This is a comment that I posted on Zen’s blog, that she has yet to approve. I don’t expect her to for obvious reasons, so I’ve decided to repost it here for all to read. I’ve changed a few words here and there just to make things clearer, but the changes are in no way significant any way you look at it. The original post on Zen’s blog is here.
This is my comment. For it to make sense, read Zen’s post first. Then read this. I am only posting this coz Zen hasn’t/won’t approve it on her blog.
“Hmmm… insomnia brought me to this blog and I came across this post.
And you’re right. By swapping the kid, they have shown an image of China. Just not the image they should have shown. By doing so, they have brought greater disregard and disrespect than they would have had they actually put the real girl up there. Right now, what they are saying is “China only has good looking people, the not-so-good-looking ones are kept hidden away”. Right? Hmmm maybe they execute the not so good looking ones.
It’s a pity really. They are just helping to perpetuate the negative image the westerners have of them. This is the 4th or 5th controversy to have come out of the Olympics to date that I’ve heard of, and I don’t even care for the Olympics!
Also, in regards to the senior medical staff comments, it may be hard for the westerners to differentiate between the various eastern races, but don’t forget, they can tell the difference between the various caucasian races that we easterners can’t, merely due to the fact that, for most of us, our eyes are trained to differentiate eastern races, and theirs western races. This was a point that was brought up during the AMSA ‘05 by the way, and agreed upon by participants from both east and west.
With that, I bid you goodnight. ”
What with the fake televised fireworks (a work of skill and ingeniuty on the part of whoever thought it up, really), the underaged gymnast, the fake ethnic kids that they originally said were from the respective ethnicities, their lies about not censoring the Internet for international journalist, and this substitution of the poor girl during the opening ceremony, China is just showing the world an image that is definitely negative, and merely proving the words of all the nay sayers.
And for those of you that say “It’s China’s internal affairs, shut up, nothing to do with you, blah blah blah”, well, this is the Olympics, and everything that happens in regards to the Olympics isn’t an internal affair, it’s international. If I wanted to talk about internal affairs, I’d talk about Tibet and China’s humans rights records, and all sorts of other things that I’d be able to dig up online. But since I’m not talking about internal affairs, I won’t.