Wendi Deng Murdoch’s Martial Arts Nothing to Praise

Media baron Rupert Murdoch’s wife Wendi Deng leaped up and slapped London comedian Jonathan May-Bowles when he attempted to throw a shaving cream pie at her husband at the United Kingdom Parliamentary committee hearing over the phone hacking scandal of the News of the World.

Media baron Rupert Murdoch’s wife Wendi Deng leaped up and slapped London comedian Jonathan May-Bowles when he attempted to throw a shaving cream pie at her husband at the United Kingdom Parliamentary committee hearing over the phone hacking scandal of the News of the World.

The world heard the slap from broadcast of the video footage; it was indeed unusual news. This is exactly what is known in Western journalism as the “Man bites dog” phenomenon.

Some media likened Wendi to “Charlie’s Angels,” some said her movements were on par with those of star football players. Renowned American TV news anchor Katie Couric tweeted, “Wow Wendy Murdoch giving whole new meaning to the term tiger mother…. Insanity!”

Deng was born and raised in China. She was also brought up by a “tiger mother,” and is every inch a modern Chinese lady. Her leap and slap brought great excitement to China. China’s major media – Xinhua News Agency, China News Service, People’s Daily, and China Daily English edition, all had detailed illustrated reports on the story. Chinese Internet users’ excitement and cheers were even stronger than when the Chinese women’s volleyball team won the world championship.

However, what kind of image is this? Western media described Deng as “tigress,” but while hailing her there was also teasing and ridicule.

The image of a women has always been gentle and elegant both in Western and Eastern culture. Traditional Chinese females are especially mild, virtuous and reasonable. Deng’s leap and martial arts movement in public, her display of “protecting her husband” was really a surprise.

The reaction Deng brought shows not the pride but the plight of Chinese women. When her husband was attacked or humiliated, a true Chinese lady should wipe her husband’s head and tell the attacker that he shouldn’t treat an elderly man that way, rather than leap up at the attack.

Chinese media’s cheers for Deng shows that under the Chinese Communist Party’s 60 years of rule, females educated in that culture have lost their dignity, ladylikeness, grace and elegance. They are no longer gentle, and had become vigorous “tigresses.”

Some people say Deng’s movement restored Murdoch’s media empire. But this media empire uses the plea of freedom of press to trample ethics in order to boost its business—is its image worth protecting? In order to do business in China, Murdoch ordered satellite systems under his control to stop broadcasting BBC in China, cutting off the Chinese people’s right to obtain information.

Read the original Chinese article.