What's the Deal With Shen Yun's Latest Tagline?

[Mijin]

@PhillyGuy

There are five countries with ruling communist parties: China, Vietnam, Cuba, North Korea, and Laos. I mention it in connection with those.

Well you said “Tell that to the Uyghurs”, as if the “Communist” part of CCP is the crucial reason for their repression, and not the authoritarian or fascism elements, or just bigotry.

@PhillyGuy

As to whether there is anything differentiating the five, from other dictatorships, one thing I’m noticing is official atheism.

In China?
It’s complicated. I have visited many spectacular buddhist temples are in China, and attended Christian services with thousands of people.
More than that though, China has Chinese folk religion, which most sources will say is the religion of the majority of Chinese people (e.g. the wiki). Personally, I think that should come with an asterisk, as, in my experience, it a bit more ceremonial than a concrete religion.

@PhillyGuy

I understand the show to have political content and think the thread subject tagline fairly prepares the audience for that.

Yes, from what I have heard, the show does feature political content, bizarre stuff that is anti-evolution for example. But it’s not Chinese propaganda, indeed, the show is banned in China itself.

[kaylasdad99]

@Mijin

Yes, from what I have heard, the show does feature political content, bizarre stuff that is anti-evolution for example. But it’s not Chinese propaganda, indeed, the show is banned in China itself.

It’s not CCP (or even pro-CCP) propaganda, but it is propaganda, and to the extent that Falun Gong can be considered Chinese…

Nah, it’s not worth it. But I will note that nobody in the thread has called it Chinese propaganda.

And the notion of using Shen Yun’s displays as something that’s supposed to validate political positions reminds me of this.

[LSLGuy]

I saw one troupe perform in about 2010. Very skilled dancing and sorta-acrobatics.

The Falun Gong’s positioning in the West is that they are True Chinese, what China would be like if the Communists didn’t have their boot on the neck of the People. So some of the show is about how great and traditional China and Chinese culture is, and some of the show is about how much the Communists are wrecking everything with their evil police state.

Whether that’s how Falun Gong is perceived by the public in China, and whether that’s even what they really are, is potentially a very different thing. I’m not competent to talk about that side of things.

[Mr.Duality]

@kaylasdad99

For the first time, their ads contain the tagline China Before Communism

Went to the show a year ago here in Wyoming. That tagline was prominently featured at that time.

It was a good entertainment experience, but since I learned of the Falun Gong connection I will not be going again.

I remarked at the time that every last one of them were very thin and could use a sammitch.

[Cervaise]

@JohnT

I just shelled out $350 for two tickets

Have you gone yet? What was it like?

[JohnT]

Thanks for the bump, I meant to get back here.

It was nice, a very propagandized (and theological) show, full of beautiful young people who all came from the same NYC college, and was, yes, ‘cultlike’. Like a Catholic Mass may seem to them.

The show itself was a pit orchestra, ballet, and a video screen which covered the entire back of the stage. When a character left the scene, they went to the back of the stage, jumped down, but the image of them continued on the screen as it took them out of the story.

For example, let’s say the story had 2 characters who need to drive out of the scene.

The actors/dancers would walk to the back of the stage, to a car on the video screen. They would act like they entered the car, then jump down… but the screen car itself, now with the two actors shown inside of it, would drive off on the image. It was very well done, meticulously timed, and I don’t think anyone made a single mistake that I saw.

They change the show every year, Inna said she wants to go again, so another show is on our schedule.

Best moment was when there was an obvious Christ resurrection sequence going on. The dancer went to the screen, got lifted into heaven, whereupon Inna leaned over and whispered “Chinese Jesus”, to which I responded “You mean ‘Cheesus’, right?”

She fucking lost it. And we’re on the front row!