A Tale of Two Chinas Channel 4

A Tale of Two Chinas Channel 4 More4

Channel 4 documentary following Anglo-Chinese businesswoman Carrie Waley, who runs a school for Chinese students eager to learn British culture and etiquette and make it big in the UK, as she returns to her roots in China. 

Body language, eye contact, social kissing – all are a minefield for Chinese wannabe Westerners. And that is where Carrie Waley steps in. At 48, she doesn’t have the qualifications or stellar CVs that many of her protégés possess. But as someone who was born in Beijing and lived much of her adult life in the UK as the wife of an Eton- and Cambridge-educated barrister, she has found herself uniquely placed to bridge the East/West social and cultural divide.  

Carrie Waley is a Mandarin consultant. For fees of £500 upwards, she offers coaching to job-hungry candidates from China and, conversely, teaches British executives how to ingratiate themselves with leading players in the Chinese economy. ‘We all prefer our own customs, but we know that learning each other’s will help us to get ahead,’ she says. Well-spoken and immaculately groomed, Carrie is everything you would expect of a woman running an image-conscious business. Her company has grown rapidly since she set it up single-handedly five years ago – she now employs ten staff as well as ten consultants.

 Carrie arrives in Beijing and listens to her mother recount the family's plight during the Cultural Revolution, and questions whether the country can reconcile with its past and embrace the future. Part of the First Cut strand. Read More Daily Mail

More4 (Plus 1) 11:05pm Mon 17 Sept
More4 1:55am Tue 18 Sept
More4 (Plus 1) 2:55am Tue 18 Sept
Channel 4 2:05am Fri 21 Sept
Channel 4 (Plus 1) 3:05am Fri 21 Sept

Louis Walsh Racist To Jason Viet Tien

X Factor judge Louis Walsh has been branded a racist by a section of the Twitter community for repeatedly correcting Vietnamese contestant Jason Viet Tien mispronunciation of 'Tulisa' as 'Tulisha.' 

Jason Viet Tien, an 18-year-old student from Hanoi, Vietnam, sang a version of Whitney Houston's 'I have Nothing' in a thick Vietnamese accent, declaring his love for judge Tulisa Contostavlos despite mispronouncing her name - much to the amusement of the audience.

During the X Factor broadcast at the weekend, Jason's mispronunciation resulted in #Tulisha trending worldwide on Twitter as thousands of tweets reacted with sinophobic humour.

Not adverse to racial controversy, Louis Walsh also said of Jason Viet Tien - "You remind me of a young Bruce Lee."

Reminiscent of the 2010 series of X Factor, when Louis Walsh described young black contestant Pajie Richardson as "You’re like a little Lenny Henry,” the only link between Pajie Richardson and Lenny Henry, Jason Viet Tien and Bruce Lee - is race. As an illustration of ignorance, Bruce Lee is not Vietnamese and Jason Viet Tien is not Chinese nor does he resemble Bruce Lee. Its an analogy of casual racism and racial stereotyping of East Asians, typically - 'they all look the same,' 'Bruce Lee is the only famous (East Asian) Chinese man I've heard of.' Through its broadcast, ITV, XFactor and in particular Louis Walsh, instigated and legitimised racism against East Asians.

Jason Viet Tien is not dissimilar to William Hung, a buck tooth FOB male caricature blissfully ignorant of western social and racial environments. In an interview prior to the audition, 'White Fever' Jason Viet Tien embarrassingly describes his craving for White British girls. Jason Viet Tien is a dupe, to further the media representation of East Asian men as 'sexless' short nerds with ghastly accents, out of their depth and out of their league, with no hope of winning the affection of alpha White females in her native country except through pity and derision, their FOB delusions of self-importance are pitied as a means of creating entertainment for the audience to laugh at - they're laughing at you Jason, not with you. (BBCZeitgeist)

BT Ripping Us Chinese Apart For London 2012

Media advertising during the 'multicultural' London 2012 Olympics and London 2012 Paralympics focused on crossing demographic boundaries with British Citizens unified behind the Union Jack. There's multiculturalism and there's agenda driven multiculturalism, the latter is a visionary yet artificial representation of British society. Two examples include the middle class interracial Black White family in the Olympic opening ceremony and the Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO advertisement 'BT Bringing Us All Together,' this advert will be played throughout the London Paralympics until September 15th.

