Dance”
Surely I can’t be the only person who becomes part of whatever situation they’re a spectator to?
I watch the Olympics, and I become a swimmer, a diver, a gymnast, an athlete. I watch football, and I become the first female professional footballer in the Australian Football League. I go to a concert, and I become an awesome musician. I watch/read Lord of the Rings, and I became an elf. I watch/read Harry Potter, and I became a witch.
I watched So You Think You Can Dance? on Wednesday night. Australia’s only just getting into the final eight contestants of the last American season, despite the fact that the season already finished in America weeks ago. Yes, I know Joshua won (Wikipedia, thank you), but I like to watch it for the routines anyway.
Anyway. I become an awesome dancer in all styles whenever I watch the show. I dance jazz, I tango, I crump, I disco, and I even dance Bollywood as good as Katee and Joshua did. My lines are perfect, my footwork is impressive, and I am the best dancer in the world.
Then the show ends and, well, I’m not. Not anymore. I’m back to the dancer I really am - a really average dancer at best, a “well, the best thing I can say is that at least she doesn’t trip over her own feet” dancer at worst. Fantasies are good while they last though.
Filed under Media with 10 Comments
August 26 2008: The Nature Of Truth
In my Contemporary China class today, we were examining the nature of truth. Does truth exist in Western media reports, does it exist in Chinese media reports? What is fact, what is truth, what is real, and what isn’t? We supported our discussion with a brief exercise. In two groups (one representing Western media, the other representing Chinese media), we each came up with a brief article on two issues: unrest in Tibet and troubles on the Olympic torch relay.
As part of the latter group of Chinese journalists, we wrote these short articles:
Recent acts of terrorism, wanton violence, thievery, and attacks on innocent civilians, by a minority faction of Tibetan separatists have disturbed the peace of China’s western region. These acts were sparked by the continuing duplicitous behaviour of the false leader, the Dalai Lama. It is believed that these acts are an attack on China’s growing economic strength. Chinese peacekeepers in the region have been helping to maintain stability in the face of these criminal acts, protecting social and community unity.
Community groups of Chinese sons and daughters based overseas been showing their support in displaying the glory of China along the path of the Olympic torch. Groups have organised bus trips to points along the path, and people have made the support of the torch a priority in their lives – dedicating time from their studies and careers to show their support in person. Foreign governments have also shown great belief in the power and might of the Chinese, with support of China’s Olympic glory by providing escorts along the path. Our Olympic slogan of “one world, one dream” has become reality.
It may seem like mindless propaganda, but read it again. There’s not one word of untruth in either article, it’s merely that the focus isn’t what one would find in non-Chinese reports.
There has been violence, looting, and attacks on civilians in Tibet. The Dalai Lama has thrown the legitimacy of his position into question by deciding to choose his successor before he dies (traditionally, the next Dalai Lama is supposed to be reincarnated after the death of the previous Dalai Lama, not chosen before the death). Chinese troops have been protecting civilians from the riots. Chinese expatriates were skivving school and work in order to support the path of the Olympic torch. There were organised community trips to go support the torch relay. Foreign governments did provide escorts for the torch relay.
Everything in the articles is true. It’s a lesson in learning to draw truths out from two opposing biases. What you read in Western media reports isn’t the whole truth, just like what you read in Chinese media reports isn’t the whole truth either. It’s selective truth. Combine the two, throw in some salt and pepper, maybe a bit of soy sauce, and you might get some semblance of reality.
Filed under Asian-ness & Media & Uni/Work with 4 Comments
August 24 2008: Rude Sarcasm and Choking
You know what? After two years of blogging in the same style, I would have thought that at least one thing would have been clear - if at any time you think I’m being remarkably insensitive or unPC, chances are, I’m being rudely sarcastic. Call it a personality trait.
To take yesterday’s entry as an example as apparently, I’m “angry” at the athletes (an emotion far beyond the amusement I find when they choke - e.g. the comment about the American gymnastics team faceplanting):
- The Australian team were clearly only in Beijing to take advantage of the cheap souvenirs at the silk markets, because they obviously weren’t there to actually compete…the Australian team are on the express train to the land of fail and choke.: Yes, because despite 14 gold, 15 silver, and 17 bronze, I seriously mean that the entire team is made of fail. For the record? Exaggeration for comedic effect. It’s the “cheap souvenirs at the silk markets” and “express train to the land of fail and choke” that give it away. Or, in this case, which didn’t give it away.
- it’s obvious that the reason China’s excelling is because they’re drug cheats. We certainly shouldn’t give those dirty yellow bastards the benefit of the doubt: Because I’m seriously calling all Chinese people (myself included!) a dirty yellow bastard. Doesn’t sound right does it? Could that possibly be *gasp* sarcasm?
I stand by my use of the term ‘choke’. Leisel Jones and Libby Trickett? They did choke on the final stage after four years of taxpayer-funded training for that moment. In her own words, Jones “forgot to breathe” in the last 50m of her race. Four years of training and they couldn’t cover something as simple as breathing? Trickett only scraped into the final after another competitor was disqualified, all because she swam a second and a half under her personal best (a second and a half is a big deal in a 100 metre event) due to bad pre-swim planning in her first semi-final. They are the dictionary definition for choke - mental issues affecting their physical performance.
They’re world-class athletes, but they’re human with human foibles, blah blah blah. Yes, and? Four years of tax-payer funded training, and multiple chances to ‘test the water’ before the Olympics (World Championships, Commonwealth Games, etc.) to make sure they were mentally prepared, and they couldn’t spare an hour or two each week to learning how to breathe and how to ensure that one gets a place in the final by swimming one’s own race rather than judging the people in the lanes next to you?
Australian athletes have a long history of choking at the crucial moment. I’d suggest that the Australian Institute of Sport aren’t paying enough attention to the mental and emotional development of their athletes. They might be physically perfect in their respective fields, but if the mental and emotional strength isn’t there behind the physical abilities, it all means shit. It already costs taxpayers about $700,000AUD per Olympic medal (when calculated in terms of funding to the AIS), so why not chuck on an extra $100,000AUD per medal into the funding, and hire a couple of sports psychologists to help athletes overcome any mental barriers?
I mean heck, we sure don’t need those millions invested in the education system, or the health system, or in social security, or anything like that. Winning medals is clearly more important than any of the above, so you might as well go further and throw more money at athletes. (Oh, and by the way? That was sarcasm.)
In any case, perhaps I ought to stick a big red disclaimer up: Never read this blog literally. In fact, just take everything I say and turn it backwards. That might make more sense to those without a sense of irony.
Filed under Media & Online with 4 Comments