Olympics Opening Uses One Girl’s Voice, Another Girl’s Face

I’m going to try very hard to report this story without
swearing.

While watching a live rehearsal of the Olympics opening
ceremony, a high-ranking Chinese official decided that the seven-year-old
singing the national anthem was not cute enough to make a live
appearance, in part because she has crooked baby teeth. (Right, because only
seven-year-olds with perfect teeth are cute.) So, at the last minute, the government picked a child actress who does TV ads (pictured) to lip synch to the other girl’s voice.

“Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke becomes instant star with
patriotic song,” read the headlines in China the next day. There was no
mention of Yang Peiyi, the real singer of “Ode to the Motherland.” The truth
came out when the ceremony’s music director spoke to Beijing Radio. “She doesn’t
deserve to be hidden,” he said of Yang, although he ultimately defended the decision
to put the “best voice” with the “best performance.”

If this is China’s
way of putting its best foot forward while the world watches, I for one would
prefer it stop trying so hard.

Photo: AP/Zhou Liang