Don't be tricked by Hollywood

Hollywood blockbuster Iron Man 3 raked in 125 million yuan ($20.33 million) on May 1, its opening day, in China. Perhaps Chinese moviegoers are crazy about the movie because of its Chinese angle, but they should not mistake it as a sign of Chinese culture becoming more influential, says an article on dahe.cn. Excerpts:

Iron Man 3 features Chinese actress Fan Bingbing and Chinese actor Wang Xueqi in the version made for Chinese moviegoers, but their less-than-essential roles have been edited from the American version.

Hollywood moviemakers have used the Chinese elements simply to attract Chinese moviegoers, because they know it's not that easy to have a bigger share in the world's second-largest film market even after China increased the number of Hollywood films that can be screened in the country.

To gain a larger share of the box office profit in China, some Hollywood filmmakers had started entering into co-productions with Chinese film companies, but many of these movies turned out to be nothing but American productions with minimum Chinese elements.

In response, China's film regulators tightened the co-production rules in August 2012. So American moviemakers have now started creating some scenes with Chinese elements in the Chinese versions especially to attract more Chinese moviegoers and increase their profits. The Chinese version of Iron Man 3 is one such example.

Some people mistake Hollywood's strategy as a sign of growing recognition of Chinese culture, but it is actually a commercial tactic of Hollywood filmmakers. To ensure that Chinese culture becomes more influential, there is no option for the government but to take measures to promote professionalism and improve the quality of Chinese films.

Envy influencing teens' actions

It was shocking to read reports that said a 13-year-old girl has been detained for three-year reeducation for killing a classmate just because the latter was more "beautiful". The case should prompt us to seek answers to such questions as what social causes could lead to such a crime and how we could prevent similar tragedies, says an article in Qianjiang Evening News. Excerpts:

Students, both girls and boys, could become jealous of classmates who are "better looking", have a better school record and/or are favored by teachers. But when jealousy gets out of control, it could lead to tragedy. Therefore, students have to learn to control and manage their feelings, and teachers (and parents) should help them do so. But under the pressure of the exam-oriented education system, many schools cannot earmark special classes for children's psychological development.

Good, all-round education can help students to keep their envy and anger under check, but unfortunately most of today's students are deprived of that opportunity. The concept of competition (in all fields) is driven so deep in some children by their parents and teachers that they become prone to taking illogical steps to succeed.

From the poisoning case in Shanghai's Fudan University to the latest case of the 13-year-old girl, the criminal motive can be attributed to vicious competition. A society which believes in competition without cooperation cannot function ideally.

(China Daily 05/10/2013 page9)