China

CCTV Tower In Trouble Again

By Simon Elegant | August 25, 2009 | +

Just back from summer holiday and the ever reliable Global Times scores immediately with a piece on a supposed online controversy (as is their common practice backed up with the results of an online poll, which are surely meaningless and easily manipulated even by the loose standards of statistics) revolving around the CCTV Towers, about which we have written often. Apparently the nickname most commonly in use “Big Underpants” doesn’t reflect what Chinese netizens think is the main resemblance of the buildings, which the story says are supposed to represent the male and female genitalia (the story has an accompanying picture for those who need guidance; the male building, by the way, which was to house the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, is the one that went up in flames, though I don’t think that was part of the symbolism).

Anyway, here are the money grafs, quotes from the firm of architects who designed the towers:

Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas published a statement on oma.nl, the website of his company, the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), saying, “The glorious CCTV building stands as the shining symbol for the ever-changing world order, and that’s the exact intent of our design.”

(Is it just me or is this a piece of meaningless pseudery?)

The statement also denies that pictures portraying the tower as human genitalia were produced by OMA, indicating that the pictures were circulated on the Internet in 2005 and are not connected to the company.

Pretty priceless stuff. Rather akin to asking a politician “when did you stop beating your wife?” to elicit a denial and then publishing a big headline saying, “Politician Denies Beating Wife.”

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  • johnsmith9876

    Denial to “when did you stop beating your wife?” should be publish as “Politician deny stopping beating wife”. If the answer was “yesterday”, the head line should be “Politician admits beating wife till yesterday”. If the answer was “I never beat my wife”, the headline should be “Politician declined to answer when he stopped beating wife”.

  • chinatsunami

    The CCTV building was artfully designed to symbolize the paramount CCP phallus aiming at 1.3 billion Chinese people with everyone pants down.

    Architect Rem Koolhaas should be arrested for the masterpiece display of this “performing art” with the last shot of fire into the sky just passed Chinese lunar new year’s eve. That it was permanently damaged and would not be able to erect again. Koolhass apparently had inflicted more serious damage on CCP image than anyone else as PRC entered the 60th year in power.

    Imaginative connotation revolved ever since on the minds of 1.3 billion common folks, while still with pants down, as how to live their normal lives with this chared gigantic invalid.

  • conscienceinchina

    There’s no silver but 300 liang.

  • kuifromsydney

    These people want to rape China if given the chance. The problem is they do not have the chance. Their brain goes very crook manifested as expression of sex related fantasies.

  • johnsmith9876

    I agree with kuifromsydney that “Their brain goes very crook manifested as expression of sex related fantasies.” because “Chinese netizens think is the main resemblance of the buildings, which the story says are supposed to represent the male and female genitalia” and only Chinese can harbour such thought. I am sure the Chinese netizens are the one who want to rape Chinese (not China. China is too big, and the north is too dry, the south is too wet.)

  • johnsmith9876

    Which is a better liar: The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa, or China Daily.

    China Daily: “Organ donors

    Executed prisoners, who experts estimate account for more than 65 percent of total donors, “are definitely not a proper source for organ transplants,” said Vice-Minister Huang.”
    http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-08/26/content_8616938.htm

    Chinese Embassy:

    http://underthejacaranda.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/pressrelease_thumb.jpg?w=390&h=344

  • http://underthejacaranda.wordpress.com C.A. Yeung

    The depiction of human genitals and reproductive organs has long been recognised as a powerful driving force behind artistic creation worldwide. In most cultures, this discovery has been a source of celebration. Only in China would such artistic form be politicised into a showcase of Western conspiracy to humiliate China.

  • johnsmith9876

    This article was posted in 2003 and it is still not deleted. It must be all lies:
    http://x.tn.sl.pt

  • johnsmith9876

    “Only in China would such artistic form be politicised into a showcase of Western conspiracy to humiliate China.”

    I am quite sure that is is a western conspiracy, as articles about this were mostly on Chinese web sites in Chinese (language), written by people with Chinese sounding names. They are all westerners spies masquerading as Chinese.

  • doris333

    Hey JS9876!!! Why dont you submit your photo to Simon so he can add you on as a journo.

    Is it my imagination but there are 5 dedicated journalists dedicated to this blog! Isnt this an overkill?

    On the other hand your buddies chinatsunami
    and conscienceinch should also join you.

    Then instead of 5 pretty people in the row we can now have 5 pretty people and 3 monsters in a row.

  • kuifromsydney

    It is quite clear to me who want to make use of this kind of internet rumors and reaction of some netizens fooled into believing it. Politicalised it first then even went further into getting a conclusion that “Chinese want to rape Chinese”. Flight of ideas, mate. Need a psychiatrist. May be you are posting from an institution already? That is why you got so much time?

  • 2morrow2

    Hey, dear members of the China bashing clan,

    how about … talking sex? in stead of politics, for a while?

    And in particular, one of you seem to understand, though do not appear to be very accurate or thorough, the interesting relationship between sex and arts.

    Anyway, you guys seem to be interested in Coolhass’ project though I am pretty sure none of you knows anything about him as an architect let alone sees any of his projects in person … correct me if I were wrong.

    But try this:

    Pick up a few imagies of this CCTV tower thing from google, and check if they would help erection …

    That’s a form of arts, in fact, if you do have time to learn a bit of arts.

  • 2morrow2

    Can you, I mean, still erect?

  • johnsmith9876

    2morrow2: “how about … talking sex? in stead of politics, for a while?”

    So you can’t get your head out of the gutter even for a short moment. Too bad that wanting to practice the most important Han cultural tradition is no excuse. That Hans don’t know anything else is also a nonstarter. May be in a few millenia Chinese can evolve to become better and can participate in some serious discussion.

  • 2morrow2

    hey JS of a wired number, which make the name sounds like a machine of some sort out of a production line:

    before getting into any serious discussions about the life of millions of others, get your own life settled, in a human way, or at least, let’s go down to the bottom line: your sex life.

    you do not have the capability to discuss things that may affect the life of the millions in a human and meaningful manor if you can’t get your own life settled and therefore do not have the capability to understand human needs and human life.

    So, test your dick and see if it still works well.

    good luck.

  • johnsmith9876

    I am so glad that 2morrow2 is still behaving like a typical Chinese, exhibiting the full Chinese cultrural tradition. 2morrow2 must be really proud of its achievement.

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