Too many things wrong with this that it would take days to comment on it.

I'm not asking the reasons why people bash the West, especially America and our beloved president---You have all made it abundantly clear why you think my country and its' folks suck. I disagree with you, but that is NOT the issue.

What I really want to know is "Why do you think it is cool to bash America but never vice versa?".

***By the way, RED on DV bleeds, expecially with text. Use WHITE only for subtitles please and with a drop shadow if your editing application allows. Furthermore, as standard, limit it to two lines for each subtitle.

So critical! This is sweet and help people to understand each other.

Nothing new here, though it occurs to me that this Chris bloke must have a pretty bad case of yellow fever to fall for such a fenqing.

I don't think she is girlfriend.

I think I read she was/is his ayi.

SGT Slaughter said: "What I really want to know is 'Why do you think it is cool to bash America but never vice versa?'."

Who said there is no China bashing? Look at 90% of the blogs by foreigners in China, or at the news coming from America. I'd say this video is more counter-culture than you might realise.

As for the subtitles, can you recommend a good editing program? All I am adept at using is Windows Movie Maker.

Chris

why post this? it's neither new nor informative nor interesting. the ignorant ramblings of two people who look no older than 25 years-old and presumably have no influence or power over anything other than the color of what chinglish tshirt they wear is not consistent with the caliber of other posts on danwei.
[this is bad]

A poor joke. not funny at all. Tasteless for Danwei to post this kind of garbage. People can certainly make a similar garbage video in the US, or any other country, too.

I was actually the first to post this video on Danwei in my comment under the premiere appearance by Chris. (One world, one dream)
"Canada vs. Henan"
One_world_one_dream

It's simply a playful video that rational thinkers find cute and entertaining while irrational ones criticize and lambaste.
If viewed on YouTube then you see a lot of irate comments about the simple phrase at the beginning "Westerners suck" from those who take it far too seriously.

Let's be reasonable, folks; if this delightful young Chinese woman truly thought "Westerners suck", then why would she let a Westerner put his arm around her and then stick two of her fingers up his nose at the end of the video?

Why post it on Danwei? Why not? I think it's much better than the Onion's pathetic Beijing Olympic trap video, which I didn't find funny at all.
There's something for everybody on this website, and those of us with a sense of humor are also aware that people laugh at different things. Plenty of informative and interesting content exists on Danwei and yet there's still room for quirky material like this video. If you enjoy it, then join me in praising Danwei.
If you don't like it, then you suck!

Ahh, the penultimate source of insight into Chinese culture/history/public-opinion: "my Chinese wife/girlfriend". Second only to the Beijing taxi driver.

Couldn't finish watching it.

"Who said there is no China bashing? Look at 90% of the blogs by foreigners in China, or at the news coming from America. I'd say this video is more counter-culture than you might realise."---Chris Pereira

That's NOT what I asked. I asked, "Why do people think it is "cool""?.

Why is it "cool" to bash the country that has given so much to the world? Say what you want about slavery, war, the New England Patriots, the States has done more good than bad. I want to know why it's a fad...NOT why does it occur.

For example, when I was in school, as required by the curriculum, had to take various social science courses in order to graduate. Whenever abortion rights came up in discussion for example they would go around the room and ask people, "are you pro-life or pro-choice?". Everyone except me and an exchange student who didn't understand the question said "pro-choice". No one questioned that. However, When they got to me and I said, "pro-life" I was asked "Why!?". "Why the F*ck would anyone be anti-life?",was my argument and they dismissed my opinion as just trying to be difficult but I was f*cking serious. However, this underscores the fact that it was not "cool" for me to voice a conservative moralistic choice.

Nonetheless, like France has the right to hate the damn Olys, these left of center folks in my former class have the right to choose themselves over a baby should they desire---and it's "cool" if they do so. So yes it's contradiction. Being "pro-life" is actually being "pro-choice".

What a pity that Danwei could sink to such a level to put up this kind of rubbish!

Slaughter:

Something about state-sponsored terrorism, institutionalized torture, disappearances and illegal detentions. Or something.

Oh and blatant hypocrisy. All those state department reports complaining about human-rights abuses in other countries? Sometimes sh*t comes back to bite you in the butt.

So, bigoted comments by the ignorant are considered acceptable discourse now? Suppose I put an Arkansas redneck on Youtube and he said, "Chinese people suck", would that be the same?

[COMMENTED AMENDED BY EDITORS FOR TASTE]

"Something about state-sponsored terrorism, institutionalized torture, disappearances and illegal detentions. Or something.

Oh and blatant hypocrisy. All those state department reports complaining about human-rights abuses in other countries? Sometimes sh*t comes back to bite you in the butt."---LACJ

First off there is nothing wrong with that.

Second you are the second person to NOT answer my f*cking question as to "why is it "cool" to bash America?". NOT, "why do people bash America?".

