Yang Peiyi, the pretty voice behind pretty-faced Lin Miaoke (who ‘sang’ at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, so we thought)
UPDATE Aug 23: Pretty-voice Yang Peiyi will perform in closing ceremony!
Watching the Opening ceremony it was pretty obvious that the little girl singing before the parade of ‘ethnic minority’ children wasn’t actually singing live. In the heat and the noise of 90,000 people, no voice would have been that clear or solid, so it was pretty obvious it was a taped.
However, today we learned the Mili-Vanilli truth behind the song. While Lin Miaoke had the ‘look’ of a cute Chinese girl singing, she didn’t really have the voice to be singing in front of an audience of billions. The true voice was with Yang Peiyi, who didn’t have the look and was relegated to singing in front of an audience of a few sound engineers.
Yang Peiyi had a pretty voice. Bloggers should spread the word about this to help her get the credit she is due.
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I don’t think there was anything wrong with the look of the other little girl at all. She’s very cute. I wouldn’t have thought anything “wrong” with China if they had put this little girl on the stage. I would have thought MUCH better of them than I do right now. I can’t belive that they thought it would be okay to have someone else sing her song because she wasn’t beautiful enough.
I believe that both young girls were exploited for the “glory” of their country. One girl was “used” for her beautiful voice, and the other was “used” for her image. I am strongly disappointed, and I hope that these two young women have family and friends who love them as they are and see their talents and faces as beautiful.
But Yang Peiyi is cute too! What didn’t they find “suitable” about her looks?!
That proves you can’t trust China. They fake and fake and fake.
This is absolutely ridiculous! Yang Peiyi is a beautiful child and the media is allowing the further distruction of her self esteem by reporting about how she was not pretty enough to represent China. What a sad state of affairs.
To say that one girl is as cute as the other just in’t true. I don’t think they should have substituted faces, but Lin Miaoke is cuter and that’s a fact.
I can’t believe it that a somebody could do this to a seven year old girl.
Can you imagen how this little girl must have felt to be told she’s not beautyful enough for thr crowd?
That’s how far we are today…….. BEAUTYFUL voice counts less then a “beautyful” face??
And by the way – she’s a very cute 7 year old!!!!
Would have been a way better choice for China to put a cute 7 year old with an amazing voice then a pretty 9 year old which is lip-syncing on stage.
Kinda embarrasing for China!!
Yang Peiyi, i hope you realize that the world says you’re very cute even if a handful of Chinese officials don’t
ridiculous, she is cute with a voice.
I feel sorry for both these girls really. What message is it sending?
…Well it is a message that Hollywood, media and now the music industry, all reflections of the US culture have been sending for years. Don’t hate on China for this, the US is just as wretched when it comes to appearances.
I don’t think we would even nominate an ugly president even though he was totally qualified.
Shame on you China. Yang Peiyi is a very cute little girl. What is this world coming to when a little girls beautiful voice is switched to suit tv veiwers. Its what is on the inside not the out side. Wake up. Let beautiful kids be who they are.
how cruel to tell a little child she was “pretty” enough.
china is as fake as the gucci handbags i see being sold on the streets.
* i meant … not pretty enough.
You’ve got to be kidding, NY_USA. Which of the recent presidential nominees do you find handsome?
Come on, sure China is completely sels serving with this event (as in all things), but you have to admit that Miaoke is cuter.
I was just kidding in that last comment…. didn’t mean to send it.
As far as the controversy over Yang Peiyi, I think what they did to her is awful. It would have been just as moving to see her sing the song as the other little girl. Moreso, because it would have been real.
China tried to be perfectionist like how they portray their communism.. well no one is perfect and you can see what they did to show that their show is perfect… broke the heart of little girl who doesnt even know the world so well. What the hell China was thinking when they said the girl is not pretty. I am sure they didnt wear their glasses.
Lin Hao is GORGEOUS and much cuter than the other one who looks like she has allergies. So her little teeth are crooked. SO WHAT. She’s too young for braces. How sad this story is.
Even though the girls were “exploited,” think about the how the media exploits “the perfect body” image in the U.S. and how lip-syncing has also occurred in the U.S. What was different was China openly did this for the purpose of creating the national image. Yes, it’s wrong but we can’t condemn China because of it. I think that’s just hypocritical since U.S. has done similar things also. In movies, there are actresses that do a body switch in certain scenes or how Ashlee Simpson lip-synced. We should acknowledge that it is wrong but not be over-dramatic about it.
I feel what they did to that little girl is horrible!!! If she good enough to sing that song she should have been good enough to be seen. In this world where girls are supposed to be perfect by someone else’s standard is horrible. If I were that little girl I would take my beautiful face AND beautiful voice and move to country where ALL of her abilities and looks are appreciated!