In the advertisement, a lower class Black family share a barbecue with their White middle class neighbours, they sit in unison Black-White-Black-White-Black in support of Great Britain. British Blacks are not always portrayed as inter racially dating Whites (Black families in Eastenders are a further example), however the same rule does not apply to East Asians, typically British Chinese are represented as multiculturally integrated (and inter racially dating) with Whites, Blacks and Indians, but segregated from their Chinese peers.

Representation 1. Chinese female is cheering on Great Britain in the Olympic Stadium in the unlikely company of a turban wearing Sikh male.

Representation 2. Chinese female is alone with her White boyfriend in the middle of the English countryside.

Representation 3. In this crowd scene, Chinese female is intentionally placed in the front row to fill the ethnic diversity quota, she is standing in front of a Union Jack with a Black, a White and an Asian.

'BT Bringing Us All Together' advertisement attempts to normalise the segregation of the Chinese female from her Chinese community, segregation from her Chinese family, segregation from her natural partner - the Chinese male and segregation from her Chinese heritage (hence support for Great Britain not China), whilst calculatingly circumventing representations that run contrary to the interests of British Multiculturalism - three invisible examples in the British media are Chinese with a group of Chinese friends, Chinese male/Chinese female same race couples, ethnic Chinese families in the UK, not the Far East. This is media agenda driven multiculturalism through stealth, subliminal representations with designs to erase the traditional ethnic Chinese family. (BBCZeitgeist)

Celebrity Wedding Planner

Neighbours veteran Ryan 'Toadie' Moloney is in town to take up the challenge along with fellow Aussie and former Ramsay Street resident Joe Mangel (otherwise known as comedian Mark Little). Will the pair manage to arrange a wedding in a matter of weeks, with just £12,000 to spend?

Putting their faith in this chaotic combo are brave British-born Chinese couple Kap and his 27-year-old bride-to-be Gigi, from London. They do not find out who is planning the biggest day of their lives until it is too late to back out.

Used to getting her own way, Gigi wants her wedding to be a whimsical, magical affair. After a wet and windy wakeboarding hen do, how will she cope when she discovers that she will be taking her vows in Longleat  Zoo and the guests will be entertained by an aboriginal storyteller accompanied by a didgeridoo player?

BBCZeitgeist Commentary: Rarer than Halley's comet, this could be the only chance in our lifetime to see a British Born Chinese ethnic Chinese same race marriage on a national terrestrial television channel...in a Zoo. Don't miss this programme, observe how a modern British Born Chinese couple live in the UK before our BBC community becomes ethnically cleansed by inter racial marriage. 

Celebrity Wedding Planner Series 2, Episode 3 - Monday 3rd September Channel 5 10pm  (Repeated Sunday 9th September Channel 5 11.20am)

Exploring China A Culinary Adventure

In a four-part BBC Two Series - 'Exploring China A Culinary Adventure,' Ken Hom and Ching He Huang rendezvous across China on a R&D mission to discover if there are any 'authentic' Chinese dishes that they haven't yet appropriated for their corporate culinary empires in the west. Its an easy task for Mandarin speaking charm school graduate Ching He Huang as she entices the local Mainland Chinese to open up their kitchens for the cameras - unaware these two corporate goons will purloin their secrets to shore up their already bulging balance sheets.

The programme's hidden word is authenticity, only an authentic Chinese chef can provide an insight into authentic Chinese cuisine, but who could be less authentic than South African raised Ching He Huang, who arrived in Britain at the age of 11, she makes a remarkable admission in the programme that as a teenager Chinese culture was so unappealing that she wanted to dye her hair to blend in with her White peers, it was her mothers love of Chinese food that reconnected her to her Chinese heritage. Ching hasn't quite shed her white fever, her partner is blanched Eurasian Jamie Cho, clearly Ching likes a bit of White in her as a reminder of the good old days. 

In previous cooking shows, Ching He Huang Chinese Food in Minutes and Chinese Food Made Easy, her trademark is an irresistible compulsion to crunch wise old Grandma tales of Chinese emperors and their concubines into her exoticised dishes, titillating the White audiences taste buds for the mystical orient.

Ching He Huang's incurable oriental proverbial tourettes overpowers her..."Don't waste rice, each grain of rice is like a bead of sweat." She should save some lines for her next series - 'Chinese Folklore Made Easy.' 

