I am being stalked… by a Chinese dance troupe, which apparently has an unlimited budget. They’ve been advertising on Jeopardy! They sent a flyer in today’s mail. There have been ads on subways and bus shelters. See China before communism! If you only see one Chinese dance troupe this year, make it Shen Yun! What about all the other ones?
Okay, I know a little about about Falun Gong. In fact, I saw Shen Yun years ago when they were guests at a multicultural festival held in Mexico. It was okay. Nice costumes and dancing. Some have said the message was heavy, but I don’t remember that. Doesn’t look like it has changed much from the commercials. It did seem to go on for a very long time. More costumes. More dancing, kind of like the earlier dancing. Perhaps communism is like the squares in Footloose, or Anabaptists who oppose human movement? In which case, you go, Falun Gong! Shen Yun is coming again to three cities within driving distance of an hour or two.
You probably like Shen Yun. Maybe you saw it too. But seriously, what is their advertising budget? How many cities near you, within an hour or two, will be hosting Shen Yun this year?
It’s already been here (SF, Oakland, San Jose). Every year, right after new year’s. When I was still working, they had a booth for a few weeks before the show in the SF Center downtown vertical mall, right by the Powell St. BART station. Everything about their advertising and marketing smacked of desperation mixed with coercion of some kind. Creepy. I never went to see it. A cult is a cult, I don’t care what their politics are.
Well, let’s talk about their politics. Their Wikipedia page says it disparages atheism, evolution, and homosexuality. So even though they’re certainly not communists, Falun Gong’s politics are still rather alarming.
Those are values I might expect from a religious cult, and not particularly political for that matter. It’s founder and leader Li Hongzhi seems to be something of a crackpot, if that same source is to be believed:
Among other pronouncements, Li has claimed that aliens started invading human minds in the beginning of the 20th century, leading to mass corruption and the invention of computers. He has also denounced feminism and homosexuality and claimed he can walk through walls and levitate.
I would also be suspicious that a cult would pay the participants like it should, and wouldn’t be relying on making it part of their “duty” or providing other incentives to participate in the shows. That could explain why they have enough money to do advertise so prolifically–using member funds for proselytizing.
It would explain how, even in my remote area in Arkansas, we’ve gotten multiple editions of the Epoch Times mailed to us—though it isn’t the only group that does this. (I think political groups have realized an audience of people who believe whatever they read.)
I’ve seen those Shen Yun posters in the San Francsico Bay Area year after year. And seen Chinese ladies handing out flyers on the street chanting “Shen Yun… Shen Yun…” over and over like zombies. Never inspired me to go see the show.
Their posters also looked strange, the graphic design standards they were using seem more attuned to a Chinese audience than an American one. Easter-colored pastels like pale yellow and pink. Made them seem both over-funded and completely out of touch.
When Shen Yun comes to your area, they send something to all the local cities asking them to declare some sort of Chinese cultural week or something. I forget what it is exactly but our city got one a few years ago (we’re about 20 miles from Cleveland, where they were performing) and our mayor was perfectly happy to add the proclamation to the council meeting agenda.
While I’m totally for celebrating Asian American culture I wasn’t down with giving Shen Yun free advertising (that’s all it is) and I shut it down and didn’t let him read it.
If you Google “shen yun city proclamation” there’s several examples of American mayors “praising” Shen Yun in a special proclamation at council meetings. I think the mayors get free tickets to the show too.
Saw them a while back. A good show- amazing, even. They could all use a sandwich though. Was unaware of their politics. Would think twice before doing it again.