Sob stories hide reality TV's emotional manipulation
0 
Pardon the tasteless pun, but Liu certainly beats this combination hands-down. Anyone who plays the piano knows that it's hard enough with their hands, let alone their feet.
Liu is far more talented than Boyle, and his story more surprising and emotional. His talent and determination certainly deserve recognition. The problem lies in the fact that in many ways, these modern reality heroes with all their defects are akin to the circus acts of old.
Although not as obvious and grotesquely voyeuristic, they feed on the same basic premise of wanting to see something different or more disadvantaged than oneself.
At one end of the spectrum, people are fed up with the pristine Hollywood stars that are nothing like real people. They are too rich, too beautiful and too protected in their own little bubble. People like to think that some celebrities are more like ordinary people.
This is why many of these talent shows have done so well, as they represent a chance not only for ordinary people to see other ordinary people who happen to be talented, but precisely because it gives them access to this seemingly impenetrable world of the rich and famous.
Everybody dreams of joining the elite someday and people like to see others who are less fortunate than them, as it gives them hope.
If a man with no arms can become a star throughout China, then someone with a bit too much weight and a confidence problem can surely rule the world.
It seems that when it comes to talent competitions, Chinese react the same way as people anywhere else in the world.
Everyone is a sucker for the story behind the talent - that extra special something that pulls at their heart strings on top of any special skill.
The producers of these shows know this all too well, and so deliberately set up story lines to exploit it.
While applauding Liu's efforts, we should be cautious of the exploitative atmosphere around his story, and wonder whose pockets the gains will ultimately end up in.
The author is a writer from London who has lived in Beijing for five years.
