My pal Randall from Hong Kong emails me:
"Hey Tian! Avril Lavigne was recently promoting in Hong Kong for an one-night show. She obviously had help from someone with a magic marker. Thought you'd be interested to see it. Cheers."
I don't know whether it was the newspaper's mistake or Ms. Lavigne's PR people's carelessness, the phrase 日本最高 on Ms. Lavigne was correctly written, but for a WRONG country.
日本 = Japan
最 = most, extremely, exceedingly
高 = high, tall; lofty, elevated
日本 【にほん】 (n) Japan
最高 【さいこう】 (adj-na,n) highest; supreme; the most
It is translated as "Japan is the best".
This also reminds me singer Alanis Morissette has blamed the effects of alcohol for telling an audience at the end of a show in Peru "thank you Brazil".
Update: Randall emails:
avrillavigne_rebenzhuigao3.jpg
"That image must have been taken in Japan, which means the "tattoo" made sense. However using it in a paper which Chinese might read (the paper is mostly geared towards English speakers), to promote a Hong Kong concert, still leads me to wonder whether it was such a great idea."
Source: HK Magazine, March 25, 2005.
This is too funny. This blog is awesome...keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleterad
ReplyDeleteMan, that's great. One wonders what she 'll have on her arm in Japan...
ReplyDeleteWho says humour can't cross cultures? Someone in her entourage is clearly getting pissed with her.
ReplyDeleteHilarious site, I love ti.
hey! i like your site. this is really cool. lol.
ReplyDeleteActually it doesn't mean anything more than "Japan's cool" or "Japan's great" in Japanese. Maybe she should have written "xianggang hui gui", that would have spiced it up a bit.
ReplyDeleteBut if the picture is taken in Japan like Randall suggested, does "日本最高" make sense in Japanese?
ReplyDelete日本 【にほん】 (n) Japan
ReplyDelete最高 【さいこう】 (adj-na,n) highest; supreme; the most
it seems like you may be a tad too eager to fault Avril. I mean, I'm no big fan, but that's because she is a vapid teenager with no talent, not because she fails to keep tight control over the publicity photos used from one country to promote a concert in another. this is silly. i don't erupt with snarky joy every time i see an anglo wearing a che guevara t-shirt...
ReplyDeleteI wish she'd done that in Hong Kong. She's entirely too popular on the mainland among people who might otherwise listen to real music.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think it'd be pretty cool to be a celebrity, just so that I could wear t-shirts saying "Who gives a shit about Taiwan?" or "八国联军万岁!" I'd use my media clout solely to piss off internet-based Chinese nationalists.
So it was the papers that caused the confusion?
ReplyDeleteWell, boingboing is saying this really happened, when in fact, the photo was actually taken in Japan, so this negates the entire boingboing post and link. Dummies!
ReplyDeleteAnd the Chinese in Hong Kong are not the Communist mindcontrolled brainwashed masses in mainland China who hate Japan, the Hong Kong people are not Chinese nationals, they are Hong Kongers with a liberal progressive mindset and they are open to Japanese culture. Unlike the commies in mainland china. Get your facts right before you post. Naruhodo?
RE: "That image must have been taken in Japan, which means the "tattoo" made sense. However using it in a paper which Chinese might read (the paper is mostly geared towards English speakers), to promote a Hong Kong concert, still leads me to wonder whether it was such a great idea."
Just to clear things up here:
ReplyDeleteIt was my mistake. I originally thought the photo had been taken in Hong Kong, but afterward I realised the publication date of the paper had been March 25, the same evening she was slated to play Hong Kong.
I'd picked up the paper a few days later.
However, as I mentioned in my follow-up e-mail to Tian, is a photo of her "tattoo" proclaiming "Japan is the best" the best way to promote a concert in Hong Kong?
I haven't seen any pics from her concert, but I can't help but wonder if she had the same arm "tattooed" with "Hong Kong is the best".
So while it looked as though Avril screwed up, she hadn't really. If anyone is at fault, it's the newspaper for not clarifying where the photo had been shot, along with me for jumping the gun before my brain got into gear.
Hope this helps.
-BWG
Hong Kong
http://www.bigwhiteguy.com/
Ooops...
