Article by Ann Condi
A teacher of mine called asking if I wanted to appear in a CCTV program celebrating the upcoming Beijing Olympic games. “This will be a very big spectacle,” he said. “Superstars like Jackie Chan, and some Olympic athletes will be there. Of course, they want some foreigners to participate.” He wasn’t sure what they wanted the foreigners to do, other than look foreign, but it sounded intriguing. An inside glimpse at how the Chinese media is hyping the Olympics – Sure, why not?
China television rarely broadcasts entertainment programs live, the notable exception being the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala, for which the immediacy of live TV creates a strong sense of national unity. This Olympics program, called Bai Nian Yuan Meng, “A One Hundred Year Dream”, was also to be aired live, and like the Spring Festival show, it was a massive undertaking, prepared and rehearsed for months in advance, and executed with the complex logistical scope of a major military operation.
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