Zhao Bandi: art, fashion and carpetbagging

Attention grabbing panda babe

Last week ESWN noted a letter by some Chinese citizens to SARFT demanding that Kung Fu Panda, the Steven Spielberg animation currently showing in movie theaters in China, be pulled. The letter begins thusly:

As Chinese citizens, we firmly oppose the exhibition of the Hollywood movie Kung Fu Panda in China as of June 20. The reasons are as follows:

Hollywood is the kind of place whose style and values create large numbers of people like Sharon Stone. She was the female actress who claimed that the earthquake in China was "karma." Not only was she not criticized by the "department unit," her "aura" was shining bright instead. Hollywood is the type of place which lovingly applaud the arrogance, hypocrisy and vileness of Sharon Stone. Only in an amoral place like Hollywood can Sharon Shone gain in popularity via a moral lapse.

So this Hollywood is not stopping at exploiting and rejoining at the the disaster in China. It is now coming to dig gold in post-disaster China.

A few days later, ESWN noted the following:

Upon further examination, the top signee for the petition is none other than the man known as "Panda Man" Zhao Bandi, who has a fashion line based upon the national treasure of the panda and therefore has a clear interest in not wanting any dilution of his brand image.

Yesterday, your correspondent received a press release that begins like this:

BANDI PANDA’ Shop Opening: The first ’BANDI PANDA’ shop will be officially opened on June 22nd, 2008 in 798 Art District, Beijing. There will be a small reception held to celebrate for the launch of the new brand.

Following up on his ’BANDI PANDA’ fashion show during China International Fashion Week which triggered ’fashion earthquake’ in China, artist Zhao Bandi is now involved in the field of fashion and will meet fashion consumers with his own products. In the new opening store, a series of fashionable T-shirts and accessories will be presented. In addition, the series of colourful panda plush toys which are specially designed for 2008 Beijing Olympics as Zhao Bandi’s 2008 Mascots will be on sale in the new shop.

No gold digging there.

Today, journalist and sardonic blogger Lian Yue posted a little poem titled Envy. In translation:

A few days ago, I watched Kungfu Panda.

It's really good, ten points, five stars, fucking awesome, A +, strongly recommended.



When an artist calls for the boycott of another artist,

The rules of literary criticism apply:

A boycott says nothing of truth or beauty, it's just pure jealousy.



Spileberg's ability to draw crowds and applause, whatever subject matter it becomes a blockbuster
,
He has money, status, depth, and a point of view about politics,

Aside from being envious, there's nothing other people can do.

Zhao Bandi is no stranger to panda hype. See for example this 1999 story by your correspondent Zhao Bandi: Artist or Ad Man?.