Ok, I want to take advantage of the collective intelligence of this board. I’m just finishing the writing of my undergraduate thesis, but I can’t come up with a concise witty title.
The thesis is about the Chinese print media’s response to the 2001 spyplane collision incident. If you recall, in April 2001 a US spyplane crashed into a Chinese fighter jet off the coast of China. I analyzed the Chinese media’s response in an attempt to better understand contemporary Chinese nationalism.
The only title I could come up with is: “the crash and the fury: the chinese print media’s response to the 2001 Spyplane Incident”, but I think it’s crap. 
Please help.
On an unrelated note: I’m an idiot. Sorry for the double post, is there a way I can delete one?
The “Spyplane” Incident: A Chink in Our Armor?
Well, how about a real headline from a Chinese newspaper that sums up your point of view? Eg, you conclude that Chinese newspapers are knee-jerk hostile to the US, so you find a headline like “Foreign devils screw up again” and footnote it to prove that it’s a real one. Then subtitle it with a more “academic” title, like:
Or you could make up a similar headline that suited your conclusions, as long as you signposted it as such. Was this the kind of the thing you were looking for, or would you prefer bad spyplane puns?
I know you think you’re clever, but isn’t “Chink” hate speech?
The title should give some idea of where you’re going.
What’s the thesis of your thesis?
Furt: the thesis of my thesis is that the Chinese media’s response reveals a latent anti-imperialist nationalism that, while outdated, has been revamped and applied to US-China relations.
Nice try.
I suggest that this description shows prejudgement in your part, that I would challenge if I were reviewing your work. As the smaller, faster, more maneuverable plane, I would think it more probable the the Chinese fighter hit the American Orion.
How about, “Sino-American Crisis Diplomacy”? I dunno, maybe “Sino-” is an obsolete term.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply Boyo Jim. I didn’t intend the way I organized the nouns around the verb crash to imply that it was the US fault. Of course, the description of the incident I use in my thesis is a bit more nuanced than this.
It is an interesting question of whose fault it was. I tend to agree that it seems more probable that the Chinese side provoked it, but the maneuverability argument doesn't hold much water to me (from what I've read about other mid-air collisions).
Thanks to all for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming.
My suggestion, from the other thread:
Well, how about a real headline from a Chinese newspaper that sums up your point of view? Eg, you conclude that Chinese newspapers are knee-jerk hostile to the US, so you find a headline like “Foreign devils screw up again” and footnote it to prove that it’s a real one. Then subtitle it with a more “academic” title, like:
Quote:
“Foreign Devils Screw Up Again”(1): Fearmongering and Foucaultian Fallacies in Chinese Press Coverage of the Hainan Spyplane Incident
by Ryan Hooper
(1) China Daily, 17 May 2001.
Or you could make up a similar headline that suited your conclusions, as long as you signposted it as such. Was this the kind of the thing you were looking for, or would you prefer bad spyplane puns?
The dragon metaphor for Chinese nationalism is obvious: “Feeding the Dragon,” “reviving the dragon,” “Riding the dragon,” etc.
Sorry, it’s late, I can’t think. I’d suggest going to the library and grabbing a book of Chinese Folk Tales/Fables and looking for one whose moral seems like it could fit, and then adapt that.
Could you describe the Chinese Media as “slanted?” Okay, that was wrong.
I have laughed at many SDMB posts. That is the first one to ever actually make a carbonated beverage flee from my nostrils.
I don’t know if it helps, but the term for a baby dragon (or a hatchling dragon) is WYRMLING (which is of course of Germanic origin). What’s interesting about a wyrmling is that it is born with the memories of both its parents, just as the new Chinese imperialism would have the memories of its parents from Qin Shihuang to Hu Jintao.
One more post then I’ll leave peacefully: my favorite title for any book I have ever read about an Asian nation is Fire in the Lake, based on the symbol for revolution. Unfortunately I know next to nothing of Chinese pictographs, but if there is one appropriate for a reborn dragon, an ominous revelation, a ghost, etc, it might be interesting.
The Wrath of Kahn… NOW! is probably right out.
Kind of an interesting point Boyo brings up. But its hard to be sure if the blame is more political or not. Close harassment and games of supersonic “chicken” have a long history - its partly political and partly because jet pilots tend to have “hot dog” personalities. I recall that there were previous video tapes of the same pilot flying close enough to show printed messages from out of his goddam cockpit! (Was it a MIG-21?)
Now if that all hangs together, that would be like the Chinese state is responsible for putting the guy in the plane, but he’s the one who actually screwed the pooch.
Throw an I Ching with the title as your question. Be cool if it worked, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Wouldn’t be magic if it always worked.
I don’t have a great title for you. However, I can tell you that the reaction on the ground was pretty strange. The “spontaneously” bussed in students from the suburbs that stoned the US consulate in Shanghai.
I had people accost me in the street, and that monday at work I was rabidly attacked. “Why did you crash our plane?” “me??? whaddya talking about, I was in Shanghai this weekend.”
To buddies who had their staff call a special meeting and then explain that they (the local chinese staff) in no way felt that the western manager was culpable.
Of course not! You see, Chinese people are not politically active in the US, therefore, they are never an aggrieved minority.
Title…bah! I’m always bad at those anyway…
Paper aeroplanes: Chinese media and the 2001 spyplane incident.