By TAR Nation and RFH
Ed's note: TAR and RFH have diametrically opposed opinions about Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom, starring Jeff Daniels as a news anchor who, in one lapse of honesty, sees his world turned upside-down. Characters sing "arias of facts," as the New Yorker's review put it, which sounds a lot like what news organizations closer to home -- in China -- do. So, TAR and RFH set aside their disagreements about The Newsroom to write a pitch for a show called Chinese Newsroom. TV producers out there: pick this up!
You might have missed this, but Gangnam Style is pretty popular worldwide, including China. It is also unpopular worldwide, including China. That makes it an online sensation, and as such, it has spawned countless parodies, and at least one incredibly epic rant. Some parodies are better than others -- and some are parodies of themselves. Here are two of the worse.
Congratulations to BC&T, a Hangzhou-based advertising company that has created the most aggravatingly effective ad for Yangyuanqing, as brought to us by Ads of the World. Got an itchy scalp? You must have bees or ants on it, of course. Yet what does this ad actually communicate? No one likes being reminded of their afflictions, best... Read more »
I might've mentioned I'm in Hong Kong this weekend, so it's only fitting that we feature one of Hong Kong's most influential and fondly remembered bands, Beyond. On June 24, 1993, just a month after the release of "Boundless Oceans Vast Skies" (海闊天空), lead singer and founder Wong Ka-kui died in a horrific accident in Tokyo when the three-meter-high stage he was on collapsed under his feet. Out of this tragedy, the other band members solidified their place in the musical mainstream, and continued to record and tour until 2005.
At the Beijinger’s 11th anniversary party last night, via the Beijinger. On my Dragon Air flight to Hong Kong this afternoon, we were given the food option of beef brisket rice or chicken with casserole. The casserole featured thin slides of egg between soft slices of potato. Both set meals came with a shrimp salad... Read more »
People rioted in Luzhou, Sichuan province on Wednesday evening after they heard that police had beaten a truck driver to death in broad daylight. Tea Leaf Nation relayed several messages from incensed netizens who never doubted it, notably from a Sina Weibo user, @Aluo阿罗, who declared, “Luzhou police have beaten someone to death, causing tens of thousands... Read more »
This bizarre and awkwardly beautiful sculpture appeared in Shiyan, Hubei province recently, titled something like “The Expression of Sex” (alternatively, “Sexual Expression,” or something to that effect). While considered outré by local standards, I believe its artistic merits justify the more vulgar elements, i.e. the flaunting flesh, for in this carving I see the contemporary acrobatics... Read more »
