# China's Olympic Fake Out



## MA-Caver (Aug 12, 2008)

Like about 4 billion other people I was in awe of the lavish opening ceremony of China's Olympics. Turns out that we were all faked out in more ways than one. 
One way was with this cute little girl who did a Milli Vanilli in front of the whole world all for the sake of making China look good for the rest of the world. Poor girl's face just wasn't pretty/cute enough to match her voice, so another girl was chosen and just synced the China National Anthem. 
Not only are non-Chinese outraged but word around the China internet is that people are upset that this happened. 
My thought was "typical Communist". 
Pretty sad that these two little girls were used as pawns in China's grand scheme to fool the world. 



> *Olympic opening uses girls voice, not face*
> 
> By CARA ANNA, Associated Press Writer _4 hours, 27 minutes ago_ http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-china-lip-synchedsong&prov=ap&type=lgns
> 
> ...


Another fake out turned out to be the grand fireworks display throughout the opening ceremony. Very well done indeed but not done all at once. Apparently most of them were shot off before the actual ceremony and the film superimposed upon the live event. The reason the Chinese say is because it would've been too dangerous for live helicopter crews to get that close to the stadium during the exhibition. Ok, I can buy that but news crew cameras are much better quality and could zoom-in in spite of being far enough away to be considered safe. 


> http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-fakefireworks&prov=ap&type=lgns
> 
> *Olympics footprint TV segment computer-generated*
> 
> ...



Kind of a let down to find these things out after such a thrilling experience (even after) watching it on television only to find out it wasn't everything that I (and 4 billion other people) thought (we) were seeing. 

What does this say about the Chinese. Can they be trusted? Should they? If for the sake of grand entertainment they fool the world what about something serious? Got to wonder now if 70,000 people really die in the earthquake or was it maybe 700? or 70? How do we now know for certain. It's just their word for it. 

Isn't it?


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## FearlessFreep (Aug 12, 2008)

I'm rather more concerned about the accusations that the Chinese gymnasts are under-age and the boxing judges are biased


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## mrhnau (Aug 12, 2008)

You know, I've been contemplating this... in a sense, they were "cheating" on their performance. However, if the IOC found an athlete "cheating", they would be banned and outrage would ensue. Especially if some big name was exposed. Wasn't this supposed to be some kind of "coming out" party for China? Show off for the rest of the world? Instead, they fake a singer because she is not very cosmetically appealing, they fake fireworks that they could not do in real time, they falsify passports for gymnasts... Where is the outrage?


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## FearlessFreep (Aug 12, 2008)

> Where is the outrage?



Wait until Diana Lopez 'wins'


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## MA-Caver (Aug 12, 2008)

mrhnau said:


> You know, I've been contemplating this... in a sense, they were "cheating" on their performance. However, if the IOC found an athlete "cheating", they would be banned and outrage would ensue. Especially if some big name was exposed. Wasn't this supposed to be some kind of "coming out" party for China? Show off for the rest of the world? Instead, they fake a singer because she is not very cosmetically appealing, they fake fireworks that they could not do in real time, they falsify passports for gymnasts... Where is the outrage?


Dunno about the rest of the world and maybe I have a naive image of what the Olympics are supposed to be about but IMO that event is an opportunity for the world to basically forget their political differences and compete in a friendly fashion which should build better friendships and images all around. It should be an honest portrayal of the host country of what their people are about and an honest effort by the athletes as to what they can do. The competitiveness of human-kind is the reason for medals and to honor the best effort(s). 
The outrage is falsifying that image and efforts. Right now it's China, 50 some years ago Nazi Germany tried to bolster their image of the "Master Race" and failed but it was an honest effort just an arrogant one. 
The Soviets were long accused of using drug enhanced athletes during their participation and only in a few cases was it proven, the U.S. got busted a couple of times as well. 

When else does the world come together peacefully besides in the sports arena? If this is the only time that we can do this without worry of politics rearing it's ugly head in one form or another then so be it. 
Unfortunately as of lately doesn't seem to be the case. 

Spain's athletes (Soccer??) aren't very popular right now with the Chinese because of a group photo they took for a shoe ad (ironically shoes made IN China) where all of the players are making slant eyes with their fingers. 
Tasteless? Of course it is. What the hell were THEY thinking? Obviously that they had a sense of humor that the rest of the world would share. 

