SeekerOfPeace Posted March 10, 2008 at 09:22 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 09:22 AM Foreigners fluent in Chinese are not as rare as they used to be. How do you explain Dashan's rise to stardom and the fact that he's remained famous for the last 20 years or so? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realmayo Posted March 10, 2008 at 09:43 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 09:43 AM The saucy twinkle in his eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gougou Posted March 10, 2008 at 10:06 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 10:06 AM In case you read Chinese, you can also check out this thread in the Chinese corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted March 10, 2008 at 10:40 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 10:40 AM He had a head start. I'm more mystified by the amount of time foreigners spend thinking about Dashan, to be honest. Why do you feel a need to explain Dashan's popularity, and not that of anyone else on Chinese TV? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekerOfPeace Posted March 10, 2008 at 10:44 AM Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 10:44 AM Are you talking to me roddy? The need? Which need? I'm just curious as to how he became an eminent figure in China, that's all. Is there a harm in that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted March 10, 2008 at 10:51 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 10:51 AM He was on telly a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianlondon Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:01 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:01 AM He was on TV before (most) other foreigners. Everyone talks about him continually. His face is plastered over boxes of crappy electronic dictionary products in most bookshops. He sells himself as an ambasador of the West in China, before acting all coy and saying he doesn't really want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gougou Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:06 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:06 AM Everyone talks about him continually. His face is plastered over boxes of crappy electronic dictionary products in most bookshops. He sells himself as an ambasador of the West in China, before acting all coy and saying he doesn't really want to.That's an interesting answer to the question why everyone talks about him continually and his face is plastered over boxes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianlondon Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:14 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:14 AM I thought the question was why is he (still) popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:18 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:18 AM Because he's on telly a lot. I'm failing to see what the question is. He's got a website and a Wikipedia page, perhaps those will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gougou Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:22 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:22 AM I thought the question was why is he (still) popular.Isn't that the same as being talked about all the time?As for his popularity, I'd agree with the first-mover advantage. He was doing xiangsheng before most Chinese ever had seen a foreigner. Once you're well-known then, it's hard for somebody to replace you - even if they speak better Chinese. (Same goes for other sectors, e.g. it's hard for Linux to replace Windows, it's hard for Burger King to replace McDonald's, and it's hard for chinaonline to replace chinese-forums.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekerOfPeace Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:24 AM Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:24 AM I don't understand how you can not understand the question. I don't know if I'm reading too much into this but the whole: "why do you feel the need..." even sounds like you're annoyed by it. But then again I might reading too much into this and I've had a tough day. I guess I'm the only who's surprised to see a foreigner stick out of the crowd of foreigner and make it really big in China while unknown in the West. If it's such an awful and absurd question, just lock the thread and forget about it, no big deal. I was just curious about something and I asked about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imron Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:34 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:34 AM From the horse's mouth Speaking Chinese is just the most basic pre-requisite for my job. If all it took was to be a white guy who speaks Chinese, there would be thousands of Dashans around, and my 15 minutes of fame would have faded some 18 years ago. Contrary to popular belief, I wasn’t the first westerner to appear on prime-time TV in China, and I’ve met lots of foreigners who speak better Chinese than I do. I’ve never competed in a talent show in my life, although as a freelance MC I have hosted a few. In fact, I avoid those foreigner showcases like CCTV-4’s Tong Le Wu Zhou as if they were bird flu. I’m not the poster boy for any group. I do my own stuff and, unlike the vast majority of foreigners who appear on Chinese TV, have complete control over what I will and will not do, say and not say. People may disagree with those choices, but at the least the choices are my own. I guess I'm the only who's surprised to see a foreigner stick out of the crowd of foreigner and make it really big in China while unknown in the West. Nope, it's just been discussed quite a lot already http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/2-favourite-chinese-musician2638 http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/2-favourite-chinese-musician2586 http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/187-chinese-architecture42 http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/71-interesting-websites14 http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/4-favourite-chinese-film946 http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/1914-dashan http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/144-fixing-cultural-misunderstandings0 http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/2-favourite-chinese-musician1211 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted March 10, 2008 at 12:49 PM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 12:49 PM I'm not having a go (well, not intentionally ) but I just don't see that there's much of a question. He goes on TV, tells jokes, presents some stuff, he gets bonus points for being a foreigner who does stuff in Chinese, which Chinese audiences lap up. He becomes well-known. End of story. Now, if anyone can tell me why 李咏 is allowed on telly, I'll be very grateful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rezaf Posted March 10, 2008 at 01:37 PM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 01:37 PM He looks like Thomas Gottschalk, a German TV star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gougou Posted March 10, 2008 at 02:44 PM Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 at 02:44 PM He looks like Thomas Gottschalk, a German TV star.If I could get my mind off the golden locks and the ridiculous clothes, I might see the similarity...One thing they do have in common though is that everybody's saying Gottschalk's not as special anymore as he used to be and that he shouldn't be on TV anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevelyan Posted March 11, 2008 at 12:58 AM Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 at 12:58 AM Why all this picking on Dashan? The guy's got great Chinese and he's worked for it. Power to him for not living in poverty with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yonglin Posted March 11, 2008 at 01:06 AM Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 at 01:06 AM I fully agree with trevelyan. Dashan is absolutely brilliant and deserves to be a role model for the rest of us Westerners learning Chinese. Moreover, fame is not about desert, but about demand and supply. Why would Dashan have to deserve being famous when so many other celebrities don't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meng Lelan Posted March 11, 2008 at 01:30 AM Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 at 01:30 AM Why all this picking on Dashan? The guy's got great Chinese and he's worked for it. Power to him for not living in poverty with it. I don't admire Dashan at all because I know some foreigners who overcame incredible obstacles to learn Chinese. Two of them were deaf. One was blind. Another came from a very disfunctional, abusive home. Dashan had it all easy and gets attention for it. Except from me, I ignore him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevelyan Posted March 11, 2008 at 04:19 AM Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 at 04:19 AM Two of them were deaf. One was blind. Another came from a very disfunctional, abusive home. Dashan had it all easy and gets attention for it. Except from me, I ignore him. Put those four guys together for a 千手观音 and you've basically locked down a spot on CCTV's annual 贺岁节目. Like it or not, disabilities are a crowd spectacle in this country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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