Is China seriously this worried about their image to the World?

Question

Olympic Opening Uses Girl's Voice, Not Face

BEIJING - A 7-year-old Chinese girl was not good-looking enough for the Olympics opening ceremony, so another little girl with a pixie smile lip-synched "Ode to the Motherland," a ceremony official said — the latest example of the lengths Beijing took for a perfect start to the Summer Games.

A member of China's Politburo asked for the last-minute change to match one girl's face with another's voice, the ceremony's chief music director, Chen Qigang, said in an interview with Beijing Radio.

"The audience will understand that it's in the national interest," Chen said in a video of the interview posted online Sunday night.

China has been eager to present a flawless Olympics image to the world, shooing migrant workers and so-called petitioners who come to the central government with grievances from the city and shutting down any sign of protest.

The country's quest for perfection apparently includes its children.

Lin Miaoke's performance Friday night, like the ceremony itself, was an immediate hit. "Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke becomes instant star with patriotic song," the China Daily newspaper headline said Tuesday.

But the real voice behind the tiny, pigtailed girl in the red dress who wowed 91,000 spectators at the National Stadium on opening night really belonged to 7-year-old Yang Peiyi. Her looks apparently failed the cuteness test with officials organizing the ceremony, but Chen said her voice was judged the most beautiful.

"The national interest requires that the girl should have good looks and a good grasp of the song and look good on screen," Chen said. "Lin Miaoke was the best in this. And Yang Peiyi's voice was the most outstanding."

During a live rehearsal soon before the ceremony, the Politburo member said Miaoke's voice "must change," Chen said in the radio interview. He didn't name the official.

So Peiyi's voice was matched with Miaoke's face.

"We had to make that choice. It was fair both for Lin Miaoke and Yang Peiyi," Chen told Beijing Radio. "We combined the perfect voice and the perfect performance."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080812/ap_on_re_as/oly_china_lip_synched_song;_ylt=AlBo9wU.PA3HGsz4Xgv00cPtiBIF

Answer 1

Well, for me, there goes China's flawless Olympic image. I think that is horrible. One little girl's olympic dream pulverized. I would love to hear what Yang Peiyi has to say about this. I think the most hurtful comment would be how people are saying that she isn't pretty enough. People aren't Barbies, you can't pick the best of everything, put it together and have it all perfect. Do they pick the athletes on their appearances? I'm 13 and I can only just imagine how I'd feel if I had an amazing voice like Yang Peiyi but couldn't appear at the olympics because I'm not pretty enough. What was their priority? The voice or the looks? Oh well, what is done is done. It was a really great opening ceremony and I think everyone involved has done great. And I also agree with Msairs about broadcasting talent.

Answer 2

I see them beat tibetans and throw them in prisons

they should care a little more about that image  

Answer 3

Apparently yes. But Im not surprised at what they did, on account of all the fake designer bags their country exports. But the Olympics committee, Im surprised. There should be at least one non-Chinese representative on the committee. The Olympics is about the best in TALENT, to inspire people to try their best. I figure the Chinese government doesnt share this belief. At least that late Italian singer was dubbed with his own voice during the Italy Olympics. And he had a good reason, with his surgery at the time.