More Transparency from China
My post on the opening Olympic ceremony from Beijing didn’t include something that makes China’s attempt at “harmonious society” (Chinaspeak for corporatespeak’s “transparency”) all the more ludicrous. A nine-year old Chinese girl shown singing a patriotic Chinese ballad was lip-syncing. The ballad was, in fact, sung by a seven-year old Chinese girl. Why the charade?
The answer’s simple in Chinaspeak. The girl on stage looked better but wasn’t a particularly good singer. The girl who recorded the song had a good voice but didn’t look particularly good. In an attempt to put the best face and voice on the opening ceremony, China did what would make the country look and sound the best to the world.
If corporate America latches on to this model, the possibilities are endless. The good-looking CEO with a squeaky voice gets a James Earl Jones or Sarah Michelle Gellar voice. The good-looking CEO with a small brain gets a large brain. Etc.
If done in the name of transparency or harmonious society, it’s ok. The company would be putting its best foot forward by shooting itself in that same foot. But if everyone is doing it and everyone knows everyone is doing it, no harm, no foul.
The Chinese version of Milli Vanilli could vault “transparency” to the top of the corporatespeak charts.
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Thursday, August 14th, 2008 at 6:52 am under
Transparency? Sounds more like deception to me.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:02 amIn both Chinaspeak and corporate speak, that’s what transparency and and harmonious society mean. Pretty cool, huh?
August 14th, 2008 at 1:12 pm