The Gong Li Non-Controversy

AP PHOTO/SONY PICTURES CLASSICS/BAI XIAOYAN

The ever  sensible (that sounds too dull: I mean it as in the sense of someone who casts a cool eye on conventional wisdom) Imagethief gives a balanced take on the supposed eruption of rage among chinese netizens that pneumatic actress Gong Li has traded in her Chinese passport for Singaporean version, presumably because her husband is from the island. Called "Pardon Me, but who gives a damn about Gong Li anyway," the post reflects some of my sentiments about what seems an overblown affair, even by web "controversy" standards. Mr. Imagethief also gives a pleasingly catty take on her performances of the last decade or two. He also points out that you can find pretty much anything you want on the Chinese internet, particularly when it comes to nationalist ranting. For what it's worth, we looked into blogging on this but found that the outrage was by no means universal and that in fact there were a large number of comments that, if not exactly supportive of her decision, certainly expressed understanding, resignation and other sentiments well short of foaming at the mouth rage. Like Imagethief, we will also  seize the opportunity to run another photo of Ms. Gong in the, er, unusual costume she donned for the widely snarked-at "Curse of the Golden Flower."