I am heartbroken for little Yang Peiyi. Yang is darling. Had she had the opportunity to be “the face” of the Beijing Olympics, she would have made her country proud. I agree with other responses. The “image thing” is not soley a Chinese phenomenon. All culture UNFORTUNEATELY have lowered themselves to admiring a manufactured standard of beauty, which does not really include all variations of beautiful. Beauty is not a premade cookie-cutter look, it is varied and diverse. Yang definitely is a beautiful child. I know that giving this message to a child can stay with a person their whole life. How sad that a lovely child like Yang may think of herself as unattractive because of a few uniformed, media crazed, shallow and obviously blind officials.
Lead paint for Christmas, and now this…China sucks.
Just a thought, the Olympic audience should insist on Yang Peiyi being able to perform live at the closing ceremonies!
I think that they shouldn’t have done that to the poor little girl. I think that everyone grows to be pretty.
Tacky, tacky tacky!
I think that the Yang Peiyi is actually cuter but Lin Miaoke looks more like the west’s idea of “pretty”. Either way they should have used the same child’s face and voice. Stupidity at it’s finest.
Both kids have unique, pretty faces. Though Miaoke is more commercially viable, I do not think this is reason enough, for whoever that Chinese Politburo official is, to replace Peiyi – and then use her voice to make it seem as if the other girl was the one singing during the opening ! How sad that China couldn’t see through the outside, and I feel bad that both girls are now dragged into this infamous incident.
For a country that talks of “honor” and “saving face”, this one was a totally dishonorable act. The committee attempted to show something which was not truthful to the world. Athletes have been under careful watch for doping. We now have to be on the lookout for dubbing!
Yang Peiyi who sang should get full credit and exposure. Lin Miaoke should not be blamed, she trusted the elders who took advantage. Meanwhile we have 2 delightful little girls; one who hears that she has a great voice but not a pretty face, another who hears that she is cute, but cannot sing worth a darn. Perhaps if the two are permitted to sing together at some point, China will be able to undo some of the damage.
well, something i have noticed. Lin Miaoke was 9. however Yang Peiyi was only 7. You can really tell the age difference between these two. even thought its only 3 years , there is a big difference between 7 and 9. I dont think Lin is cuter really, just older looking…
i think China dropped the ball here though, they tried so hard to make their country look superior that they made slips like these.
I say that Yang should have the opportunity to perform in front of the world again. Basically a “Do over”
shame on china and the chinese liars, fakers and crooks.
the whole country is based on a lie, on rubbish sold cheap.
shame shame shame
This disgusts me. If this is true her parents should be slapped, both sets of parents. Girls should be told they are beautiful for who they are, not what they look like.
Beatiful is inside of anyone of us, not in the face. Yang Peiyi is so cute.
the whole affair is bourne out of a massive chinese inferiority complex. i had a chinese room-mate once, i’ve seen it in action. pathetic.
It’s all about control – Communist is – is what Communist does – Did we expect anything less from a country that controls the very air they breathe. All they want you to see is perfection, and they have it in Miss Peiyi. It is said that this was a last minute decision for the greater good of the country. That is complete bull unless the last minute was when Miss Peiyi won the contest, and someone said, great voice but not a great look.
As for what it teaches the children about looks? Ask the people who put on pagent for kids starting before they can walk. If you’re not cute or pretty enough, don’t try. It is a proven fact, if you don’t have the look, it isn’t going to happen for you.
Peiyi vs. Lin
Yang is a beautiful child. Her look of innocense is what the world lacks today.
Lin reminds me of a spoiled brat (don’t get me wrong, I know it’s not her fault)
And if I just saw pictures without knowing the story – “What beautiful Children, how proud the parents must be” Let children be children and bring Miss Peiyi in for the closing ceremony.
How much more is going to come out from these Olympics? If anyone was listening to the news early this morning, you know more is to come.
I have to agree with Denice & Dee Dee’s comments above.
Yang Peiyi should be able to sing the song again on stage for the whole world to see her & hear her beautiful voice coming out from her cute little face.
China correct your mistake & let Yang Peiyi sing in the closing ceremonies.
That won’t help her crushed little heart or self confidence but at least she would have the shot she so well disserves.
This is typical of how China has handled the Olympics. They forced the poor out of their homes to make room for the stadiums, they arrest the protestors, and they deny visas to anyone they disagree with.. They are so anxious to hide their flaws and portray a “perfect” China to the world, but all they are really doing is drawing more attention to their problems.
Personally, I think Yang Peiyi is much cuter than Lin Miaoke. Peiyi looks “real” while Miaoke does not. But then again nothing about these Olympics portrays the “real” China.
Poisoned food, poisoned toys, poisoned minds, poisoned deeds!
Consider the murder of one of the American guests right on day 1 of the Olympics, by one sick chinese. China welcomes you, thnx very much.
Both little girls are beautiful. Yang Peiyi should have been able to sing in front of the world and get credit for her talent and Lin Miaoke placed in another spot if they wanted her beauty (as well) and acting talent displayed. I wish them both well. And what if she wasn’t so beautiful (which she is) Yang Peiyi would have been loved and appreciated for who she was and her talent.
