Cate, this is the most horrendous type of cruelty I've ever heard of one human inflicting upon another. No amount of cultural sensitivity can excuse this sort of madness. Sure, I'll admit to having taken a shine to "Unchained Melody" back in the day, when Patrick and Demi were first doing that sexy potter's-wheel thing, but really, is there any reason why Beijing Sports University has chosen it? Why not, say, "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go?" I think there's a mystery to be solved here--unless, of course, you're too sleep-deprived to contemplate any sort of detective-type exertion...
I'm sorry, when you emailed me about this I thought it was some weirdo student who was doing it. You mean the school actually purposefully plays that drivel every morning?
And anyway, it's totally depressing and not a song that would make me pop out of bed. I prefer Molly's suggestion.
Molly--I had a big soft spot for that song (I can't even tell you how many times I watched that movie) but now it's feeling more like a big bruise. I agree that this is one of those situations that makes me disbelieve the whole cultural relativity argument.
Amy, I too that that a student on our hallway was responsible the first two times I heard it. But then the truth whipped me in the face like on of Whoopi's dreads. Terrible.
That's bad times.
Remember in the Shawshank Redemption, Tim Robbins locks the prison guard in a closet and plays classical music over the PA? I think it's supposed to represent that even prisoners can still have moments of freedom or something. Realy, I don't think comparing Chinese universities to prisons is such a stretch.
Guess what I'm getting at is that if you pull a Tim Robbins and played Sir Mix-a-Lot's 'Baby got back' over the PA (otherwise known as 'that i like big butts song') you would be come like some sort of god to all international students. So uh, get right on that 
In US prisons do you think the prisoners can shower between 9pm Friday and 7pm Monday? Because the students at this school can't!
Ian, I'm very familiar with Baby Got Back, and I love your idea of taking over the airwaves. However, what if the school decided they enjoyed Sir Mixalot so much that they would replace the Righteous Brothers with Baby Got Back? I don't think that's a risk I can take!
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