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Monday, 27 June 2011
Kung fu panda too American for some
Beijing artist buys newspaper ads urging film-goers to steer clear of animation blockbuster, saying it twists Chinese culture and brainwashes its youth
Beijing artist buys newspaper ads urging film-goers to steer clear of animation blockbuster, saying it twists Chinese culture and brainwashes its youth
Priscilla Jiao 19 June 2011
Kung Fu Panda 2 has become the target of a boycott campaign, its organiser accusing the Hollywood 3D animation blockbuster of brainwashing young Chinese viewers with “fast-food culture”.
The animated 3D action-comedy, which is set in ancient China and incorporates elements of Chinese culture, is the sequel to the popular 2008 film that earned 180 million yuan (HK$217 million) at mainland box offices, a record for an animated film. The film, which opened on the mainland on May 28, is about a clumsy panda who becomes a kung fu master. Besides the panda, which has become a national emblem, the film showcases other elements of Chinese culture, including fireworks, lion dancing and shadow play.
The backers of the boycott argue that it is time for the mainland’s movie industry and audiences to realise films like Kung Fu Panda 2 are part of a cultural war with America, and that US films have become too dominant on the mainland - leading to domestic filmmakers seeking quick profits.
But some cultural critics see these arguments and the boycott as a product of nationalism and feelings of inferiority.
Beijing-based artist Zhao Bandi, who frequently uses panda themes in his works, is behind the campaign to convince film-goers to boycott the DreamWorks movie. He bought ads in two popular newspapers, The Beijing News on May 16 and The Southern Metropolis News, in Guangzhou, on May 23. The slogan of the second advert was “I won’t see Kung Fu Panda 2. How about you?”
“The goal is to stop it from meeting the 600 million yuan box office expectations,” Zhao said. “I’m confident of achieving that.”
Kung Fu Panda 2 earned more than 340 million yuan in the first nine days of screening.
Zhao posted online an open letter to 500 cinema managers across the country. Then, in a joint open letter penned with two academics, Zhao called for parents not to take their children to see the film on the June 1 International Children’s Day.
“It twists Chinese culture and works as a tool to ‘kidnap’ the minds of Chinese people,” the letter stated.
Zhao said: “This is a defensive battle against Hollywood movies that sometimes sell violence and focus too much on the pursuit of box office returns, which has influenced Chinese animators to seek instant profits and lose their patience for creativity.
“We are at risk of losing our own culture ... Actually, I support a more diverse movie culture where audiences can see a good range of films imported from other countries.”
Zhao’s boycott has been backed by Kong Qingdong, a professor of Chinese language at Peking University. “It’s a cultural invasion,” Kong told video broadcast website v1.cn. “The third world war began long ago and our territory has already been occupied because some morons have been brainwashed by American blockbusters. Hollywood is like the Ministry of Culture and propaganda department of the US.”
Another supporter of Zhao is Professor Sun Lijun, dean of the Beijing Film Academy’s animation department. “It’s time for us to realise that American culture can be a threat,” Sun said. “Our culture is in danger of losing its vitality.”
Zhao said the campaign had already been effective in Chengdu, Sichuan, where there were press reports the premiere of Kung Fu Panda 2 had been cancelled. But his campaign has received mixed reviews from internet users, who say the weakness of local animations made them unpopular, not Hollywood. For them, a bigger question was why mainland filmmakers had not drawn on China’s rich culture to make popular animated films for global audiences.
Zhou Xing, a professor at Beijing Normal University’s college of art and communications, said the “cultural invasion” concept is just “sour grapes”. “It reflects low confidence and even a feeling of inferiority in our own cultural products. Although it’s true a significant part of the mainland’s box office has been eaten away by Hollywood blockbusters, some people, driven by nationalism, have exaggerated it into a cultural invasion,” Zhou said.
Internet users and cinema managers said the film will likely benefit from publicity generated by the boycott. Others say Zhao is in league with Hollywood, an accusation he denies: “I have nothing to do with [the film].”
