Circus school in China

[jynxxxedangel]

The way these children are alternately praised and verbally abused (more often, the latter), then pushed beyond their physical limitations, is absolutely appalling to me-- and by no means, are my sensibilities delicate.

Even though they smile from time to time, I cannot help but feel that children who are taught in this rigorous manner, will always carry a heart full of pain and misery with them. I especially feel empathy for Cai Yong. The uncle who is his legal guardian is an awful, uncaring man, and the boy clearly has emotional issues. Throughout this movie, I wanted to hug this little boy, and wipe away his tears. He's probably never been shown any true affection in his life.

I understand, there are many cultural differences between us and the Chinese, but I found this movie extremely disturbing.

Here is the film, for you to form your own opinion.

Circus School (PBS documentary on YouTube)

If you are easily upset, I don't recommend watching this movie.

Edited May 3, 2009 by jynxxxedangel

[Destroit]

Meh, just about as rigorous as when I was in gymnastics as a little girl, hence why I didn't last long and all the other mom's had all of the gymnastics girls make fun of me collectively, in the open, and in a group. I thin beauty pagaents are just as destructive too...why can't we just let little kids be kids, huh?

[TitsMcGee]

  Chernobyl said:

Meh, just about as rigorous as when I was in gymnastics as a little girl, hence why I didn't last long and all the other mom's had all of the gymnastics girls make fun of me collectively, in the open, and in a group. I thin beauty pagaents are just as destructive too...why can't we just let little kids be kids, huh?

Now this is off topic, but I've done pageants before. I think the child ones are horrible, but the ones I was in as a teenager were always fun. All us girls got along very very well.

Granted I think parents push kids way to hard these days. I wasn't in dance or anything as a child, except for little league. My parents told me it doesn't matter if you win or lose as long as you fun.

[Scary Guy]

  Chernobyl said:

why can't we just let little kids be kids, huh?

Oh we can, but "they" can't. Soccer moms can go fuck themselves too.

Just because their lives are shit they want their child's life to be "perfect". Their children aren't perfect or special (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA_XMaTYqSs and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxmE2qMbYRU second one even more so).

[Homicidalheathen]

My father in law was in gymnastics and he was on hitlers team I guess? Hitler took kids and made sports stars out of them...and supported the sports...and then they were turned into soldiers. He wasn't abused during or pushed to hard.

Then they trained him to be on ski patrol when he got old enough...the way things were going in Hitlers world...he was convinced it was a good thing...beats starving and being cold and dirty. He said living in Hitlers Germany was a good thing...crime was down, moral was up...opporotunity for young healthy kids...

I had my kids in Gymnastics for a couple years but they quit. Its not easy....lots of injuries. Thing 2 was afraid of the beam, and they go from once a week to 3x a week PLUS WORKOUTS!! That did NOT INCLUDE MEETS! It was waaay to much. Anorexia gets popular once you start to get curves...and their grades were more important to me.

Saw a video awhile back where a girl broke her neck. She was young and paralized for life.

Gymnastics basics is good for any kid though. I can still do a half asses handspring and some cartwheels...I am 44.

Thing 2 used her trampoline training in a haunted house once, she was the only clown who could do flips.

[Scales]

I think that little old girl has more balls than I do. But this doc is definitely messed up.