Panda film is a national insult, say Chinese

[waichingliu81]

By Clifford Coonan and Arifa Akbar
Saturday, 19 July 2008

Few could have predicted that a big, burly cartoon panda called Po, who is versed in the finer arts of kung fu, could have brought anything but joy to the ancestral homeland of the creatures.

But just a month after China welcomed the blockbuster animation Kung Fu Panda into its cinema halls, the creators of the fictional character are being sued for their apparently "insulting" depiction of China's national symbol.

Zhao Bandi, a Chinese performance artist who is best known for using panda images in his art, including clothes designs, is suing Dreamworks, which launched the animation with the help of its star voice – belonging to Angelina Jolie – at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

The Beijing court drama, which began this week, includes a call for a full apology from the Hollywood studio for its apparent slur on the panda. Mr Zhao, who carries a stuffed panda in public and whose art revolves around motifs of the animal, has expressed his outrage at the fact that Po's father is a duck in the film. This, he interprets as offensive characterisation which amounts to an insult to the Chinese. Moreover, the panda's eyes are green, which, Zhao points out, represents an evil colour.

"Designing the panda with green eyes is a conspiracy," he said. "A panda with green eyes has the feeling of evil. I have studied oil painting, and we would never use green eyes to describe a kind-hearted figure. So I ask them to open their creative meeting records of this film and explain why the green eyes? Next, why is the panda's father is a duck? Many foreigners think the giant panda is not just China's symbol, but also the Chinese people's symbol. Drawing the father of the giant panda as a duck is an insult to the Chinese people. In a few years' time, I'm worried some young Chinese people will think their ancestor is Donald Duck."

Last month, Mr Zhao called for a boycott of the film because he feared it would upset victims of the Sichuan earthquake. His campaign prompted the state broadcasting and entertainment regulator to delay the film's release in the Sichuan earthquake zone, but there was a widespread online demand for the film to be released.

Mr Zhao said he was not seeking financial remuneration and merely wanted an apology from the film-makers. He said Beijing Chaoyang District People's Court had accepted his lawsuit. In his blog, he said the court's decision to proceed with his case showed it could not be interpreted as a publicity stunt.

The tale about the overweight panda-cum-noodle chef who aspires to be a kung fu master has broken box-office records in China since it opened on 20 June.

The Chinese are known to be immensely proud of their martial arts and kung fu heritage as well as the national giant panda symbol. Ironically, DreamWorks Animation had been praised for addressing these issues sensitively in Kung Fu Panda.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...se-871869.html

god, why don't they get a life- it's just an animated film. don't want to come across as being condescending but i'm glad that in a way that i wasn't born as indigenous chinese and had this type of attitude to go with it

[Ireneparalegal]

I was wondering when some chinese person would complain abt this movie.

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

I was wondering when some chinese person would complain abt this movie.

typical communist attitude we'd come to expect. i think its a great film, well i've only seen clips of it but i am waiting for it to come out on dvd

[Mikado]

Originally Posted by waichingliu81

god, why don't they get a life- it's just an animated film. don't want to come across as being condescending but i'm glad that in a way that i wasn't born as indigenous chinese and had this type of attitude to go with it

Well Wai; I wouldnt worry about it too much, as the article says, the movie is a HUGE hit in China and, Mr. Bandi was calling for a boycott BEFORE he even SAW the film; obviously, most Chinese are enjoying the movie and Mr. Bandi is either just a crank, or, more likely, just trying to get more publicity for his own panda art! (I tend to think it's the latter, rather than the former)

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by Mikado

Well Wai; I wouldnt worry about it too much, as the article says, the movie is a HUGE hit in China and, Mr. Bandi was calling for a boycott BEFORE he even SAW the film; obviously, most Chinese are enjoying the movie and Mr. Bandi is either just a crank, or, more likely, just trying to get more publicity for his own panda art! (I tend to think it's the latter, rather than the former)

yeah, but mikey as soon as something becomes a success and it is originally made in the west, as soon as it is released in china or whatever, non-western people are up in arms, because they think it is an attack on their 'culture' as we'd call it. china has so much PC-crap going on in that country, they need to sort themselves out and look at themselves and stop blaming other countries for things that are not their fault

[Ireneparalegal]

This happens when it comes to Middle eastern films, religious films or wherever a particular group is portrayed in a film. There is always someone or some group calling for a boycott.