Maybe the outrage is that the Olympics have outlived their usefulness in helping the world come together in peace and harmony ... even for 16 days every four years.

Like to see other view points on this... maybe if only to reassure myself that I'm not in the minority (or maybe I am) on these views... :idunno:


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## Tez3 (Aug 13, 2008)

I watched the opening ceremony at work and we were howling with laughter at the kid who was singing, ( yeah we are a bit manic lol) whoever was singing or not it just smacked so much of 'cute stage school kid'. Years ago there was an ad on British TV for childrens shoes, kids were discussing what they wanted to be when they grew up or something anyway the bit that stuck in everyones minds was one girl who said " my mummy says that when I grow up I'm going to be a proper little madam!" thats what came to mind when we saw that little girl singing, she is going to be hell to live with now lol. At least everyone can bring her down to size now! 
I'm sure there's been loads of stuff done at all Olympics (probably even the first ones in ancient Greece too!) to impress and make sure everything looks right, it's human nature.


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## Andy Moynihan (Aug 13, 2008)

MA-Caver said:


> Like about 4 billion other people I was in awe of the lavish opening ceremony of China's Olympics. Turns out that we were all faked out in more ways than one.
> One way was with this cute little girl who did a Milli Vanilli in front of the whole world all for the sake of making China look good for the rest of the world. Poor girl's face just wasn't pretty/cute enough to match her voice, so another girl was chosen and just synced the China National Anthem.
> Not only are non-Chinese outraged but word around the China internet is that people are upset that this happened.
> My thought was "typical Communist".
> ...


 

You gonna honestly tell me you're surprised?



Seriously?


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## Tez3 (Aug 13, 2008)

The Spanish seem to be making a habit of being racially abusive , the British racing driver Lewis Hamilton was targeted recently.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article3301086.ece


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## tshadowchaser (Aug 13, 2008)

Ok so they let one sing and showed another. Not the best idea  to say the least.
Some of the fireworks where done earlier  big deal they where still impressive.
I kind of enjoyed what I got to see of the opening ceremonies. I saw some damn good precision movements done by a couple of thousand people.  Hell i can't even get a small group of students to be that precise .


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## Gordon Nore (Aug 13, 2008)

As far as the fireworks and cute kid singer are concerned, I'd say China is guilty of committing an act of international show biz.


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## Kacey (Aug 13, 2008)

This is show biz run rampant - both the girl and the fireworks - but prevarication is insanely common in show business.  I find it disappointing, but not surprising.


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## Jade Tigress (Aug 13, 2008)

I just skimmed replies here, but want to say when I read about this yesterday I was saddened. _Both_ these girls are _very_ cute and it's disheartening that one was deemed "less so" and therefore *hidden*. 
The true singer (and her parents) have shown amazing graciousness in their responses to the whole thing. Unfortunately, the other may not ever learn the trait growing up as "the cute one".


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## terryl965 (Aug 13, 2008)

FearlessFreep said:


> Wait until Diana Lopez 'wins'


 
She won't though


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## terryl965 (Aug 13, 2008)

As far as the girls well that is showbiz, come on over the last twenty five years have we really seen any ugly people in the Olympics. Please we are so commercialized it is prothectic.


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## Tames D (Aug 13, 2008)

I wonder if China only has it's most attractive athletes representing them regardless of talent?


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## tshadowchaser (Aug 14, 2008)

Nope I just saw some of the swimmers

I will agree that many of them are lovely and so are the young ladies that carry the signs in front of the athletes


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## Andrew Green (Aug 14, 2008)

There goal was to put on a show, they did exactly that.

Lip synced performance...  I find it hard to get worked up about such a thing when I'd be surprised to find out that any North American Pop star has never lip synced a show.

Same with the fireworks, its just special effects, something North American productions are full of as well.  I suppose the North American approach would have been to CG the extras in rather then do it live and superimpose it in.

Honesty I sometimes get the impression that it doesn't matter what China does someone is going to think they are being evil.

If there is cheating going on in official capacity (underage, bias, drug, etc) that is bad, but would hardly be unique to China.  As for anything to do with the performances, thats what they where, and they used all sorts of tricks to pull off a good show, and succeeded.


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## girlbug2 (Aug 14, 2008)

Andrew Green said:


> Lip synced performance... I find it hard to get worked up about such a thing when I'd be surprised to find out that any North American Pop star has never lip synced a show.
> 
> .


