...In Singing
China outlaws lip-synching after Olympics row
China is to ban singers from miming to songs following the row over a nine-year-old girl lip-synching during the Olympic opening ceremony.
The Ministry of Culture wants to outlaw the widespread practice during live performances, as well as clamping down on musicians who pretend to play their instruments during shows.
The ban comes three months after many Chinese were outraged to discover that one of the stars of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics had been miming rather than singing during the spectacular show.
There was an outpouring of anger following the revelation that child star Lin Miaoke had been miming when she sang 'Ode To The Motherland' during the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.
The cute nine-year-old's performance captured the hearts of the Chinese, until organisers of the ceremony admitted she had been lip-synching.
Another girl had sung the popular song, but had been judged not pretty enough to represent China in front of the world. Officials justified the decision as being in the "national interest". […]
Those who are caught miming twice will have their performing licenses revoked, according to proposed new legislation.
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| Lin Miaoke (left) who lip-synched at the opening ceremony over the voice of Yang Peiyi (right) who was considered unsuited to the lead role because of her buck teeth. Photo: GETTY/AFP4 |
The Olympic lip synching incident was a major loss of face for Beijing. Cracking down is a way to regain some of their respect.
This reminds me of the “wardrobe malfunction” from Janet Jackson during the Super Bowl in 2004. Since then live shows in the States are broadcast with a standard seven-second delay to safeguard viewers from any obscenities.