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

This happens when it comes to Middle eastern films, religious films or wherever a particular group is portrayed in a film. There is always someone or some group calling for a boycott.

which is why in the west, it's great that we have things like freedom of speech and that us people do not live in a society where we allow lefties/liberals/marxists and others telling us what's good for us and what isn't. if the US, canada, or the UK were run as communist states, the people and our societies would be ****ed.

if someone doesn't like the film because its crap, then so be it. but to say it has racist undertones; likewise; the father of the main character in kung fu panda is not a panda but a duck and people are getting all pissed off because the duck isn't chinese is just ridiculous.

besides, duck is served on the menu in chinese restaurants anyway- so WTH are they going on about?

[Mikado]

whoohoo...I love this subject cause, the ad at the bottom of the page is of a dating site, with several pics of beautiful Chinese women on it

[Mikado]

This is what the ad looks like.....

Now back to our regularly scheduled topic
btw, Wai, Not to put too fina a point on it, but, Conservatives protest as many things as us Liberals do...usually in the name of morals and religion

[PlayOn]

Originally Posted by Mikado

This is what the ad looks like.....

Now back to our regularly scheduled topic
btw, Wai, Not to put too fina a point on it, but, Conservatives protest as many things as us Liberals do...usually in the name of morals and religion

lol. my computer has that same ad right now.
anyways, i saw this movie and i didn't see anything offense about it. pandas come from china. God put them there. besides, people should pay attention to the storyline. not the setting. get a life, people!

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by BruceWillisFan

lol. my computer has that same ad right now.
anyways, i saw this movie and i didn't see anything offense about it. pandas come from china. God put them there. besides, people should pay attention to the storyline. not the setting. get a life, people!

this guy is an utter *****, i had to laugh when he said: ''Next, why is the panda's father is a duck? Many foreigners think the giant panda is not just China's symbol, but also the Chinese people's symbol. Drawing the father of the giant panda as a duck is an insult to the Chinese people. In a few years' time, I'm worried some young Chinese people will think their ancestor is Donald Duck."


and so by this statement, is he implying that america is a bad influence or a threat to china? because it appears to be interpreted as if it is, which is ludicrous.

what is really amazing though is the notion that we in the west aren't allowed to criticise or condemn something which is non-western and immoral, in case we are labelled racists, whilst the east and beyond can slate and ridicule and take pot shots at the west. i'm sorry but that is not how it works.

btw, i am chinese myself and yet i live by western values because i am british and was born in london and it annoys me when some chinese insist on playing the race card. human rights abuses are taking place in china, the internet is being monitored and controlled by commy- communist to you and me- thugs, if you speak out against the govt, you either get sent to jail or you get beaten for it. homosexuality is illegal in china and warrants a spell in jail- or worse the death penalty, if anyone is caught practicing it, sadly.

the chinese can attack the west but they don't like it when we attack them- what hypocrites

[waichingliu81]

i just went on you tube and someone has just uploaded the full movie on there!

here's the link:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=f9o5ha...eature=related

i wonder how long it will be until it's taken off

[Mikado]

Well Wai, at least you can take solace in knowing that the Chinese protesters of this film are far outweighed by those who seem to be enjoying it; same goes for the gmt, chances are most Chinese arent truly "Communists", other than the fact that they arent given other choices on the ballot.....which is why the USSR fell so quickly once the people saw the army was no longer on the side of "the party".....it might take another 50 years but, it just might happen in China too, one day.

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by Mikado

Well Wai, at least you can take solace in knowing that the Chinese protesters of this film are far outweighed by those who seem to be enjoying it; same goes for the gmt, chances are most Chinese arent truly "Communists", other than the fact that they arent given other choices on the ballot.....which is why the USSR fell so quickly once the people saw the army was no longer on the side of "the party".....it might take another 50 years but, it just might happen in China too, one day.

i might be wrong about this but i think russia is still a communist country today

[Schmoopie]

Originally Posted by waichingliu81

besides, duck is served on the menu in chinese restaurants anyway- so WTH are they going on about?

Does this guy think that Chinese people are stupid? He honestly believes that because Po's father is portrayed as a duck that people are going to think their ancestor is Donald Duck? If I were Chinese and read that statement, I would be offended by him! Not the movie!

I wasn't too thrilled about seeing "Kung Fu Panda" at first, but because my husband and I love Giant Pandas, we were dying to go see it. I loved it. I thought it was very cute and very entertaining.

I would think that having this movie released would do several things for China;
1- The scenery (even though it was animated) is very beautiful in this film and it may encourage people to want to see China for themselves one day.

2-The pandas-this film showed no harm to a panda (well, within reason), and I think it's wonderful that the panda is finally getting some attention. Perhaps this will make people who already love the character of Po want to learn more about real Giant Pandas and will want to save them. That in itself is worth more than any money the movie could ever make.

It would be nice if part of the proceeds from the film went to one of the panda funds. They are hurting right now because of that horrible earthquake and can use all the help they can get.

Andrea