Slaughter:

Oh, and the problem with your anti-choice viewpoint is not that it is not cool, although its not, but that it is stupid. Why would you want to impose your morality on others? Why would you want to force a girl who is not ready or capable of being a mother to have a child? Do you not understand the social cost of such a policy? And do you really feel that you should have the right to make decisions for others based on your version of 'morality'?

No, don't bother to answer those questions, they were rhetorical. If you are down with state-sanctioned terror then the rest just follows. Abortion = bad, but torture = good.

@LACJ

You illustrate my point that some of you have a problem with reading comprehension.

Also, by saying, "No, don't bother to answer those questions, they were rhetorical.", you leave no room for rebuttal like a true ______(fill in the blank)___. See, I'm a fair guy. That sentence you get to choose how you want to finish it.

Don't hurt yourself when you fall off of your high horse.

Oh yes, my reading skills are so, so very limited. Thank you for noticing.

I do, however, wonder why you would say such a thing. Is it because I failed to answer your 'f*cking question'? I did indeed notice it, and made two quick decisions: (1) It wasn't worth answering, and (2) you come across as a pretty arrogant guy by demanding that people answer your question. For these reasons, I did not even acknowledge it ;- )

Oh, and just to pour salt in the many wounds I have created by mopping the floor with you, 'first off'? No American says first off. Its 'first of all'. What are you, a Canadian?

Fake American making us real Americans look bad. Begone foul beast!

this thing is super stupid, both this Chinese girl and her boy friend. Walking carcasses.

Now You record this awesome video with Your cam.... You have a great topic... and then You destroy it...

Why do You put music over it, so that it is so hard to understand the Chinese talk? You speak clear Chinese, at least in those moments when the music is a bit more silent, but then over most parts the music destroys everything :( Why???? There are people here who learn Chinese, they are happy to hear such clear speakers, then You give them such hard time by adding the music. Please give us a clear video.

I second the motion that Danwei stop posting his videos. A smelly turd floating in what is otherwise a sea of enlightenment.

Chris expresses himself so well - I just can't decide to what extent his girlfriend is joking! A lot, I hope.

Sgt. Slaughter, it is very cool to bash China and it happens all the time, just not in this case. It is cool to bash anyone big from behind a large invisibility shield or posse of cronies - or on the Internet. Stop identifying personally with the idea of a nation and you'll be fine.

My question:

Why does this harmless video, charming to some although evidently annoying to others, generate so much vicious chatter?

Whereas the complexities and questions suggested by another Danwei post like Joel Martinsen's translation of Zhang Yefu's Hosting the Olympics in post-quake China generate no discussion at all.

Is the Internet making us all dumber?

I liked this video a lot. The affection between Chris and his gal is obvious and their banter is playful and creative.

And, looking at the camera and saying "I hate ________ ers." Is bound to get a heated response from people. Most people do not like to hear those words said about their group. The feelings that get stirred up can blind one to perceiving the over-all message of what comes afterwards.

But, I must say, that I loved the video and am sharing it with others. (I love Westerners, and am one myself. Love Chinese too.)

total crap.

Jeremy: Yes, it probably is making us dumber! Please keep posting the grown-up content anyway?

That's not to say Chris Wip's not grown-up. I like his style!

Jeremy Goldkorn, yes, the internet is making us dumber, and more arugmentative but less capable of arguing the important stuff, more likely to throw some childish hissy fit over a simple, cute, harmless video.

Chris Pereira and the good folks of Danwei: Keep the videos coming. Those who don't like them are under no obligation to watch them.

But I second the motion that the music be turned down a little to allow us to hear the voices more clearly.

The problem with the video is that it opens with the Chinese girl trash-talking the West (in what does seem like an offhand, joking way) while Chris just gives the serious, diplomatic, afraid-to-offend anyone responses.

The video would be way funnier if Chris just answered her questions in a similar way. Maybe, "Chinese food tastes bad because Chinese people suck...The West just criticizes China about Tibet and Taiwan because Chinese people suck." I think that would be hilarious, but I don't have a Chinese girlfriend to worry about offending.

I like the traditional Chinese music in the background and don't think it's too loud.
Chris did it right by being the straight man. His humorous video is fun to watch because of what she says, not what he says.

Who knew there were so many film critics on Danwei? It's a home movie for crying out loud!
Do all of you guys watch "America's Funniest Home Videos" and then post online critiques of techniques being used to film an unleashed dog trying to mate with a wedding groom's leg?
"Oh, it would have been funnier if they had replaced the dog's collar with the bride's garter."
"It's cruelty to animals...look at the way he kicks the poor poodle!"
"Why is the background music 'Bolero'? Couldn't they have chosen a better song?"
"What a totally crappy video! This show is going to the dogs!"
"The Chinese subtitles are wrong. It should be 狗做爱 and not 媾作爱."

I loved this video, ignore the morons posting above, they're jealous of this guy's Chinese. Thanks for sharing.