Media and Advertising

Images of socialist morality: patriotism

JDM060510xjbs.jpg
The Beijing News is running a series of public service advertisements in support of the Eight Honors and Disgraces campaign for socialist morality. The illustrations are simple and clean - the ad for "follow science," for example, is a black-and-white sketch of Albert Einstein formed out of his famous formula. Cliche, perhaps, but a bit more understated than photos of rockets blasting off or images of men and women in white coats working their microscopes.

The image here, of a man watering a tree, illustrates the "Love the country" line - the first depiction I've seen that doesn't involve flags, saluting schoolchildren, or major national landmarks. The smiley-face on the watering can is a nice touch, but you have to wonder if the artist isn't making a veiled statement about territorial integrity by depicting the southern islands as falling leaves.

JDM060510trees.jpg
At any rate, it's certainly more subtle than this cartoon from Guangming Daily, which also compares the nation to a tree.

On the left, a despicable character holding a begging bowl trades "secrets" to a familiar tall man in tails and pinstripes. On the right, another familiar figure in glasses with his hands on a document labeled "independence" cuts away at a tree root with the saw of "separatism."

JDM060510archs.jpg
Occasionally the barbs turn inward. Accompanying an article decrying patriotic graffiti on national monuments is this cartoon that mocks the "national shame" sort of patriotism . The photographer says to his subject, "Look a little more indignant, a little more determined."
 
Links and Sources
 
There are currently 0 Comments for Images of socialist morality: patriotism.

Post a comment

All comments are moderated and subject to review by Danwei contributors and editors, but well-grounded and articulate comments will be published regardless of which way they lean. Because comments published on any website ultimately contribute to the character of that website, we may decline to publish comments that are irrelevant, redundant, or that do not adhere to generally accepted standards of courtesy; if you are looking for a fight, there are plenty of other venues available online.


Some useful html: <b>bold</b>, <i>italic</i>,
<a href="http://www.danwei.org">link</a>

Danwei Model Workers
laomo2008fpA.jpg
Recommended blogs and new media
China Media Timeline
Major media events over the last three decades
Books on China
ALpostcardsfromtomorrow.jpg
Postcards from Tomorrow Square by James Fallows: James Fallows, China writer for The Atlantic magazine and popular blogger published his book Postcards from Tomorrow Square. Danwei runs an excerpt from his book of tales from China.
Raymond Zhou's X-Ray: Book excerpt: X-Ray: Examining the China Enigma by Raymond Zhou (周黎明). Zhou is a well-known Chinese film critic and culture writer, who has published many books in Chinese. The book, in English, is a collection of 99 essays written for the China Daily.
The best and worst China books of 2008: Access Asia rounds up the best and worst books published about China in 2008.
Front Page of the Day
A different newspaper every weekday
From the Vault
Classic Danwei posts
+ Asimov Published, Interviewed in Beijing (2005.03): Cover story from this week's Book Review section of The Beijing News announces the publication of a Chinese translation of Isaac Asimov's complete Foundation series. Yup, the Beijing News has scored a fictional interview with "I, Asimov". They've been taking similar liberties recently in their entertainment sections, captioning photographs of celebrities with made-up quotes.
+ People: Chan Koon-chung (2004.06): John Koon-chung Chan profiled; He is one of the most experienced players in Chinese media, having founded magazines, written and produced feature films and TV dramas, started and run a satellite TV station, and written novels, collections of essays and even a treatise on Marxist literary criticism.
+ People: Chen Daming, director (2004.06): Chen's own life story could be rich material for a feature film. After being rusticated from the Henan Opera School, he was forced to move away from Kaifeng to look for work. The Film Academy is the most prestigious film school in China, counting the directors Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige among its alumni, and competition for place to study there is fierce. Chen Daming came to Beijing for an audition, and was accepted after three auditions.
Danwei Archives
Danwei Feeds
Via Feedsky rsschiclet2.png (on the mainland)
or Feedburner rsschiclet.gif (blocked in China)
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Main posts: All main page posts
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Top Links: Links from the top bar
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Danwei Jobs: Want ads
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Danwei Digest: Updated daily, 19:30