Fake-Out

Have you noticed a trend in the Beijing Olympics this summer? Everything’s not always what it appears to be! As Beijing is trying to create the "perfect" summer Olympics, I keep hearing about more things that aren't what we think they are. A few of them?

Let's start with the opening ceremony. There were some brilliant fireworks; they were amazing. However, some of them were just computer-generated graphics of fireworks. This is just one of many visual deceptions surrounding the Olympic games.

Do you remember that cute little girl who sang “Ode to the Motherland” at the opening ceremony? She was actually lip-synching, Milli-Vanilli-style. The real singer's voice was recorded because she wasn't "cute enough," unlike the pig-tailed performer we all saw. I find this very sad. Because a seven-year-old girl has crooked baby teeth and a slightly chubby face (and who didn't at that age?), she is being taught she's not beautiful enough to perform in public. Interestingly, the Chinese music director explained why they did this in an online video, but "somehow," the link to this video no longer works.

Along these same lines, I just heard from a friend about an article regarding the "backdrops" in Beijing. I did a little research myself, and learned that manufactured scenery is being used, with pictures from sky-scrapers with a bright skyline to green palm trees and golf courses. These images hide the cranes, holes, and slums behind them in the polluted city.

You may have heard, but the ages of some Chinese gymnasts have been disputed. For example, only nine months before the games, the Chinese news agencies reported that He Kexin was 13 years old, but Olympic gymnasts must be at least 16 years old. These gymnasts are being accused of changing the birth date listed on their passports. Since then, the web-pages that reported her age are, you guessed it, no longer accessible. Officials now say that this report was "a mistake." You be the judge -- does she look sixteen? Experts have doubted it.

I realize that the Chinese are trying to make the Olympics as beautiful, magnificent, and successful as possible. It's just interesting to note that things are not always what they seem to be. Who knows? Maybe the "link" to this post will suddenly not work as well! =)

What do you think?

Afterthought... this is funny! This morning, there was an article on Yahoo News about proof being found about the bogus ages of the Chinese gymnasts. Well, I clicked on the link, and it said "This article is no longer found." When I closed the window and reopened it, the new headline -- same picture -- said "IOC Finds No Proof of Chinese Being Underage." Isn't it so crazy how a government can sensor the internet so well? Even Yahoo News? What's going on?