The Fake Celebrity In China

"A tale of debauchery ... which follows the experiences of an English teacher in China during the happy "boom times" when China won the right to host the Olympics and was accepted into the World Trade Organization"--Back cover.

The author's first novel, a tale of debauchery - sex, booze and drugs, which follows the experiences of an English teacher in China during the happy "boom times" when China won the right to host the Olympics and was accepted into the World Trade Organization. The book also describes the author's time in Beijing during the SARS epidemic. Written in a frank but humorous style, this work provides many insights into modern Chinese society. Laowai is the sequel to this book. "The deletion of individualism, is something that can be seen in China. I have noticed it with my older students, when I ask them a question. At first, no one will put their hand up. Then, when pushed, perhaps the class leader or monitor will raise their hand. At this point most of them follow, and put their hands up. Communism in a nutshell. Follow the leader. Group thinking, and mentality. And this mentality, makes the masses of people in China, easier to control. But reverting to my previous observation, related to the lack of individual talent in the West, perhaps the West are blindly following this model without really knowing it."

A novel set in China.

The author's first novel, a tale of debauchery - sex, booze and drugs, which follows the experiences of an English teacher in China during the happy "boom times" when China won the right to host the Olympics and was accepted into the World Trade Organization. The book also describes the author's time in Beijing during the SARS epidemic. Written in a frank but humorous style, this work provides many insights into modern Chinese society. China Laid Bare is the sequel to this book. "The deletion of individualism, is something that can be seen in China. I have noticed it with my older students, when I ask them a question. At first, no one will put their hand up. Then, when pushed, perhaps the class leader or monitor will raise their hand. At this point most of them follow, and put their hands up. Communism in a nutshell. Follow the leader. Group thinking, and mentality. And this mentality, makes the masses of people in China, easier to control. But reverting to my previous observation, related to the lack of individual talent in the West, perhaps the West are blindly following this model without really knowing it."

Celebrity is a pervasive aspect of everyday life and a growing field of academic inquiry. This is the first book-length exploration of celebrity culture in the People's Republic of China and its interaction with international norms of celebrity production. The book comprises case studies from popular culture (film, music, dance, literature, internet); official culture (military, political, and moral exemplars) and business celebrities. This breadth illuminates the ways capitalism and communism converge in the elevation of particular individuals to fame in contemporary China. The book will interest scholars and students in media, popular culture and China studies. Journalists may find the book useful for their analysis of famous figures in China and people working in creative industries area may appreciate these insights into 'image management' in China.--Louise Edwards is professor of modern China studies at the University of Hong Kong. -Elaine Jeffreys is a senior lecturer in China studies at the University of Technology, Sydney.--

After getting booted out of China for his book, The Fake Celebrity in China, the author returns with a no-holds-barred account of his final years in the country. He lays bare the corruption, the filth, the lies, and trickery, that exist in everyday Chinese society. The magic years for expats are over, and the Chinese are becoming overly nationalistic, commonly referring to foreigners as, “foreign Devils”. Frankie, his Hainanese Passepartout, and partner in debauchery, returns as his faithful travel companion in this entertaining romp.

Whether willingly or unwillingly, public celebrities are often the focus of discussion of moral matters and political causes, but how does this sort of celebrity culture function in a country such as China with a powerful central state? Contemporary Chinese Celebrities explores how in today's China, celebrity figures embody, conflict with and engage with social, civil, moral and economic issues. Shenshen Cai examines the state's governance of celebrity activism and the interplay between the propaganda machine and the stars. Analyzing examples of scandalous celebrities who act as activists in a moral domain which is tightly governed by the state, Cai also studies several sports stars who have emerged in recent years as political activists in China, and their open defiance of the Chinese political system that poses unprecedented challenge to the Party's rule.

China continues to transform apace, flowing from the forces of deregulation, privatization and globalization unleashed by economic reforms which began in late 1978. The dramatic scope of economic change in China is often counterposed to the apparent lack of political change as demonstrated by continued Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule. However, the ongoing dominance of the CCP belies the fact that much has also changed in relation to practices of government, including how authorities and citizens interact in the management of daily life. New Mentalities of Government in China examines how the privatization and professionalization of ‘public’ service provision is transforming the nature of government and everyday life in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The book addresses key theoretical questions on the nature of government in China and documents the emergence of a range of ‘new mentalities of government’ in China. Its chapters focus on areas such as clinical trials, conceptualizing government, consumer activity, elite philanthropy, lifestyle and beauty advice, public health, social work, volunteering; and urban and rural planning. Offering a topical examination of shifting modes of governance in contemporary China, this book will appeal to scholars in the fields of anthropology, history, politics and sociology.