Official Olympics Cheer
johnrash
June 08, 2008, 06:02 PM posted in General DiscussionIt seems cheering for the Olympics has been structured beyond the "中国加油！" cheers that have followed the Olympic Torch on it's journey towards 北京. The cheer, apparently, is to offer a more adaptable method for cheering for China or any other country. By substituting second half the official "奥运加油，中国加油“ with the name of your favorite player, sport or country.
I'm not sure fans of the Olympics really needed an "official" cheer, but making it more internationally accessible might give foreigners a chance to feel they are speaking real Chinese by learning the same chat as the locals.
Cheerleading was always a game of sheep following the leader. Kind of reminds me of those pre-football game pep rallies held in my high school back in the day.
johnrash
June 28, 2008, 02:42 PMWe sometimes refer to followers as "sheep", meaning there is a flock or group of many falling behind the instruction of one leader (sheep herder). The idea is that the flock (sheep) are somewhat docile and passive just doing as they are told and not thinking for themselves. Is that what you were asking?
I don't think there is anything wrong with community spirit or cheering for your favorite sport or team. However, having an official cheer to me seemed a little beyond the spontaneous nature of actually being in the moment and cheering when something exciting happens in the heat of the moment. Of course we have canned expressions that we all rely upon for these situations in every culture. “中国加油“ is a good example of this in China, which seems more organic and less dictated than an offical cheer.
I was in 深圳 when the olympic torch passed through, and the city was truely buzzing with electric energy. It was more exciting than any concert or sporting event I've ever attened, and I found myself cheering “中国加油！“ along with the crowd. In that situation maybe I am also a "sheep", but the feeling was not that I was yelling an "official response" but rather enjoying a spontaneous moment of joy with thosands of people witnessing the same event.
zhanglihua
June 28, 2008, 06:05 PMThere are many official regulations in China ;-)
I think people will simply chant and cheer the way they want when they surrender to the passion created by the extraordinary moments. This is always the case. Regarding "canned expressions": An audience wave is hardly spontaneous or personal. You're going with the masses. Chinese culture is not particularly individualistic. But then again, everyone follows suit in some instances. You're not wearing a pink dress to work, are you? (in this case, it's not politics dictating your behavior, but cultural and gender confinements) By the way, I am not really disagreeing with you!
I am happy to hear that you cheered for China.
zhanglihua
June 28, 2008, 06:08 PMAnd I would like to add that having an "official cheer" does not mean it's the only acceptable one. It simply means it's the one that will be propagated the most as to induce some conformity which in the end will merely enhance the social, common aspect of the Olympic Games.
johnrash
June 28, 2008, 09:13 PMRight, and in my original post I pointed out that the official cheer allows for variation for particular sports or players or countries. Anyway, I think the idea of conformity rubs me the wrong way sometimes and having something as spontaneous as "cheering" planned out step by step seemed a bit silly. Anyway, it's true we all fall upon convention and stomp our feet to "WE WILL ROCK YOU" at basketball games, do the wave in the baseball stadium, and scream loudly when instructed by cheerleaders at halftime. Maybe the difference here are years of tradition and cultural training vs a new step-by-step cheer (including hand gestures) handed down like a training video.
We are conforming by doing the wave (or stomping along to a Queen soundtrack), but conforming to tradition, not a newly invented way of cheering for a particular event. I don't wear pink dresses to work, but if I were suddenly issued a national standard suggestion as to how I should part my hair, even if the same as how I do it now, I would laugh a little.
I'm not confusing this with some of the "official" decrees of public behavior/action in China's past. Just observing the "official cheer" as being both an opportunity for people of different nationalities to come together with a common cheer, and also a little over the top in some ways. Maybe a good idea, maybe not... but doubtfully known by anyone outside of China.
RJ
June 28, 2008, 10:18 PMyea it kind of rubs me the wrong way too since its not something that caught on and grew into a tradition but instead has been "suggested" by the govt. This against a backdrop of all the other terribly impulsive things they are doing out of Olympic panic makes it even worse. I was so happy when China got the olympics thinking it would do much for world opinion. Now I am afraid they might just blow it and it could have the opposite affect. I wish they would calm down and just let this thing happen. I really want to see this turn out positive for China.
zhanglihua
June 28, 2008, 02:28 PMi think this increases the community spirit.
"Cheerleading was always a game of sheep following the leader." is that an allusion?