ReplyDelete차카게 살자!
BWG: "So while it looked as though Avril screwed up, she hadn't really. If anyone is at fault, it's the newspaper for not clarifying where the photo had been shot, along with me for jumping the gun before my brain got into gear."
ReplyDelete1. The newspaper is not at fault. Not one reader was confused.
2. You are at fault for jumping the gun before brain got into gear. This shows how blogging can be very dangerous when people jump the gun before they know what they are talking about. [The story already got spread around to like, 10,000 blogs global, so the damage is done. Too late to say sorry. But sorry always helps. SMILE]
Just a sample of the many blogs that got this way, because your original post!
ReplyDeleteEat crow.
------------------
This post from Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things
Make this a Watchlist
14 links from 10 sources Query took 0.003 seconds
Sort by: Most Recent | Authority If you can't read it don't write it 2 hours ago
Like Christian, Avril outsourced authoring of affectionate words to another. Unlike Roxane, the people of Hong Kong who read those words probably won't be wooed. Apparently she performed her set with characters Sharpied on ... [IMG ]
8Ball (h8ball) 0 links
If you can't read it don't write it 2 hours ago
authoring of affectionate words to another. Unlike Roxane, the people of Hong Kong who read those words probably won't be wooed. Apparently she performed her set with characters Sharpied on her arm that translated to "Japan is the best." [IMG ]
8Ball (h8ball) 0 links
Alfies’ Blog, Mar 31. 2 hours ago
It may have been unintentional, but that doesnt mean it’s not true. [IMG] [IMG] Posted in Pop Culture, internet, Amusing | [IMG] No Comments »
Alfies’ Blog
Boing Boing: Avril Lavigne mocks China 2 hours ago
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Alfies’ Blog
Boing Boing: Avril Lavigne mocks China 2 hours ago
[IMG]
Alfies’ Blog
Alfies’ Blog, Mar 30. 2 hours ago
It may have been unintentional, but that doesnt mean it’s not true. [IMG] [IMG] Posted in Pop Culture, internet, Amusing | [IMG] No Comments »
Alfies’ Blog
You're crowding my aura., Mar 30. 3 hours ago
[IMG] That magic marker scrawled on her arm says 'Japan is the best.' This wouldn't be *that* much of a problem, if she hadn't been playing a show in Hong Kong. Nope. Wouldn't have been much of a problem at all.
You're crowding my aura. 24 links from 22 sources
Avril in Hong Kong 3 hours ago
Avril Lavigne promotional appearance in Hong Kong... [IMG _avrillavigne_rebenzuigao.jpg] 日本 = Japan 最 = most, extremely, exceedingly 高 = high, tall; lofty, elevated Nice one Avril!!! Found via BoingBoing Forever
Nikonius Blog 9 links from 7 sources
Linkkivarasto, Mar 30. 4 hours ago
go!!! WebWaste Never say say never ! oops. It's the end of the world, once more... Keystone Kops Nick Numerals Eight column inches cut Yo, books! A Profile of Alan Greenspan Toilet Trees Boing Boing At Hong Kong concert Avril Lavigne sports "Japan i...
Linkkivarasto 38 links from 7 sources
Quantum Philosophy.net :: Linearly Accelerated Media, Mar 30. 4 hours ago
[IMG spacer.gif] [IMG spacer.gif] [IMG spacer.gif] [IMG spacer.gif] [IMG BlockRTop.gif] [IMG spacer.gif] [IMG spacer.gif] bOING bOING · At Hong Kong concert Avril Lavigne sports "Japan i... · Mark Cuban, Longtailer · The Well turns 20 · Russian photography from 1917-1945 · Freedom to
Quantum Philosophy.net :: Linearly Accelerated Media 21 links from 19 sources
of avril lavigne 4 hours ago
in the Hong Kong papers to promote a one night concert in HK. [IMG] "日本最高" on her armsSome confusion as reported by tian and in boingboing . They had thought that she had written "日本最高" on her arms in during the HK concert. I hope she will write "新加坡最高" on her
LancerLord 53 links from 31 sources
Boing Boing: At Hong Kong concert Avril Lavigne... , Mar 30. 5 hours ago
Link
Blot
linkblogathyant, Mar 30. 5 hours ago
concert Avril Lavigne sports "Japan is the Best" on arm From: Boing Boing Mark Frauenfelder: From Tian's blog, Hanzi Smatter ("Dedicated to the misuse of Chinese characters (Hanzi or Kanji) in Western culture."): Link to article... ¶ 3/30/2005 09:38:28 PM
linkblogathyant 1 link
[Picture] Ananova - World's biggest Easter egg 6 hours ago
■ [音楽][News] Boing Boing: At Hong Kong concert Avril Lavigne sp... アヴリルラヴィーンが香港でのコンギ.. Boingに載ってました．アヴリルさん，...
