CCTV FOLLIES 3.6 WOMEN HOLD UP LESS THAN HALF THE SKY
Women welcome to applaud Xi just like men! -Quasi equality in slavish obeisance to the paramount one -Whole process democracy is all about him -Vox populi in lockstep -Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Haiti
The news opens with a gentle round of female applause as Xi Jinping enters the room:
“On behalf of the communist party central committee and the country, Xi extended festive greetings and best wishes to the country's women of all ethnic groups and from all walks of life ahead of International Women's Day which falls on March 8.”
With Womens Day around the corner, women, too, can clap for Xi and listen with rapt attention as his rotundity speaks on their behalf.
Select female delegates were allowed to sit in the front row to dress the set in the spirit of things. Women, who used to hold up half the sky under Mao, are now mostly accessories and homemakers, but a select few female bodies were present at the event where women were empowered to clap, listen with awe and scrupulously take notes, just as the many men present did.
His rotundity trudges along to another meeting to greet another lucky group of delegates who are immediately spellbound by his very presence.
CCTV provides a vivid look into “Whole Process Journalism” in which delegates are randomly interviewed by a roving CCTV reporter.
Not only are those interviewed alike in their effusive praise for Chairman Xi Jinping, but they all open their statements by invoking his name, as if performing some weird religious ritual.
Perhaps the microphone and the presence of the interviewer acts like a force field affecting the word choice of the respondent. The way the camera zooms in on one’s name on the photo ID badge is also something to take into account.
Such social pressures surely play a part in getting the interviewers to sound like ventriloquist dummies and sock puppets, but even this “freewheeling” selfie shot invokes rote compliance and a desire to be in accord with Chairman Xi.
“We will do as Chairman Xi Jinping says we should do…”
The military is well-represented at the NPC congress with He Weidong center stage.
As is patriotic Hong Kong, represented by Leung Chun-ying.
A political consultant from Thailand concurs with the great theme of the great man.
“Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has developed and prospered…” -Pichai
And he’s not the only astute international observer to say so.
“Ba-ba-tu-en-de” from Nigeria is effusive in his praise of China’s development.
Voices from around the world ring in praise for China under Xi:
-Myanmar foreign ministry researcher:
“China’s development promotes technological change…”
-Venezuela researcher:
“China is really pushing modern industry forward…”
-German member of Berlin Prussian Association:
“Xi Jinping is really far-sighted and has insight!” —“Fu-er-ke-er”
-Iraq former prime minister:
“China’s development does not copy but is unique and original…”
Unlike yesterday’s news which ran 55 minutes but had not a minute for international news, today’s program has a short foreign news segment. It’s truncated because praising Xi properly takes up an enormous amount of time, but it’s back to form with reports from Gaza, Ukraine and Haiti and a rousing ode to Chinese industrialization.