CCTV FOLLIES 7.29 Personality cult personified

Today was a slow news day for Xinwen Lianbo, focused as it was on propping up the personality cult of the paramount leader. The University Games are but colorful backdrop to the real story: Xi Jinping

There are some stunning shots in today’s news, mostly pyrotechnics and special effects at the opening ceremony of the University Games, and nothing shouts “amateur sports” and “collegial competition” like spending billions on a spanking new illuminated stadium, somber bootstepping ceremonies dedicated to the red flag of China and making every delegation march with panda mascots, but I digress. The real news story today, as on most days, is that Xi is the big boss in a top-down system and you have to watch him and admire his every move and pay attention to his every word on the prime time evening news. No wave of the hand is too insignificant, no slogan too silly, no pointing of the royal finger can go ignored. For reasons of space, the many reaction shots of crowds delirious to be in proximity to the great man of history have been deleted, but the way CCTV cut the stadium footage, you’d think everyone was cheering for him, and who knows, maybe they were.

What else is CCTV news for, if…