sasakama+
これ２００４年の５月にプロモーションのために日本に来た時の写真ですよ。
ReplyDelete私は日本人ですが。
参考→http://www.diary.ne.jp/user/29970/
この２００４/０５/１９の記事の写真が同じです。
translation→
Hello!
I'm a Japanese male.
I think this photograph might be shot when she came to Japan for new CD sales promotion in last year.
これ２００４年の５月にプロモーションのために日本に来た時の写真ですよ。
ReplyDelete私は日本人ですが。
参考→http://www.diary.ne.jp/user/29970/
この２００４/０５/１９の記事の写真が同じです。
translation→
Hello!
I'm a Japanese male.
I think this photograph might be shot when she came to Japan for new CD sales promotion in last year.
"And the Chinese in Hong Kong are not the Communist mindcontrolled brainwashed masses in mainland China who hate Japan, the Hong Kong people are not Chinese nationals, they are Hong Kongers with a liberal progressive mindset and they are open to Japanese culture. Unlike the commies in mainland china. Get your facts right before you post. Naruhodo?"
ReplyDeleteNext time you try to lay rest to an uninformed, stupid racial stereotype about Hong Kong, it would help if you didn't wrap your rebuttal into an uninformed, stupid racial stereotype about Mainland China.
You know. Would make you look like less of an ass.
You all need to shut up. Who cares about what Avril Lavigne is doing? Is your life that empty and pathetic that you need to concern yourself with some poser ass "tattoo" she put on her arm?
ReplyDeleteTaiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, you all need to relax. None of you are better than the other. But you are better than those clowns in the Mid-East.
Signing off from America,
Lyrrad
"And the Chinese in Hong Kong are not the Communist mindcontrolled brainwashed masses in mainland China who hate Japan, the Hong Kong people are not Chinese nationals, they are Hong Kongers with a liberal progressive mindset and they are open to Japanese culture. Unlike the commies in mainland china. Get your facts right before you post. Naruhodo?"
ReplyDeleteIn fact, Hongkong is now a special administrative region of mainland China, not the old colony any more. Even when it was a colony, the Japanese also seized Hongkong in the World War II. In mainland China, tens of millions of people were died or killed. A major part of them are ordinary people with no arms.Till nowadays, the Japanese leader havn't show any regret on the aggression history. As a yellow-skin, black-eye Chinese ,you didn't show any sympathy on your brethren. On the contrary, you even largh at the mainland Chinese's abomination on Japan....
Only I can remind you is that : You may say you are a Hong Konger. But Hongkong is still a part part of China. You still are Chinese inevitably. Hongkonger is just a subset of Chinese.
Regarding to the last person's comment:
ReplyDelete"As an independent nation, Hong Kong will no longer have links with the feudal Chinese culture. Over time, Hong Kong already has it own hybrid language in place: the people of Hong Kong speak an English that no one else in the world understands;"
aka. pidgin English, or 洋涇浜.
"they speak Chinese that no other Chinese speaker can understand; most importantly, they speak a form of the Cantonese dialect that people in would kill for to speak like that. This new language is called Hong Kongese: a mix of Cantonese, Chinese and English."
一竅不通?
Also, for Stereotyping Anonymous Person, "naruhodo" is Japanese for "I see!" and is not something that's used for questioning someone else's understanding.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Chinese in Hong Kong are not the Communist mindcontrolled brainwashed masses in mainland China who hate Japan, the Hong Kong people are not Chinese nationals, they are Hong Kongers with a liberal progressive mindset and they are open to Japanese culture.
