A Taste of Broadway in South Korea
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President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China
Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy
There was much ado made about Michelle Obama’s “Communist-red” dress at the White House state dinner, held in honor of China’s President Hu Jintao – but perhaps there should have been more fuss about who was performing and what he was going to perform.
Lang Lang, a Chinese American pianist invited by the White House, played a rendition of “My Motherland,” the theme song of the Chinese-made Korean War film, Battle on Shangangling Mountain.” The song is a well-known anti-American anthem, which refers to the U.S. as “jackals,” and has been used as a propaganda tool in China for decades.
According to the Daily Mail, some Chinese, unlike many conservative Americans, have been exulting in the pianist’s song choice.
“‘Those American folks very much enjoyed it and were totally infatuated with the melody!!! The US is truly stupid!!’ wrote one China-based blogger.
‘In the eyes of all Chinese, this will not be seen as anything other than a big insult to the U.S,” said Yang Jingduan, a Chinese psychiatrist based in Philadelphia. ‘It’s like insulting you in your face and you don’t know it, it’s humiliating.’”
According to the L.A. Times, Lang Lang isn’t apologizing for his choice of song – he has stated that his selection was due to national pride, as well as a fondness for the melody. To his credit, Lang Lang did not sing the offending lyrics or make any reference to its political nature beyond stating the title of the song.
And not everyone is offended – White House spokesperson Tommy Vietor told ABC News that “any suggestion that this was an insult to the United States is just flat wrong.”
Lyrics after the jump:
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Featured Event
One of the the biggest Asian cinema events to hit Southern California opens on May 10. The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, features the latest works by established and emerging filmmakers, along with seminars, panel discussions and symposiums on topics relevant to Asian Pacific cinema.
Opening Night features “Shanghai Calling,” directed by Daniel Hsia and starring Korean American Daniel Henney, who plays a Chinese American expat lawyer navigating his way through the mean streets of Shanghai (the picture above also indicates he is a raisin smuggler). But does he take off his shirt? Go watch the movie to find out! read more
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Weird! Is the girl on the right Caucasian? I wonder how she feels about it
Korean musicals are getting pretty big now days. On Legally Blonde, the girl on the left is Honey Lee and the girl on the center is Jessica of Girls Generation. I heard that the musical Chicago was pretty big with Insooni and Oak Ju Hyun of Finkl.
oh no. no no no.