“The whole world is laughing at China being stupid” Music Video

Recently this music video named “The whole world is laughing at China being stupid” has been circulating on the Chinese internet. Initially this music video was “officially approved” by the Chinese government, however netizens strongly reacted to the bitter sarcasm of the lyrics which associated with China’s current situation. Soon after, Sina – the first website posted this video quickly removed the video content from its page. Subsequently, most of the major Chinese video sharing sites also have removed it.

This internet song is modified from the original song “Zhong Guo Hua” (Chinese language) by S.H.E. It uses the same music with modified lyrics. Netizens called it the KUSO version of the S.H.E song.

More shockingly, Peking University entrance examination (Gaokao) held on January 16, 2010 had questions on this KUSO version of the song “The whole world is laughing at China being stupid”, asking students to find the rhymes in the lyrics and also use them in sentences. Almost all the test takers were all stumped by the questions. Once the topic was announced, it immediately aroused public concerns; people were more and less shocked how “unimaginably creative” Peking University’s exam questions can be.

The original Song “Zhong Guo Hua” by S.H.E sings:

“The whole world is speaking Chinese. Confucius is more and more international. The whole world is speaking Chinese. We speak our language and let the whole world listen to us closely.”

It praises the Chinese have extensive knowledge and profound scholarship, even laowai (foreigners) are fighting to learn Chinese. However, take a look what is this KUSO version of the song talks about?

Lyrics:

“The whole world is laughing at China being stupid”
In London Marilyn knocked down state-owned enterprises and built high rises.
Moscow’s Vsky is thankful for privatization reform
Various colored skins and hair
Taking advantage of the spring tide of reform, dive into it suddenly
How many years our state-owned enterprises have struggled and were ruined
These years in exchange for their machinery, electronics, chemical industry and logistics to dominate the world
Welcome foreign businesses
Such hard working Chinese people and such cheap Chinese goods

(Chinese tongue twister, part of the original lyrics)
The carrying pole is wide and the bench is long
The carrying pole wants to be bind onto the bench
The bench won’t let the carrying pole to be bind onto to the bench
The carrying pole must bind onto the bench
The bench must not let the carrying pole to bind onto the bench
Is the carrying pole wider or the bench longer

The long river of history flows ahead
A sheep is asleep on the shore
A wolf is flowing in the water
The wolf wants to make the sheep its meal
The sheep wants the wolf to be its parent
The sheep wants to save the wolf, the wolf wants to eat the sheep
Don’t know if it’s the sheep saving the wolf or the wolf is eating the sheep
The whole world is laughing at China being stupid
We act foolishly and let the world praising us being so obedient
In New York Susanna hired Stern Hu to work under her
Wolfgang from Berlin makes phone calls to the leaders everyday
Various colored skins and hair
Come here to trick and swindle
For years the shoes, shirts and underwear we made
These years in exchange for their dumping investigation and technology embargo to blackmail us
To build the harmonious Chimerica
Such charitable Chinese people and such cheap Chinese goods

Could not finish the primary stage
The policy never changes in hundred years
Laobaixing (common people) have no money
Domestic goods are not selling well
All exports in exchange for dollars
US dollars depreciate in value greatly
Buy stocks and bonds
Simply cannot cash out
Money loves power, power loves money
Power exchange to endless money
Only holding power can’t make money
Only making money has no power
Might as well to have no money and power
In the end, does money control power or power controls money

The whole world is laughing at China being stupid
Selling rare earth minerals to foreigner at the same price as radishes
The whole world is laughing at China being stupid
The goods we deliver make the whole world praising us being so obedient
The whole world is laughing at China being stupid
The money we earn but store in someone else’s home
The whole world is laughing at China being stupid
The words we speak make the whole world praising us being so obedient

- Excuse me, which hospital did you escape from?
- Oh, over there!

Original song “Zhong Guo Hua” (Chinese language) by S.H.E.:

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