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Did the Chinese Military Use Top Gun Footage?

Posted by samzenpus on from the stay-frosty dept.

heidaro writes "'As part of its ongoing expansion, has the People's Liberation Army signed up Goose and Maverick? Chinese bloggers are accusing state broadcaster CCTV of using re-purposed footage from the 1986 film Top Gun for a story on a recent air force drill.' Is it just me or are communist nations very skilled at embarrassing themselves?"

13 of 226 comments (clear)

  1. What does communist have to do with it? by Rinnon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously, I don't see what being communist has to do with embarrassing yourself. Capitalist nations embarrass themselves pretty damn often too.

    1. Re:What does communist have to do with it? by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The difference being that most capitalist nations are democracies, and everybody rather expects that impermanent governments are going to bugger things up. I'd say fuck-ups are the life blood of democracy.

      In states like China, where the government asserts that it knows best, these sorts of stupid stunts have somewhat more dramatic connotations. Particularly in this case, it not only raises the question as to what kind of people it has in its military and PR that think it's a bright idea to rip off footage from a Hollywood film, it also raises the more important question as to why they would even need to.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:What does communist have to do with it? by nicholas22 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Is it just me or are communist nations very skilled an embarrassing themselves?

      It's that extra little trolling that gives those extra few more page views and that make me that extra little bit more reluctant to waste my extremely limited time on slashdot.

    3. Re:What does communist have to do with it? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In states like China, where the government asserts that it knows best

      The US and UK governments assert that they no best through a never ending flood of requirements on educational practices, telling Doctors how to practice, how to manage land, what drugs and herbal remedies are legal and illegal, how local authorities may spend their money. There's no end to it really. In the US, it even decides who may or may not vote! All of which are direct assertions that they know best.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    4. Re:What does communist have to do with it? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Your terrible grammar nullifies any argument you may have had.

      I wrote 'no' instead of 'know' the first time I used it. That's not an error of grammar, it's just typing too quickly. It really has no bearing on any argument's legitimacy and I doubt you'd "nullify" an argument that you agreed with on those grounds.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    5. Re:What does communist have to do with it? by MoonBuggy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      By voting for representatives, you are seen as having had your say - it's not "the government" making the rules, it's "the people" doing so by proxy. Or so the theory goes.

      Those in power might well act as if they know best, but at the end of the day they are, to some extent, beholden to the people. We can and do get rid of them if they piss us off too badly. I know it doesn't work that well, but it's still a damn sight better than being told "We are right, if you disagree you are a dangerous subversive, and there's not a thing you can do about it.".

    6. Re:What does communist have to do with it? by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Sorry, but there are few things more retarded than typo Nazis.

  2. so where's the RIAA now? by v1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    this ought to be good... I want to see the suits show up at a door, knock, and open it to see a tank barrel in their face. (sort of like in the Simpsons episode)

    oh wait I forgot, the RIAA doesn't pick on anyone that can defend themselves.

    --
    I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
  3. Re:"Commies skilled an(sic) embarrassing themselve by egamma · · Score: 3, Insightful

    First, this seems to be the work of a TV broadcaster, not a nation (certainly not a communist one...) ... does anyone here really think "non-commie" media are any better?

    The difference is that in China, that TV broadcaster IS the government, or at least highly controlled by them. The American media are stupid all by themselves.

    --
    Battlemaster--Game with friends in medival realms
  4. Re:"Commies skilled an(sic) embarrassing themselve by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yes. Big difference. Here the media owns the state and not the other way around.

  5. Re:"Commies skilled an(sic) embarrassing themselve by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    BTW, regarding such movies - Les Chevaliers du ciel (aka Sky Fighters), while obviously also with completely redundant plot, is much more enjoyable all-flash-no-substance kind of deal - it has much more spectacular cinematography, nvm lots more minutes of actual flying.

    A movie made 20 years after Top Gun has better effects? Shocking!

    Unfortunately, I'm no longer 10 years old, so I doubt I'll enjoy it as much.

  6. Re:"Commies skilled an(sic) embarrassing themselve by sznupi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Actual cinematography (in this case the results of most basic choices about camera placement) = effects? Since when?

    --
    One that hath name thou can not otter
  7. Re:You haven't experienced by blackbear · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I would have written:
    You haven't fully experienced Top Gun unless you've watched it in the original Chinese.

    With the above you allude to the original joke without hitting us over the head with it. Thus giving all of us who "get it" a chance to look down our collective noses at those of less depth in Sci-Fi pop culture.