http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080815/ten-uk-olympics-fake-3334b85.html

Hasn’t it always been this way?

In most of the schools I studied in (8 if you have to know!), the good actors were routinely passed over in favour of the good-looking (read pale-skinned). I remember one kid especially–he could hardly mouth his lines but was supposed to look more suited to the “royal” part.

Did you see Jon Stewart’s comment? “Think your high school years were hard? Imagine if your government got together and decided you were not cute”.

Seriously, telling that to a 7-year old girl, it’s a testament to her that she sang at all.

Yes, I know that last line is ‘my neighbour beats my wife, so it must be ok’ kind of argument. But whose cultural values should be in hegemony, if anybody’s at all? And who decides?

“Yeah, my guess is that the word fake is more directed at China – which is what this issue is going to end up being about.”

What else could they called it? Lip-syncing? Mime?

In another discussion, someone said this is reminiscent of Baudrillard. All cultures have versions of simulacra in their version of ‘life’. One person’s life is another’s fodder for criticism.

Anyway how we do we know how the rest of the world is reported on in China? :-)