Mick Hartley

Sleeping with the Enemy

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Mick Hartley

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And you thought nationalist chauvinism was a European disease (via):

China and Japan, which are at each other’s throats over any number of issues, finally seem to agree on one thing: Hollywood’s latest release is a cultural dud.

The Hollywood movie Memoirs of a Geisha, which had its world premiere in Tokyo on Tuesday, has triggered consternation in Japan because none of the three lead actresses are Japanese; two of them are Chinese and another is an ethnic Chinese from Malaysia.

Citizens polled about the matter in Tokyo questioned why Hollywood chose Chinese actresses to portray geishas, quintessentially Japanese women trained in traditional arts of singing, dancing and accompanying wealthy men.

If there’s dismay in Japan, there’s outrage in China, but for a different reason: Many Chinese are beside themselves that the film’s star, Zhang Ziyi, China’s best-known actress, is depicted in the movie as having sexual relations with a Japanese man.

“She deserves to be chopped into a thousand bits,” said one Internet user, one of more than 1,000 people who posted on the subject at the Tianji (Sky’s Edge) Web portal.

“Zhang is a shameless prostitute,” another posting said. “She should be deprived of Chinese citizenship.

Comments

  1. Andres Kupfer Avatar
    Andres Kupfer

    I understand Japan is at present considering changing its constitution so that it can have armed forces. Quite frankly, in the light of the nationalism distilling lately from that country, I’m not sure if that would be desirable for the region.

    Reply
  2. Mick H Avatar
    Mick H

    It’s the Chinese that worry me…

    Reply
  3. Ian Avatar
    Ian

    The world today seems absolutely crackers,
    With nuclear bombs to blow us all sky high.
    There’s fools and idiots sitting on the trigger.
    It’s depressing and it’s senseless, and that’s why…
    I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
    They only come up to your knees,
    Yet they’re always friendly, and they’re ready to please.
    I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
    There’s nine hundred million of them in the world today.
    You’d better learn to like them; that’s what I say.
    I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
    They come from a long way overseas,
    But they’re cute and they’re cuddly, and they’re ready to please.
    I like Chinese food.
    The waiters never are rude.
    Think of the many things they’ve done to impress.
    There’s Maoism, Taoism, I Ching, and Chess.
    I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
    I like their tiny little trees,
    Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.
    I like Chinese thought,
    The wisdom that Confucious taught.
    If Darwin is anything to shout about,
    The chinese will survive us all without any doubt.
    So, I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
    They only come up to your knees,
    Yet they’re wise and they’re witty, and they’re ready to please.
    I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
    Their food is guaranteed to please,
    A fourteen, a seven, a nine, and lychees.
    I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
    I like their tiny little trees,
    Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin, and yang-ese.
    I like Chinese. I like Chinese.
    They only come up to your knees…

    Reply
  4. Andres Kupfer Avatar
    Andres Kupfer

    That’s brilliant, Ian!
    Mick, your concern about the Chinese is certainly justified, both in the short and in the long terms. In regard to the long term, here’s a question I haven’t seen in the media at all: will China survive in one piece its own economic success? The country is a puzzle of nationalities, religions, cultures, languages, and, not least, incomes. The distribution of wealth is very unequal. It is not unreasonable to think that if the income gap grows in the long term, the risk to social cohesion grows with it. There have been some signs of unrest this year.
    In the short term (say, next few years), most observers seem to agree that the Chinese are likely to focus on economic growth at least until the Olympics in 2008; they won’t want to rock the regional boat too much. Once the Olympics are over, however, it’s a different story. The Bush presidency will be in its last year; if things continue the way they look today, his will be a presidency on the defensive and on its way out. A weakenned US presidency plus an economically and militarily strenghened China may prove to be a risk to the region (I’m thinking Taiwan, really).
    Best,
    Andres

    Reply
  5. Mick H Avatar
    Mick H

    Andres – yes, I wonder if China will stay in one piece once people start wondering quite what legitimacy the Communist government has, and the allure of Chinese nationalism wears off – if it wears off that is, given that a descent into some sort of ultra-nationalistic militarism is a real possibility. I can’t quite share this view that things will just get better in China as people get wealthier.

    Reply
  6. Andres Kupfer Avatar
    Andres Kupfer

    Hi again, Mick; reading your last comment reminded me that some revolutions and social uprisings in modern history were driven by the emergence of a new, educated and economically powerfull middle class. There may be a case for arguing that this is a long term risk for China as well.
    Best,
    Andres

    Reply

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