And Uncle Ken's homecoming? Throughout the series Ken Hom has looked overwhelmed by the whole mainland Chinese experience, its almost a quarter of a century since he last visited the mainland, he has lost touch with China and looks awkward relying on Ching to translate Mandarin to English, rumour has it that Ken's highly secretive long term unmarried partner of 37 years is in fact a gay man, maybe a presenter and locality swap replacing Ching He Huang with Gok Wan, China with Thailand, would be more appropriate. Gok Wan and Ken Hom Gayventuring, man-flirting their way across Thailand reporting on the culinary skills of Pattaya ladyboys would be a ratings thriller.

Overlooking the overplayed dung-dung-ding-a-ling-ling music and the unnecessary use of English subtitles for the 'broken Engrish' speaking chef, Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure reminds me of 'Gorillas In The Mist,' Ching and Ken are primatologists from the west exploring creatures that are genetically similar to themselves lurking in the jungles and villages of the orient, only to find these feral creatures and their cultures similar, endearing and human, if you could stir fry the National Geographic Channel into a wok, this programme would be the outcome.

(Exploring China A Culinary Adventure Review by BBCZeitgeist)

Exploring China A Culinary Adventure Episode 3 - Sunday 18th August, BBC2, 8pm

Watch BBC iPlayer - Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure Episode 1 - Click HERE

Watch BBC iPlayer - Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure Episode 2 - Click HERE

Bad Education BBC3 Racist Sitcom

Bad Education is a BBC3 sitcom written by Jack Whitehall, set in Abbey Grove School, a fictional state secondary school overrun with puerile predictable yawn-festing caricatures - the draconian deputy headmistress, the dexterously challenged teacher and the delinquent school children. Comatosed by this worthless piece of impoverished white-centric 'comedy' writing, any eye twitching interest is limited to the racist portrayal of Chinese student Jing played by Kae Alexander.

Racially humiliating the Chinese for the pleasure of generating cheap laughs for the White audience is considered ironic cutting edge British comedy. Bad Education's Facebook fan base (predominantly White, some Black) were highly amused by the Sinophobia...'that was so funny!'

It begs a question, why do British East Asian actors continually play these racially debilitating roles? Is she blonde? 'She's Chinese you muppet!' Really? With a 'Chinese' name like 'Kae Alexander,' we shouldn't really be surprised by the actions of these white-loving anglicized Asians, should we? (Bad Education Review by BBCZeitgeist)

  

Bad Education BBC3 10pm Starts Tuesday 14th August 2012
Watch BBC iplayer: Bad Education BBC Comedy Click HERE

The Bachelor 2012

The Bachelor UK is back on our small screen for a second series and I can't say I'm enthralled to watch a trash-rack programme that ought to be titled 'Pretty Woman - 24 prostitutes and only one can be honoured as Vivian Ward.'

The Bachelor - 'chunky tango-faced coke-snorting' Spencer Matthews insists he is searching for a 'meaningful relationship,' must take his pick from a selection of highly competitive gawdy women by giving them a red rose, well, its better than giving them herpes, isn't it? Standing on the curb are avaricious East Europeans, British slags and Asian queen of kitsch repulsion - Marissa Jiang, though heavily bronzed like a Playboy Mansion squatter from the Philippines, Marrisa Jiang is in fact Mainland Chinese born and bred, post-graduate educated and living in London.

In an interview, 'entrepreneur' Marissa Jiang, 29, is said to have jumped onto a plane straight to London to get away from Chinese people telling her how to live her life in China, she found her solacium among influential upper-crust socialite circles of philandering old white men.

She likes to openly remind herself she is Chinese by constantly referring to her ethnicity, ethnocentrically claiming her boobs are big for a Chinese girl and how she feels 'horny.' Clearly, class is something you can't buy, prostitution you can buy, so fingers crossed Marissa Jiang has cleaned out her cupboard unlike the last Chinese girl to appear on a UK dating show 'Take Me Out' Wen Jing Mo turned out to be a £200 per hour former hooker.

Watch the Bachelor UK Channel 5 10pm Friday 13th July 2012 (After Big Brother)
Watch The Bachelor UK - Episode One
Watch The Bachelor UK - Episode Two
Watch The Bachelor UK - Episode Three

BY BBCZEITGEIST

How Far Will British Chinese Go To Gain Mainstream Acceptance?

British Chinese Aristocracy

In another article earlier this year, that criticised the meaning of a high achieving British Chinese,  this blog received  flack for criticising those high achievers, as if the definition of a high achieving British Born Chinese is someone who can gain as much mainstream acceptance as possible in their career.

However where does 'mainstream acceptance' end and begin for British Chinese community?

In the above photo, Mr Woon Wing Yip, was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the East Asian food industry.