 
I'm not worked up,  but disappointed. I feel really bad for the real singer. She should get her due credit. China should allow her another opportunity to sing in person at the Olympics before they're over.

However I do get outraged when I find out a pop star  used _somebody else's voice_ while lip syncing. Milli Vanilli, anybody?


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## Phoenix44 (Aug 14, 2008)

Regarding the fireworks:  The announcer on NBC clearly said that a lot of the fireworks were CG, and that it was substantially "animated."  So "real" or not, there was no deception.  It was just a beautiful show.

As far as the lip-synching, so what?  Like nobody ever lip-synchs on sports events?

I agree, I'm much more disturbed about the underage gymnasts.  I'm a pediatrician, and it's obvious to me that those little girls are not 16 years old.  Not only is it cheating, in my opinion it's child labor.


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## MA-Caver (Aug 14, 2008)

Phoenix44 said:


> Regarding the fireworks: The announcer on NBC clearly said that a lot of the fireworks were CG, and that it was substantially "animated." So "real" or not, there was no deception. It was just a beautiful show.


Agreed, very beautiful and well done. I missed the first 1/3 of it so missed the announcer saying part of the fireworks display were pre-done. 




Phoenix44 said:


> As far as the lip-synching, so what?  Like nobody ever lip-synchs on sports events?


Rosanne didn't... much to our pain. 



Phoenix44 said:


> I agree, I'm much more disturbed about the underage gymnasts. I'm a pediatrician, and it's obvious to me that those little girls are not 16 years old. Not only is it cheating, in my opinion it's child labor.


Well it's been said here before that China really doesn't care too much about world opinion as far as how they treat their own people. They take care of them and thus feel they (the present government) have a right to do what they want to them (the people under that government). 
If a 13 or 14 yr. old girl can do just as well (and BETTER) as another that's only a couple of years older... hey! Why make her wait another 4 years when she might have an accident between now and then and can't do it anymore? 
Still you'd think with 1.4 billion people in resident population that there'd be more than a few (attractive, remember they're going for looks as well) 16 yr. olds capable of doing gymnastics as well as a 14 yr. old could.  
(being sarcastic by the way... but not to you Phoenix  )


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## Tez3 (Aug 15, 2008)

The gymnastics has always been an issue though hasn't it? Way back when Olga Korbut was competeting and looked like a small girl despite being at least 17, ( I looked up her age now and she seems to have knocked a couple of years off as she was the same age as me a while back!) there were stories that the Soviet Bloc were giving their gymnasts drugs to delay puberty. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_controversies_in_gymnastics


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 15, 2008)

I am not defending anyone here and maybe this is not the case but there is a cultural difference when it comes to age and the west and china.

In China (or at least the north), traditionally, when you are born you are 1 in the west when you are born you are 0.

When I meant my wife she was telling me she was a year older than she actually is buy western standards. She now follows western standards.

Is China aware of this difference in the age of a new born? Yes.

But another thing about China, unless the rules specifically express that a child is born at 0 and not 1 then I would not doubt that they would go with the Chinese way of thinking if it was to their advantage and they have a few thousand years of past practice to justify this way of thinking that a child is born at 1. 

Not everyone thinks like us nor do they have the same views of things like we do, we may think we here in the west are the almighty powerful bearers of truth and justice but we ain&#8217;t thought of that way there.

Old Chinese saying 

&#8220;Nothing good ever comes form the west&#8221;

Of course that is from around the time of the Boxer Rebelion

They are trying here with the Olympics and they likely do not have a full grasp on Western ideals but people are looking for ways to pick it apart in ways you generally do not see when the Olympics are in other countries but I also have no doubt that the Chinese are going to adhere "strictly" to the rules... however it all depends on how explicit the rules are and believe me they will know how to play that to their advantage.


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## CoryKS (Aug 15, 2008)

It's interesting to hear that China has a 1-based age system rather than 0-based - my kid, who always wants to be a year older than he currently is, would love that!

Still, some of those girls like like they're 12.  But I've long considered the Olympics to be a meeting of nations to showcase their cheating skills as well as their athletic skills, so none of this comes as a complete shock.


