Only in China…
August 13, 2008… would the organisers of the biggest sporting event in the world and high-up members of the Politburo come together before the opening ceremony to shatter the dreams of not one, not two, but three little girls.
It has emerged that the little girl who sang as the Chinese flag was brought in to the arena at the Olympic Opening Ceremony was miming. Not only was the cute 9 year old miming, but she was miming to the voice of another little girl. The other girl, aged 7, won a competition to sing at the event, but was considered to be not very easy on the eye by one of the officials form the Chinese Politburo and the creative director and his committee, and so was replaced by the prettier child.
The pretty girl who mimed at the ceremony, and the real singer, inset
The one who did mime has been giving interviews to all the major Chinese newspapers since she shot to stardom as the adorable (but quite obviously lip-syncing) star of the Opening Ceremony in Beijing last week. There were obviously questions about why she kept giving interviews, and as it turns out, the poor mite thought she was actually singing, they just turned her mike off.
It seems bad enough that they told one little girl she wasn’t pretty enough to be on the telly, and told another little girl that she couldn’t sing, but there was apparently a third 10 year old girl who was due to sing but although she had a nice voice and was pretty, it was decided that she was too old and not ‘cute’ enough.
It’s like playing Goldilocks and the three little girls. This one’s too ugly, this one’s too old, this one’s voice is too crap…mmm this hybrid is juuuust right.
I suppose it’s not really been a good day in the eyes of the Chinese government unless you’ve lied to the world and made a few children cry.
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Ugh, how awful! I thought it was a reprehensible enough story without knowing the little girl thought she was singing! I have no comprehension of how the actual singer’s parents let her do it and be hidden away. What sort of mindset does that create? Honey, we decided to let the government call you ugly.
I know, it’s mad.
If you’ve read the news story that has come out about the gymnasts also, it’s pretty out there.
apparently, a couple of competitors are below the required age limit of 16. One gilr is on a number of registered national ymnast lists as being 14, but was issued a passport in February of this year saying she was 16. So according to her passport, she can compete.
It seems that putting pressure on your children in order to please the government isn’t such a big deal in China.
Although the welfare of little girls never really has been, i suppose.
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