“The Little Mermaid” Asian Box Office Slump Blamed On Racism

Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has received a warm reception in the United States. Critics have received the film fairly warmly, and it holds a 67% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Furthermore, critics have praised the performance of Halle Bailey while noting that the film as a whole is a fairly bland and visually underwhelming remake. However, audiences have loved the film. The Little Mermaid holds a 96% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has grossed $327 million worldwide.

However, the film has some underwhelming international markets, namely those in Asia. According to Endata, the film has grossed just $3.7 million in Mainland China, which counts as the second-largest box office in the world. Similarly, the film has grossed just $4.4 million in South Korea. Meanwhile, the film is yet to open in Japan but is expected to suffer from the same issues. Additionally, these muted figures have been attributed to a problem that has plagued the film time and time again.

Anti-Black Racism Blamed For “The Little Mermaid” Slump

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 25: Halle Bailey greets fans during the Family and friends screening of The Little Mermaid at Regal Atlantic Station on May 25, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Joi Stokes/Getty Images For Disney)

China and South Korea both harbor long histories of racial discrimination. Anti-Black racism has been common in China since the 1970s, when the nation began its expansion of financial diplomacy into Africa. Furthermore, much like how the rest of the world blamed China for COVID-19, China in turn saw a spike in anti-Black discrimination. Meanwhile, South Korea is infamous for a culture of denying service to non-Koreans. Furthermore, research has shown that Black individuals are more likely to experience overt racism than white individuals.

These sentiments appear to be fueling the cold reception to The Little Mermaid. On the Chinese film review website Douban, users have rated the film as a 5.1 out of 10. Meanwhile, several reviews left on the review site and box office tracker Maoyan made direct and discriminatory references to Bailey’s skin color. Similar trends have been observed in South Korea, where the Instagram hashtag ‘NotMyAriel’ has trended numerous times. Furthermore, Japanese film-goers have also expressed a cool reception ahead of the film’s June 9 premiere.

[via]

The post “The Little Mermaid” Asian Box Office Slump Blamed On Racism appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

[WATCH] The Fugees’ Pras Denies Tekashi 6ix9ine Comparisons, Says He’s Not An FBI Informant

prassuesnewyorkpostmillion$davidsugarman

Last week, Pras of The Fugees was found guilty of 10 charges in an international conspiracy in federal court in Washington D.C. Rumors of the famed rapper becoming an FBI informant began to surface, but the recently convicted felon says despite the verdict, he is not an FBI informant.

While speaking to TMZ, Pras said, “I was never in the past, present, or future, an FBI or CIA informant.” He doubled down on his stance by ading where people could find the paperwork to see he was not an informant. He went on to say, “This is not a Tekashi 6ix9ine situation, respectfully speaking.”

According to an AP News report, Pras “was accused of funneling money from a now-fugitive Malaysian financer through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, then trying to squelch a Justice Department investigation and influence an extradition case on behalf of China under the Trump administration.”

The post [WATCH] The Fugees’ Pras Denies Tekashi 6ix9ine Comparisons, Says He’s Not An FBI Informant appeared first on The Source.

Worms Seemingly Rain Down On China, Twitter Reacts

What may seem like the concept of a horror movie for some has transpired into real life. This week, residents of Liaoning, China were showered with rainfalls of worms, as reported by the Mirror. Seemingly coming from mid-air, these squiggly creatures made their way from the sky to the ground, covering the cars and streets en masse. Locals of the town attempted to go about their day with umbrellas, while authorities advised seeking shelter.

This strange ordeal remains a mystery, though several theories depict ways that the creepy crawlies could have found their way into Liaoning. For one, the Mother Nature Network suggests that the worms were swept up by large winds that eventually led them to be caught in a rainstorm. The journal notes that this phenomenon shows similarities to when insects are caught in whirlpools.

