Spielberg In Protest Quits Beijing Olympic Games

[onedomino]

I read some Chinese blogs, mostly from Shanghai. And the hot story this week has been Steven Spielberg telling Beijing to stuff their Olympic Games. Thousands of Chinese bloggers and chatters are slashing at Spielberg and America, the mood is ugly. In China, the net is heavily censored and there is no access to unfiltered news. US media sites are routinely blocked.

Why Spielberg Doesn't Care About Annoying Beijing
Posted by: Bruce Einhorn on February 14

complete article: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/eyeonasia/archives/2008/02/why_spielberg_d.html

Steven Spielberg has quit as artistic director for the opening night show at the Beijing Olympics:

[China: Spielberg's Olympic-Sized Snub

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2008/gb20080213_989993.htm

Despite the director's protest over Beijing support for Sudan and exit from the Games' opening ceremonies, oil-thirsty China won't back away from the regime

by Frederik Balfour

Activists Target the 'Genocide Olympics'

The Chinese government is determined to put on an unforgettable show when it hosts the Olympic Games for the first time this August. Beijing has been counting on the assistance of Hollywood heavyweight Steven Spielberg to provide glitz for the opening-night ceremony. Now, the Chinese government suddenly has to cope with an unwelcome change in script: On Feb. 12, Spielberg announced he was quitting to protest Beijing's support for Sudan, where government-backed Arab forces have killed hundreds of thousands of Africans, and displaced millions more since 2003. "The international community, and particularly China, should be doing more to end the continuing human suffering," Spielberg said in a statement.

The decision by the Oscar-winning director comes at an awkward time for China, which is hoping the Olympics will serve as its coming-out party on the world stage. The government has already been embarrassed by the decision of many Olympic teams, worried about pollution (BusinessWeek.com, 2/12/08) in the Chinese capital, to practice in Japan or Korea before the Games.]

This is a major PR blow to the Chinese. Typically U.S. companies tie themselves into knots to keep Beijing happy and preserve their access to the 1.3 billion consumers in China. You might think that China would be hugely important to Hollywood, for all the obvious reasons: Over one billion people, rising economy, lots of middle-class moviegoers, etc.

But while Beijing has considerable leverage over most American industries, Hollywood is fairly immune. That’s partially Beijing’s own fault. Because China has a highly restrictive policy that only allows 30 foreign films a year into Chinese cinemas, the box-office numbers for Hollywood pictures in China are just tiny. Even tinier when you consider that the 30-number limit isn’t just for Hollywood pictures, it’s for Japanese, Korean and all other foreign movies (with the exception of Hong Kong films, which get special treatment). And of course there’s so much piracy in China, the country is Public Enemy No. 1 for the Motion Picture Association.

 

[akiboy]

I read some Chinese blogs, mostly from Shanghai. And the hot story this week has been Steven Spielberg telling Beijing to stuff their Olympic Games. Thousands of Chinese bloggers and chatters are slashing at Spielberg and America, the mood is ugly. In China, the net is heavily censored and there is no access to unfiltered news. US media sites are routinely blocked.

I think Spielberg did the right thing. China need to get their act straight. And thats not all..Beijng must have violated a hundred or so human rights while organizing the Olympics.

 

[Shogun]

Good for Steve.


fuck china.