Little spoof causes a revolt
Hu Ge named his video parody The Bloody Case that Started from a Steamed Bun a funny and insightful description of Chen Kaige's overblown epic The Promise. Hu's work touched a nerve, awakening a spirit of youth and irreverence.
Director Chen appeared clownish when he was a bad sport about the spoof, threatening to sue the little guy and indirectly offending the masses who felt he had turned out to be the emperor wearing no clothes. His fall from favor was hastened when he was caught out damaging a pristine area while shooting the film in Yunnan's Shangri-La. Netizens were quick to nominate him, in mockery, for the year's "green personalities" usually reserved for outstanding achievement in environmental protection.
The interpretation of the incident as a David-and-Goliath battle gave a confidence boost to those who felt their voices had always been unfairly ignored or muffled by the nation's cultural elites. Spoof went mainstream and Hu became the anti-hero, setting the tone for the whole year.
(China Daily 01/04/2007 page18)
