The things we're taught

[Duck on Wheels]

She is an adorable little snaggle tooth. 7yr olds are supposed to have snaggle teeth; that's why the tooth fairy visits. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder and their moms. I think she is beautiful and I would have loved to hear her sing. Shame on whomever said she isn't.

She's a cutie, all right. And you DID hear her sing if you watched the opening ceremonies. The little model kid lip-synched. It was the "too chubby, teeth too uneven" girl's voice you heard.

And the firework footprints were a digital animation, all but the last one over the stadium that could be seen live by the ticketed viewers there and all the athletes.

[RoadRaven]

I don't want to comment on the rights or wrongs of getting one girl to sing while another lip-synched.

I do think its worth considering the difference in culture and that this is an insight into a different way to look at life. Things are to be beautiful and aesthetically pleasing - to do less for your guests in many cultures is insulting. To think that "our" way - that is, non-Chinese and probably a European/Australasian/American way - is better, is both naive and arrogant.

Would I object if this scenario happened in this country, MY country? - yes, loudly, voiciferously.
Do I agree with China's decision in this instance? No, I don't
Would I criticise them for it? No, I wouldn't. This is cultural difference, highlighted 100-fold by an international microscope.

I am willing to bet (if I was a gambler) that Peiyi is very proud and so is her family. Of all the thousands and thousands and thousands of 7yr Chinese, she was THE chosen one. She has immortality.

[Trek420]

I don't want to comment on the rights or wrongs of getting one girl to sing while another lip-synched.

Our popular culture is not one to talk about the rights or wrongs of a more attractive person lip-synching.

Let's take a walk down memory lane, anyone remember

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSqV3rWM4iQ

Let the culture who is without fault throw the first shot-putt.

[SadieKate]

Lest anyone think I was criticizing the Chinese only, au contraire (or insert the appropriate Latin). I can't speak for every culture, but generally mankind does a terrific job of placing more value on beauty than brains or skills. Otherwise, why are models paid more than teachers?

[RoadRaven]

I can't speak for every culture, but generally mankind does a terrific job of placing more value on beauty than brains or skills. Otherwise, why are models paid more than teachers?

LOL... Because their "sponsors" (ie big corporates) have more money than teacher's "sponsors" (ie governments who prioritise arms and art over chidlren and health).
But thats a-whole-nother thread...

[Geonz]

Vanilla fragrance? Cinnamon is supposed to be the smell that inspires the most pheremone secretion.

By having a face and a voice, *two* girls got to be chosen. (However, I am pretty sure in that I'm imposing my culture's value of individuality on the situation, even.)

From the very, very get go... the Olympics is based on setting a very high value on being the very, very, very best at certain rather arbitrarily chosen activities, and "sacrifices" made to edge out the next guy are assumed to be valued instead of questioned.

Not to say I haven't watched sometimes and been thrilled, but to expect a balanced, healthy perspective from any aspect of it seems foolish. It's about competing and being Above That Other Person at That Specific Task - which is a different pursuit from being the best you can be (best being a very subjective concept) )

[SadieKate]

Teaching a child who is the better singer that she isn't pretty enough to be seen is going to give her confidence and prepare her for competition? It just teaches her to give up. The "pretty" girl can take more lessons and practice more and, maybe, improve. The other? If she lived here, she'd be on yo-yos diets and undergoing plastic surgery for the rest of her life - and still have image and confidence problems.

I didn't start this thread as a commentary on the Olympics or China. I was expressing sadness about the value placed on beauty above skills. The example just happened to be demonstrated at the Olympics which just happened to be located in China.

[Zen]

Vanilla fragrance? Cinnamon is supposed to be the smell that inspires the most pheremone secretion.

I thought it was lavender.
Vanilla does smell like cookies, though. Everybody likes cookies.

[Trek420]

Otherwise, why are models paid more than teachers?

Everyone's paid more than teachers We say we're child centric, we're aaaaalllllll about the children, they are our future, many time's the question has been asked is our children learning oops no politics on TE but if we were honestly all about kids a math teacher would make as much or more as in the corporate world, English teachers would make as much or more than a technical writer or author, a school counselor would make as much or more then a therapist etc.

[Zen]

Our popular culture is not one to talk about the rights or wrongs of a more attractive person lip-synching.

Let's take a walk down memory lane, anyone remember

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSqV3rWM4iQ

Yes, but also remember their career was over after that.

[SadieKate]

That's only because there wasn't a high enough T&A factor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ceCMpPJgc&feature=user

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

This one is good....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Xbnh1vILE

[AlwayzOnDaMove]

Honestly, I haven't heard anything good about Beijing since the Olympics started. Someone is either getting murdered, gymnast possibly not telling the truth about their ages, fake fireworks, and who knows what else. I hope they do let the little girl be apart of the closing ceremonies IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA.

[Zen]