ReplyDeleteYes, but celebrity photographs appearing in Hong Kong media will also show up in Mainland media, which was my point. I probably should have made that clearer, but then you probably shouldn't have gone slagging a fifth of the world's population.
Whoops. What I meant to say was Maybe Avril Lavigne thinks Japan is better than Hong Kong, and wanted to let all the Hong Kongers know. You know, because she is really punk rock and all.
ReplyDelete高い can mean "expensive" in Japanese, so maybe she's expressing some distress at the prices in Tokyo...
ReplyDeletei'm from hong kong, if she really did wrote that on her arm while she's in hk, i would be upset by it. it's not a question about openmined or brainwashed by comunist. it's just rude. And all this comment about hong kong should be independent is just silly. We are Chinese and part of china no matter if you like it or not.
ReplyDeleteArgh. Part of China vs. Independent State ... such a debate could get ugly.
ReplyDeleteMy Opinion:
If HK and Taiwan are unconditionally part of China, then Canada and the U.S. are unconditionally part of Britain, should give up their independence, and accept appointed heads of state from London.
However, both places have developed a society and culture distinct enough from the motherland that return would be questionable and probably undesirable by the inhabitants.
Of course, if the motherland requested the cessation of autonomy and reunification, the inhabitants of the regions must be allowed to choose whether they want to be reincorporated or not.
If they choose yes, hurrah, God Save the Queen. If no, well, maple leaf and stars and stripes forever, as the regions maintain their independence and culture derived from, but not entirely the same as, the motherland. And they're friends after all of it anyways. Relatively, of course.
Does everyone see my point?
Kkk, i don't think u got it right , now people in canada and us were british! they are from europe. people in HK and Taiwan are chinese since day one! now given that people in Tawian were cutted off since 49. granted that they don't feel as if they were part of mainland. But in HK most of the people are from mainland after 49, and hk was took away by british by force. rather than try to be independent, why not use it as a base to change china?
ReplyDeleteThe relation between Japan and China (and all other Asian countries) is not something I would call "friendly". Diplomatic, yes, friendly, not so. This goes back to World War II, where Japan has slaughtered many Asians during their Far East campaign.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that Ms. Lavigne's PR people gave HK Magazine (where the promotional ad was appeared in) a photo showing she has "Japan is the best" on her right arm, and to use that as the ad for a Hong Kong tour. That is a very bad idea.
Just imagine, what would happen if a neo-nazi was to pass out flyers in a Jewish temple?
日本最高 is not the equivalent of Nazis handing out 卍 flyers in a synagogue and I find it offensive that you would even compare the two.
ReplyDeletePerhaps if I wore a shirt in Nanjing that said "南京大虐殺最高" or "大日本帝国軍隊万歳", then you'd have a case.
Amazingly, the Japanese are not all fervent militarists who glory in their atrocities in China, any more than all Germans today are Nazis.
And my earlier point was meant to illustrate the right of self-determination.
Mak kao main belakang!! Did you know that Avril is fucking Sammy Sosa? No kidding.
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm from Brazil! I don't speak English good.
ReplyDeleteYour site are very good!!
That´s great!!
Kisses... Larissa.
my email: larissaglima8@hotmail.com
write for me!!!
bye!!!
not everyone from mainland china hates japan, i'm personally from there but moved to canada. i think the japanese are cool and stuff but what they have done in history scares me. my family have went through and servived the slaughter of millions of chinese. but there's a saying to forgive and forget. i can forgive but i simplly can not forget. although i'm very yough i know quiet a lot about history..... and i just wanted to say that ^-^ and china is the second best country "to me" - first is canada!
ReplyDeletelily chen
Yeah....
ReplyDeleteAvril is quite the trip....
But....her Voice Is her calling card and I disagree with tha bloggers that insist that she is talentless. I've compared her voice tracks to many and.....
well....she's a cut above many and her young age and attitude may at times work against her.
I think when when it comes down to it....
Avril is a " Love / Hate thing "
My advise is to just Love her and
hate her quietly and let her grow
up and quit trying to beat her up.
Is it possible that she has 666,
engraved deep below those golden locks ???
Just Love her...because evryone wants to...don't you think ?
Glenn Garrison / for Synthwerk U.S.A.