Thursday, August 14, 2008
Gold Medal in Lip-Synching?
So the Chinese, in their ancient and infinite wisdom, decided the little girl with the real singing voice wasn't "cute" enough to present to the global viewing public for the Olympics? Despicable, not quite inscrutable, of course, but, in its way, it is just another lesson learned from America.
Perhaps more than any country in the world, the U.S. of A. has a long and embarrasing history of lip-synching (although usually to cover up the fact that the "singer" was made in the studio, not live on stage). At least as far back as American Bandstand, and almost every stop since, including the Super Bowl, the geniuses of American image-making have tried to put the best voice forward, even it means putting it forward on recording tape. (Hell, back in the day, one bubblegum-rock band, the Archies, couldn't even go on stage and sing live, since their hit records were made by forty-something studio musicians.)
The Chinese just made it putting the best face forward. America truly is a beacon to the rest of the world, and that isn't always a good thing.
Perhaps more than any country in the world, the U.S. of A. has a long and embarrasing history of lip-synching (although usually to cover up the fact that the "singer" was made in the studio, not live on stage). At least as far back as American Bandstand, and almost every stop since, including the Super Bowl, the geniuses of American image-making have tried to put the best voice forward, even it means putting it forward on recording tape. (Hell, back in the day, one bubblegum-rock band, the Archies, couldn't even go on stage and sing live, since their hit records were made by forty-something studio musicians.)
The Chinese just made it putting the best face forward. America truly is a beacon to the rest of the world, and that isn't always a good thing.