As quoted here from Dimsum in an interview with Sir Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary and head of the Home Civil Service at the time

 "The honours system is an important way of recognising the outstanding contributions made by dedicated people from across the country, who have gone the extra mile to make a real difference to lives of people around them."

To be fair to Sir Wing Yip, in an interview here , as he humbly says he wasnt really aware of why he was given the O.B.E... but would it have been too much to reject it? Or was it accepted for the purpose of 'business relations'? 


Either way, being that Sir Wing Yip is probably our most famous and successful British Chinese, has this accolade set the standard for other British Chinese to follow suit?



British Chinese Theatre

In The Guardian earlier this year, whilst many BBC's at the time were in agreement with British Born Chinese theatrical actress   Elizabeth Chan's complaints about Anti-Chinese racism in the UK, what most readers seemed to have missed, was the context of the argument-  blaming racism for the lack of roles for ethnic Chinese in U.K. theatre.

This indeed maybe an issue for British Chinese actors, but on a wider level, is theatre really a suitable offering for British Chinese who don't even really have a culture of our own, in the first place?

http://www.whatsonstage.com/reviews/theatre/london/E8831289908519/Hungry+Ghosts.html

In this radio interview  with the  Director, Tim Luscombe, whose play which tackles 'Formula One racing and Chinese political oppression' is about a British racing driver who wants to take part in last race in Shanghai. He meets a Chinese journalist who introduces him to his sister, and whose other sister is waiting for execution for treason- who stole some papers from a Chinese government official and gets shot in the back of the head.

From Mr Luscombe's CV we can see a quote from a Guardian review

'he is one of few British Dramatists to confront the fact that China for all its embrace of a market economy, remains an oppressive militaristic dictatorship'

The play is set in China just at the end of the Cultural Revolution.

Here this British playwrite director, whose main interest it seems is to inform his white middle-class audience about the need for China to improve it's human rights, clearly has had his play authorised thanks to an arguably sinophobic UK media.

However, that being understandable for white mainstream audiences, why would any British Chinese want to take part in this? Is this another example of ethnic UK Chinese having no culture of our own therefore participating in small plays like this that arguably mock China is okay as long as out of work British Chinese actors get 'acceptance'?

British Chinese Actor Hopefuls

In the trendy makeover that British Elitist culture is undergoing, it is now reaching out to ethnic minorities, and, British Chinese are now invited.

Yes 'Unheard Voices - whats your story' is the most recent chance for  British Born Chinese playwrites get to sharing their experiences with British Theatre

Innocent lambs ready to be slaughtered on the theatrical stage of British Elitism

We already know of China's efforts to be on 'equal footing with British elitists', we are also aware of being excluded from mainstream musicals such as JUMP , and yet when it comes to TAKEAWAY the musical, the British Chinese community doesnt put up much of a fight when it comes to how we are seen in British arts, indeed we will jump any opportunity to be accepted, caring little of the final result, as long as individuals, we feel that our ethnic Chinese face has been accepted by mainstream UK media.

 If British Chinese so desperately want mainstream acceptance in Britain, shouldn't we at least demand more options other than being validated by white elitist culture in order to be accepted as members of British society?

Jing Lusi Holby City

Holby City?Orientalist Stereotyping? NEVER!

 

A month late, but for those interested in British Chinese actress Jing Lusi who plays Tara Lo in Holby City...

Jing Lusi, born in Shanghai, moved to England when she was five and was raised in Hampshire. Performing at a young age, alongside Philip Schofield in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, she studied at Peter Symonds College before graduating from University College London in Law. She eventually pursued an acting career and has appeared in the films Breathe, Clash of Empires - Battle For Asia and Jack Falls.

 giving dirty old white man some love

From the mirror

It's like watching Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands tonight as a new F1 arrives on Darwin ward.  Holby City Chinese doctor Tara Lo (Jing Lusi), who arrives just in time to get in the way as an RTA puts the hospital on majax status. For those of you not fluent in cool hospital jargon, that’s a pile-up on a dual carriageway resulting in a major accident.

How thrilled Oliver Valentine must be to have a newbie to look down on who’s even more incompetent than he is. And Tara doesn’t disappoint, as she nearly kills the same patient twice. Not bad going for your first day. 

Watch Holby City BBC1 8pm Tuesday

Watch on BBCiplayer

Review: Episodes 1-4 of 'Eastern Promise' are below:

Does Holby City put Chinese doctors in a bad light,  or is it yet another opportunity to promote the hypersexualised Chinese female stereotype?