2 comments:
Kung fu panda too American for some
Beijing artist buys newspaper ads urging film-goers to steer clear of animation blockbuster, saying it twists Chinese culture and brainwashes its youth
Priscilla Jiao
19 June 2011
Kung Fu Panda 2 has become the target of a boycott campaign, its organiser accusing the Hollywood 3D animation blockbuster of brainwashing young Chinese viewers with “fast-food culture”.
The animated 3D action-comedy, which is set in ancient China and incorporates elements of Chinese culture, is the sequel to the popular 2008 film that earned 180 million yuan (HK$217 million) at mainland box offices, a record for an animated film. The film, which opened on the mainland on May 28, is about a clumsy panda who becomes a kung fu master. Besides the panda, which has become a national emblem, the film showcases other elements of Chinese culture, including fireworks, lion dancing and shadow play.
The backers of the boycott argue that it is time for the mainland’s movie industry and audiences to realise films like Kung Fu Panda 2 are part of a cultural war with America, and that US films have become too dominant on the mainland - leading to domestic filmmakers seeking quick profits.
But some cultural critics see these arguments and the boycott as a product of nationalism and feelings of inferiority.
Beijing-based artist Zhao Bandi, who frequently uses panda themes in his works, is behind the campaign to convince film-goers to boycott the DreamWorks movie. He bought ads in two popular newspapers, The Beijing News on May 16 and The Southern Metropolis News, in Guangzhou, on May 23. The slogan of the second advert was “I won’t see Kung Fu Panda 2. How about you?”
“The goal is to stop it from meeting the 600 million yuan box office expectations,” Zhao said. “I’m confident of achieving that.”
Kung Fu Panda 2 earned more than 340 million yuan in the first nine days of screening.
Zhao posted online an open letter to 500 cinema managers across the country. Then, in a joint open letter penned with two academics, Zhao called for parents not to take their children to see the film on the June 1 International Children’s Day.
“It twists Chinese culture and works as a tool to ‘kidnap’ the minds of Chinese people,” the letter stated.
Zhao said: “This is a defensive battle against Hollywood movies that sometimes sell violence and focus too much on the pursuit of box office returns, which has influenced Chinese animators to seek instant profits and lose their patience for creativity.
“We are at risk of losing our own culture ... Actually, I support a more diverse movie culture where audiences can see a good range of films imported from other countries.”
Zhao’s boycott has been backed by Kong Qingdong, a professor of Chinese language at Peking University. “It’s a cultural invasion,” Kong told video broadcast website v1.cn. “The third world war began long ago and our territory has already been occupied because some morons have been brainwashed by American blockbusters. Hollywood is like the Ministry of Culture and propaganda department of the US.”
Another supporter of Zhao is Professor Sun Lijun, dean of the Beijing Film Academy’s animation department. “It’s time for us to realise that American culture can be a threat,” Sun said. “Our culture is in danger of losing its vitality.”
Zhao said the campaign had already been effective in Chengdu, Sichuan, where there were press reports the premiere of Kung Fu Panda 2 had been cancelled. But his campaign has received mixed reviews from internet users, who say the weakness of local animations made them unpopular, not Hollywood. For them, a bigger question was why mainland filmmakers had not drawn on China’s rich culture to make popular animated films for global audiences.
Zhou Xing, a professor at Beijing Normal University’s college of art and communications, said the “cultural invasion” concept is just “sour grapes”. “It reflects low confidence and even a feeling of inferiority in our own cultural products. Although it’s true a significant part of the mainland’s box office has been eaten away by Hollywood blockbusters, some people, driven by nationalism, have exaggerated it into a cultural invasion,” Zhou said.
Internet users and cinema managers said the film will likely benefit from publicity generated by the boycott. Others say Zhao is in league with Hollywood, an accusation he denies: “I have nothing to do with [the film].”
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