Beijing101
Sexy User Generated Propaganda Hero for China
Lei Feng, icon of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, please meet Second Right Brother, your Web 2.0 counterpart.
Lei Feng was a selfless and modest soldier devoted to Chairman Mao who was killed by a truck backing up. Created by Mao’s government the old fashioned way - fiat of the propaganda department - Lei Feng was intended to inspire the nation as it recovered from the failures of the Great Leap Forward.
Second Right Brother (the only name we know him by) is a member of the torch security detail who for many Chinese (women) has come to embody a new handsome hero standing up to protect China’s pride. Second right refers to his position in the security detail.
His true identity remains a mystery and Chinese Internet users, many of them women, simply refer to him as You Er GeGe or 右二哥哥, literally translated as Second Right Brother.
But Second Right Brother’s good works have not gone unnoticed by obsessive sites showing his photograph, sharing stories about him and even proposing marriage.
Once this Olympic torch relay is over, Second Right Brother may find a second career in the sphere of capitalist propaganda, aka sponsorship.
Discussion
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8 comments for “Sexy User Generated Propaganda Hero for China”
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interesting stuff, Thomas. But please, it’s Lei FENG, not Fung…
[…] to push foreigners around if they get too close to the Olympic torch relay. As Thomas Crampton reports, the policeman nicknamed 右二哥哥, or “Second Right Brother” based on his position […]
Thanks Stefan! Updated to correct spelling. Silly mistake.
Funny, but I really have no idea why you say that “Lei Feng, icon of Mao’s Cultural Revolution” =)
He has touched our heart by his smile - the corners of his lips are always up ! He has thick hair but short hair-cut (many Caucasian soldiers even shave their heads right?). He’s almost 6′, and his gong fu is much more powerful than the big muscles. Unlike most Caucasians, his weight is definitely not on his watching list. Don’t judge other people’s tastes by yours - the world’s beauty standard will be asianized soon.
Forgot the URL. His fans are of different ages, both female and male.
Other guards have their fans too.
It’s interesting to revisit and read my prev comments, which seems a bit out of contexts. I remember there were used to be some postings arguing 右二哥哥 is not masculine or handsome enough from Caucasian perspective. He attracts people not only by his diverse but all good looks, but by every aspect he has demonstrated (via photo/video) from inside and out.