Now I'm wondering - Animal Farm, 1984 and Brave New World are pretty much mandatory high school reading in the US. Is it the same in Australia?

Chinese Government = Milli Vanilli
 

I agree with you scaeagles, what the Chinese government (or producers/director I guess) decided to do here was just heinous.

I was watching a broadcast of the men's gymnastics last night and I was very happy for the Chinese male gymnasts. They were crying at the end when they realized their goal, and I could tell they really worked so hard. [Well, aside from the fact that as a Communist country those gymnasts will get first class housing and treatment just like all the old athletes did from behind the Iron Curtain, and that if they failed they would probably be publically flogged and sent to prison... wasn't it the Iraqi soccer players who were threatened with imprisonment if they didn't do well? I forget.]

Truly truly sad. Talk about a doing a Milli Vanilli on the public. I agree, I can live with CGI. I'm OK with lip syncing in a crowded arena to be heard above the din. But to replace a girl because she wasn't as cute? Puhlease.

And sceagles, it wasnt' just buck teeth. The girl on the right is far more photogenic--she's cuter. But dear god, this is just horrible.

I'll say it. I can't STAND the Chinese government. Can't stand them. Absolutely no love lost here. Alex and I were seriously contemplating spending money to visit the panda reserves in a few years but frankly I don't want to give them anymore money than I already am by buying Disney merchandise made in China.

Here's the photo of the two girls (the one of the left is the "homely" one with the beautiful voice):

Never read, never read, and never read. Holy cow, where was I in high school? (Oh yeah, with my nose deep in Victor Hugo novels)

edit: huh... the one of the left is cute enough... you expect bad teeth on kids, they're growing.

And had there not been a side by side comparison everyone would have awwwwwwwwed her too. No country in the world (besides China) would have said "you bring shame to China and the world for having not perfect teeth". No one would have made any comment or notice.

Stupid Chinese government.

I've read all three of those but none of them were required reading for me in high school (and in my opinion only one of the three is particularly special).

At a lot of live events that are broadcast, the use of taped footage is common. Even when the taped footage is meant to look like live footage.

ie. There was a Janet Jackson concert shot live in Hawai'i. Two identical versions were shot. One was with an audience and one was beforehand without an audience. This allows for certain shots to be inserted into the live broadcast and the DVD that is made afterwards.
I was at the show and when a curtain didn't fall correctly around Janet and just hung there in the first few minutes of the concert, they stopped the show and restarted. I'm thinking there would have been continuity issues if the curtain was allowed to hang there and the curtain was gone in the previously shot footage.

Pre-recorded footage allows the cameramen to get certain shots that they can not get live. Close-ups, etc. They would have had a hell of a time shooting the footprints fireworks with cameras stationed everywhere and helicopters...

And lip-syncing happens all the time. (Whitney Houston's Star Spangled Banner... lip synced.) But replacing the kid with another more appealing kid is just freakin' lame. Reminds me of the whole C&C Music Factory thing, replacing big Martha Walsh with a skinny model for the video.

The kid singing is one of the only part of the ceremonies I actually managed to catch (in between painting projects). I can't remember if it was during that segment or another one where the voice over guy mentioned about the participants being "average" kids and how that was so important to the ceremony. And I remember thinking that the girl "singing" was obviously lip syncing, which was fine under the circumstances, but that she looked kind of....artificial. I dunno. Maybe I'm weird, but I actually think the real singer is cuter.

I find the stage kid cuter, for whatever that is worth.

You are definitely not the only one who enjoys the procession of beautiful blokes!

That moment freaked me out! I thought one of his wires had broken and audibly gasped.

Oh dear gawd yes! And why bagpipes for any country other than Scotland and maybe Ireland? I believe at least one previous opening ceremony had music selected to match the country being announced. That was way cooler in my opinion.

Yes. A thousand times yes! By far my favorite aspect of the OCs.

And though it was decidedly low-tech, I thought the idea of having all the athletes literally leave their footprints on the painting was inspired. And a nice connection to the opening (albeit virtual) footprints across the land.

I actually thought it was cool for Bush to be there, especially in the regular old bleachers. (Even if he was in the World Leader section.) That said, I think a head of state needs to be able to feign interest--even if the presentation is frightfully jejune. Looking bored and/or at his watch is a horrible reflection on the USA and just plain rude.

Yeeeeeah, that was a bit creepy. :eek:

Has anyone mentioned the countdown? That was awesome.