August 13, 2016

Obscure Olympic moment of the day.

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Something I photographed today from the TV, after a track bike event. The Chinese athletes — unlike everyone else — have faces painted on the tops of their helmet, and I caught a moment of repose after a race, a rider with her coach (I assume it's the coach).

Here's an article in Weibo about the helmets:
Besides serving as safety gear, the helmets promoted China by portraying typically Chinese Peking Opera masks that, according to state media, conveyed China’s “national essence” and, in this way, could “show the world” this image of China – as China Daily wrote. The female cycling helmets portrayed the Peking Opera facial masks of Hua Mulan (花木兰) and Mu Guiying (穆桂英), two legendary Chinese war heroines....

14 comments:

Adamsunderground said...

More disconcerting are the unexplained waves emanating from a Chinese breast that have obviously subdued a nearby man

mikee said...

I much prefer the already extremely PC Disney version of Mulan.

Chinese opera deserves its reputation as a fun way to oppress foreign visitors to Peking.

Although the US isn't totally innocent of political oppression via opera, either.
Watch "Nixon in China" if you don't believe me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_kVc8mrElg

I look forward to the day that US cyclists can put caricatures of US presidents on their helmets to frighten the other competitors.

traditionalguy said...

American cyclists should have images on Douglas MacArthur pointing out 30 Chinese nuclear targets to Truman who is saying back You're fired" to him.

Ann Althouse said...

I liked the women's fencing competition, Americans versus Russians, and after it was over and the Russians beat us, the sound system played the original Plastic Ono Band recording of "Give Peace a Chance."

One of the few songs that rhymes "masturbation" with "United Nations."

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

There's something indefinably curious about the face on the helmet being not quite where it's supposed to be like that ghost in Spirited Away.

gadfly said...

Ann, Give Peace A Chance, final stanza, has no rhymes, except perhaps Derek Taylor and Norman Mailer whose names are one behind the other.

Ev'rybody's talking about
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary,
Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper,
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer,
Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna,
Hare, Hare Krishna

And with John's sense of nonsense here, I am not at all sure but I would think that "United Nations" is expected to rhyme with "Congratulations."

So the Russians have their share of Hare Krishnas? I suppose there are Hindus in Asian Russia somewhere. But then again:

Until now, you would think the fake Facebook account of Subramanian Swamy tries to make everything 'Hindu'. Like the one time when he said Michael Jackson was well, a Hindu.

"Michael Jackson was a Viraat Hindu. His actual name was Mai ka Lal Jaikishen who was later kidnapped by Christian Missionaries from a Brahmin family impressed by his Bharatanatyam and Kathakali dance (skills) in some stage show."


http://tinyurl.com/MaikaLalJaikishen

JCC said...

When the Chinese female cyclists were in full bore, with their heads down, the face on top appeared to be looking forward. it seems like a clever design to me.

Ann Althouse said...

"When the Chinese female cyclists were in full bore, with their heads down, the face on top appeared to be looking forward. it seems like a clever design to me."

Yes, exactly. It was very cool.

virgil xenophon said...

"It was very cool"

Wiley Orientals..

Sprezzatura said...

"Wiley Orientals"

Rugs and dishes are oriental. People are Asian.

But, if not using racial slurs is too PC for you, carry on.

rhhardin said...

China has been a bicycle force since Schwinn moved there.

jaydub said...

"Wiley Orientals.

Rugs and dishes are oriental. People are Asian.

But, if not using racial slurs is too PC for you, carry on."

Trigger Warning: The following facts may be offensive to any SJW with his head firmly planted in his ass.

Oriental is not a race. Asian is not a race. Both to refer geographic origins. While Chinese people are of the Mongoloid race, East Indians are of the Caucasoid race, but both Chinese and Indian people live in Asia, and are therefore Asian. However, of the two, only the Chinese are considered to live in the Orient which is commonly defined as "East Asia." Indians live in South Asia.

From Google: Definition of Oriental

"adjective: of, from, or characteristic of East Asia.

noun: a person of East Asian descent."

Calling Chinese Orientals, or "people of East Asian descent" is no more racist than calling Westerners Occidentals, or "people of Western descent," but for the Chinese Oriental is much more descriptive and accurate than Asian. Moreover, since Oriental has nothing to do with race, but merely describes geographical origin, it is completely illogical to consider using the noun Oriental to describe a person from East Asia to be more offensive than using the adjective Oriental to describe rugs and dishes from East Asia. Unless, of course, the trigger warning applies, then it all makes sense.

Rhetorical question: "Does it not take a racist or racialist to see racism in every innocent and long accepted usage of any word? Yeah, I thought so.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

What a very chinky thing to do.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Plus, is Occidental racist when used to apply to Westerners? PBJ, if you have authority for your opinion, feel free to whip it out.