Top 10 entertainment news

1. Following Zhao Bandi, an American teacher at Peking University failed in his attempt to convince moviegoers to boycott Kung Fu Panda with his argument that Chinese children should not watch Hollywood movies.

Hmm, maybe he does have a point. Now, I wonder why Chinese students should take a class taught by a professor who comes from the very country where Hollywood is located.

2. John Woo said he was inspired by the giant panda when he named the new-born pony "Mengmeng" in his movie, Red Cliff.

Maybe we should name the American professor in the above-mentioned boycott "Bandi Bandi".

3. Disney is staging three of its classics, Cinderella, Snow White and Beauty and Beast, on a Beijing stage.

Thank goodness they didn't choose Mulan - or they'd have attracted more protestors than fans, including American professors who hate anything produced by Disney.

On second thought, perhaps they should have included the Chinese tale. Sometimes a controversy helps to sell more tickets.

4. Supergirl Li Yuchun announced she would go abroad to "study music", and then put her plans on hold.

Why do Chinese stars always pick the lame excuse of "overseas study"? They should either go totally Chinese by saying they'll hide in a deep mountain and live like a recluse - or take the really exotic route, by pretending to follow an Indian guru.

5. Zhou Bichang (pictured), another Supergirl, admitted that she had been "preserved in a fridge", meaning that she had not been offered new gigs after she refused to renew her contract with her record company.

It's time to go to Julliard School for a change, baby.

6. Celebrity entertainers Zhou Xun, Gao Yuanyuan, Chen Kun and Tong Dawei have pledged to take public transport during the Olympic Games to help reduce traffic.

They will no doubt attract so many onlookers on the subway that I should be able to find a less crowded subway car if I simply avoid them.

7. Zhang Ziyi is finally engaged - to a very rich man. A commentator in China wrote, "If you have a daughter, you should have someone like Zhang."

What if Zhang's fianc goes broke someday?

8. The very tacky but very entertaining Sister Hibiscus is reported to have sold a total of eight tickets for her upcoming debut concert.

So sad that she got her name during a time when entertainment is free of charge.

9. Hong Kong star Edison Chen (pictured), forced into early retirement after his sex photo scandal, made a three-second cameo appearance in the Hollywood movie The Dark Knight. He plays a security guard and has one line: "May I check in your cell phone, sir?"

Chinese netizens suggested that the line be changed to: "May I take your photo?"

10. CCTV aired a series of programs that targeted online game users. There has been a strong backlash in Internet forums.

The television juggernaut is very comfortable playing Goliath - fighting the millions of miniature Davids, and kicking their asses.

(China Daily 07/18/2008 page18)