Are we surprised that the same government that slaughtered its citizens in Tiananmen square back in 1989 would stoop to such pettiness? China is a corrupt, communist country that violates human rights at every turn. We turn our heads and ignore what they do to their own people by even allowing to have the Olympics there!
Hotrenor,
Your argument would hold far more weight if it didn’t generalize the mentality of an entire nation based on your limited personal experience with one chinse roommate. It’s as ludicrous as proclaiming all of us ignorant after meeting one narrow-minded American. If you have travelled much, you’d realize that every culture has its admirable qualities as well as flaws. Don’t get me wrong. I love my country and I’m proud to be an American. But belittling others isn’t necessary in showing one’s pride.
While there’s no denying that the act of switching the two girls is awful, it would be unreasonable to say the entire nation (including many people who had no knowledge or choice in the decision) is pathetic.
Furthermore, some people have made the very legitimate observation about the universal prevalence of valuing superficial beauty. It happens in every country (our country is no exception), and the phenomenon’s not limited to the adult population. Even infants prefer beautiful people over plain ones. There’s a certain biological basis for this kind of prejudice. Symmetry and the golden ratio (phi) are essential components of beauty. Asymmetry is often associated with genetic abnormalities and serves as an indication of decreased ability for survival. As a result, the human species have been bred to valued symmetry and beauty. Although we have come a long way since the discovery of fire and wheel, the association between physical imperfections and genetic disadvantage still exists…just take a look at Down syndrome and Sturge-Weber syndrome.
None of this is meant to excuse the behavior of the people who made that horrible decision, but at the same time we could try to be less judgmental and instead try to avoid making similar mistakes.
I’m not attacking you or anyone else…merely trying to show more tolerance. The lack of it is one of the reasons behind all the senseless killings in the middle east. Maybe if more people practiced tolerance, there would be fewer hate crimes.
I think both girls are beautiful and it is neither girls fault that the Chinese government decided that one girl with a more westernized face should be seen while the other little girl who has a more traditional Chinese appearance should only be heard. I think little Yang Peiyi is a very beautiful little girl. The value on the Chinese society rather on the individual is very much understood by the world, but what happens to the little ones souls in this instance? We already understand that the Chinese had to have an advertising campaign to make girls valuable in their one child policy country else their would not be women for their men to marry, and now look what they have done but devalue one of their little girls. This only serves to further alienate those of us who think each and every person is to be valued in order to have a healthy whole of a country. There is also the issue of the more western face, yes, that little girl is as well beautiful in face but she has a more westernized longer face, what and whom decides what ethnic traits are beautiful? What traits are to be valued, physical beauty as far as an individual or country decides or is talent and ethnicity beautiful? I think China not only devalued the children involved but in doing so devalued every girl, woman and the entire country with this decision. Shame on them.
this is sad… oh yeah and tom do your math
I’m sorry Yang, that your country does not think you are pretty enough. I’m sorry Lin, that your country does not think that your voice is beautiful enough. It is a shame that those who are vested with the power, are more concerned with how they look to other people- then looking after there own people.
ATL_USA,
was i generalizing? perhaps. however, the chinese collective inferiority complex I addressed is nevertheless there – in my opinion.
i don’t have to belittle the chinese. they are belittling themselves all to well – for example by trying to cover up and lie. beauty is one thing, okay. perhaps one girl’s looks are more desirable than the other’s. but what they do with that beauty is… fake. it’s ugly.
we are all acting out our unconscious selves.
Yang Peiyi is a beautiful little girl .Yang Peiyi should have been able to sing in front of the world and get credit for her talent . What is that teaching those two children ? It is a shame that this world has come to this .And it’s not just China it’s all over this world .
GOD BLESS US ALL !
Yang Peiyi is a very beautiful girl and she should of been able to sing . She has talent she should of got credit for that . I would of said WOW a 7 year old sings like that .
Yang Peiyi is a cute little girl, she is just not beauty pageant dolled up like the other one in her picture and was shot at an unflattering angle. I saw another picture of Peiyi and she looked much prettier – might have to google a bit to find it.
All I can say is that in 10 years Yang Peiyi will have a much better change of becoming a real singer and performer. Miaoke’s face will change and then she will have nothing to fall back on – plus she will forever be known as that “fake singer”. I almost feel bad for her if not for the fact that she tried to take credit for the singing before being exposed.
We do not need looks to have pretty and perfect Olympics. What about the smiling faces during the opening ceremony? Are those selected based on looks as well?
I was also amazed that China faked fireworks too. What is China doing? We gave real appreciation for fake things China gave us.
Peiyi, you have our support. We hope to see you sing in person during Closing ceremony. We’ll scream real hard for you! We even will jump and clap, much more so
“according to chinese news reports, Yang said she did not regret the decision, saying she was satisfied to have had her voice featured in the opening ceremony.”
okay, thank you, chinese news reports, for this bit of comforting news. you are priceless.
Yang Peiyi is so cute. She is the true heart of China. The other girl is very pretty too, but she received all the credit and glory that should have been Yang Peiyis. My heart goes out to Yang Peiyi.