wbur.org
support wbur today!
The following is a "closing segment" for the show which aired Tuesday, February 1, 2005 at 11:00 AM EST.
Listen to this closing segment
Tuesday, February 1, 2005 at 11:00 AM EST
China Turns to Reality TV
photo

The Fox Network’s reality TV smash “American Idol” has gotten off to a fast start again this season. The program’s debut was the most watched non-sports program this season, with 33 million viewers.

But that figure is nothing compared to the estimated 100 million who will tune into China’s on-air talent competition, “Arts from Our Land.” The program features non-Chinese people showing off their talents in Chinese arts. Since 1995, it has run annually during Chinese New Year celebrations, which are going on now.

One of this year’s competitors was Eugene Cooper, an anthropology professor at the University of Southern California. He was flown to Beijing to tape his performance and won second place.

In this radio diary, Copper describes the experience and performs the song that got him invited to China, a folk song about Mao Zedong.

Guests:

Eugene Cooper, competed in China’s on-air talent competition “Arts from Our Land.” He teaches anthropology at The University of Southern California.

 
 

Comments are closed.

Recent Shows
The Future of Aging
Thursday, November 5, 2009 image

A surge of new strategies to “manage” aging — from diets to testosterone. We’ll get the story.

Comments [31]
 
Climate, Congress & Copenhagen
Thursday, November 5, 2009 image

The Copenhagen climate conference is one month away. US climate action is going nowhere in Congress. We’ll look at the global implications of America’s domestic climate politics.

Comments [73]
On Point Blog
California, here we come! And we need your questions!

On Point is headed west!
No, no. Not for good. Only for one show. But it’s a very special show!  The NPR station in Thousand Oaks, California – KCLU – is celebrating their 15th anniversary. We’re lucky to have been on their airwaves for nearly seven years, and they invited us out west to host a live [...]

More » | Comments [7]
 
For Love of Science – or Money?

A new study supports the idea that U.S. dominance in engineering and science is threatened — but not for lack of training and education. It has more to do with a lack of social and economic incentives.

More » | Comments [5]
 
Matthew Hoh’s Resignation Letter

Matthew Hoh, a former Marine captain, became the first foreign service official to publicly resign in protest over the war in Afghanistan. The move has generated a lot of reaction. You can read Hoh’s resignation letter, posted by The Washington Post, which reported on it here.
It’s a topic for our news roundtable today. What [...]

More » | Comments [4]