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## Tez3 (Aug 15, 2008)

It does make me laugh I admit, when countries protest about others cheating when every country is doing whatever it can to win. I think most countries who can afford it will go right to the edge of breaking rules if not over them to win. I watched the beach volleyball the other day ( not voluntarily, they had it on at work!) and they had two Brazilians playing for Georgia. they won their match. There's been a bit of changing nationalities going on. 
The British boxing team while not cheating as such has however has been paid large salaries ( they've had about £70,000 each so far, approx $140000) sorry - training funding to just train for the Olympics. One didn't make weight and got sent home though. I believe the track and field athletes have been given even more. Is it cheating, gamemanship or good preparation?


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## CoryKS (Aug 15, 2008)

Tez3 said:


> I watched the beach volleyball the other day ( not voluntarily, they had it on at work!) and they had two Brazilians playing for Georgia.


 
Holy cow, that's a HUGE team!


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 15, 2008)

Tez3 said:


> It does make me laugh I admit, when countries protest about others cheating when every country is doing whatever it can to win. I think most countries who can afford it will go right to the edge of breaking rules if not over them to win. I watched the beach volleyball the other day ( not voluntarily, they had it on at work!) and they had two Brazilians playing for Georgia. they won their match. There's been a bit of changing nationalities going on.
> The British boxing team while not cheating as such has however has been paid large salaries ( they've had about £70,000 each so far, approx $140000) sorry - training funding to just train for the Olympics. One didn't make weight and got sent home though. I believe the track and field athletes have been given even more. Is it cheating, gamemanship or good preparation?


 
How much do you think the average player on the US basketball team made last year


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 15, 2008)

CoryKS said:


> Still, some of those girls like like they're 12. But I've long considered the Olympics to be a meeting of nations to showcase their cheating skills as well as their athletic skills, so none of this comes as a complete shock.


 
 As a friend of mine from China said the other day (and he is 40) 13, 14 how do they know, most westerns think I&#8217;m 20


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## Tez3 (Aug 15, 2008)

CoryKS said:


> Holy cow, that's a HUGE team!


 
LOL! there are only two in a team! I really think you need to watch the beach volleyball for yourself...for research of course rofl!In the meantime some photos to help...... _I don't think you're ready for the videos yet!_


http://www.pbase.com/rebelxt/girlsbeachvolleyball


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## Tez3 (Aug 15, 2008)

Xue Sheng said:


> How much do you think the average player on the US basketball team made last year


 
I can guess! The boxers though are supposed to be amateurs and the money paid to them is tax payers money. The basketball players at least get it from being employed, I was going to say earned it but like our soccer players you can hardly say that can you?


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## Tames D (Aug 15, 2008)

Tez3 said:


> I can guess! The boxers though are supposed to be amateurs and the money paid to them is tax payers money. The basketball players at least get it from being employed, I was going to say earned it but like our soccer players you can hardly say that can you?


 Poor Jim Thorpe.


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## jks9199 (Aug 15, 2008)

I don't get what happened to the supposed-amateur status of Olympic athletes...

Granted, in some places like China, or for some of the very heavily subsidized US athletes, even the "amateurs" that are living their entire life dedicated to preparing for their sports are kind of "professional", I don't get how some of these people qualify...


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## Andrew Green (Aug 15, 2008)

got tossed out the window:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games#Amateurism_and_professionalism


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## MA-Caver (Aug 15, 2008)

> *The Olympics age-old problem*
> 
> By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports _Aug 14, 8:51 pm EDT_
> 
> ...



And the beat goes on...


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## Phoenix44 (Aug 19, 2008)

If you have a few minutes, read this article about the lip-synching thing.  The author, a Canadian journalist born in China, was on radio yesterday.  She said that not only was the actual 7 year old singer shocked that they were using her voice with another girl lip-synching, but the lip-syncher wasn't aware that it was not her own voice that was being broadcast!

http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/opinion/yang-peiyi-youre-not-ugly-they-are-2909.html


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## MA-Caver (Aug 19, 2008)

Phoenix44 said:


> If you have a few minutes, read this article about the lip-synching thing.  The author, a Canadian journalist born in China, was on radio yesterday.  She said that not only was the actual 7 year old singer shocked that they were using her voice with another girl lip-synching, but the lip-syncher wasn't aware that it was not her own voice that was being broadcast!
> 
> http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/opinion/yang-peiyi-youre-not-ugly-they-are-2909.html



PSYCHE! 
It's one thing to psyche out the whole world but a little 7 yr. old girl?? For shame!


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