China Authorities Urge Residents To Take Shelter

Surprisingly, these raining worms have not been the only unexplainable cause to have stumped biologists. In 2015, Texas experienced its own downfall of slimy creatures on the road in Eisenhower State Park. Initially, Park Rangers assumed that this sighting was a careless dropping of pasta noodles until they noticed that the squiggles were in fact worms. Eight years later, the occurrence still remains a mystery.

Twitter users took to the platform to discuss this strange occurrence, with some debunking this rainstorm of worms altogether. One user wrote, “these are not worms or animals, but flower stalks dropped from trees,” suggesting that the worm-like sightings were actually just the bloom from poplar flowers. Others who refuse to believe the photos are suggesting that they may have been staged.

While the unsightly event in China stirred up questions and hypotheses from both scientists and social media users alike, some remain outright disturbed by the idea of worms raining from the sky. “If I was just minding my business on a casual day in China and it started raining worms ?? I’d just die,” one user tweeted. Another added, “I consider myself a strong woman. BUT, this would probably give me a heart attack.” To keep up with the latest news on hip-hop, pop culture, and the strangeness within the world, check out HNHH.

Twitter Reactions:

[Via]

China Insists it has been ‘Open’ on COVID Origins

NYPICHPDPICT000007343649 3

Following speculation on the pandemic’s origins, China said it has been  “open and transparent” with information it has obtained. 

Three years and over 6.8 million deaths later, concerns on how the worldwide virus emerged are at an all time high. 

Most recently, the U.S. Department of Energy  assessed with “low confidence” that the pandemic that was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 began with the leak of a virus from a lab. This report remains sealed to the public. 

In defense of the accusations against China,  Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Mao told reporters at a daily briefing that China has “shared the most data and research results on virus tracing and made important contributions to global virus tracing research.”

Mao added, “Politicizing the issue of virus tracing will not smear China but will only damage the U.S.’s own credibility,” opposing complaints from U.S. officials and members of Congress that China has not been fully cooperative. 

Still, not all opinions sway in favor of the United States. Members of the U.S. intelligence community disagree with the U.S. Energy Department assessment of the lab leak, specifying 

differing opinions within the government. On Monday, John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said “There is just not an intelligence community consensus.” 

The DOE, which oversees a national network of U.S. labs,  concluded that the classified report was based on newly acquired intelligence and noted in an update to a 2021 document, according to the first reports made by the Wall Street Journal. 

Requests for comment made to White House officials by numerous sources to confirm the press report assessments have been declined. The last report, made in 2021, said four members of the U.S. intelligence community believed with low confidence that the virus was first transmitted from an animal to a human, and a fifth believed with moderate confidence that the first human infection was linked to a lab. The quest to find more information is ongoing. 

The post China Insists it has been ‘Open’ on COVID Origins appeared first on The Source.

Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Could be Part of a Wider Snooping Effort

63e3b64596242f0019e7efb7

Following the overtaking of a Chinese spy balloon by the United States Military,  shot down last week, China has requested the remains of the balloon be returned. The balloon was captured over the coast of South Carolina and pieces of it were fished out of the Atlantic Ocean. 

It is believed that the high-altitude balloon that was spotted flying over the continental US may have been used to surveil sensitive military sites, according to defense officials. Chinese officials deny these claims and credit the balloon’s location to windy weather. 

When a reporter asked on Tuesday whether China has called on the US to give back the debris of the downed balloon, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, “The airship does not belong to the US. It belongs to China.” 

“If you pick up something on the street, you should return it to the owner, if you know who the owner is. If the Americans don’t want to return it, that’s their decision. This demonstrates their dishonesty.” China’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, said during an interview on Monday with French news channel LCI, according to Bloomberg News.

Newly released images from the US Navy show divers pulling debris from the massive balloon out of the Atlantic Ocean. 

63e27cc227e5db0018ee8bb5

Spokesperson said the shooting of the balloon was an overreaction and “The unmanned Chinese airship is of civilian nature. Its unintended entry into US airspace is entirely unexpected and caused by force majeure. It didn’t pose any threat to any person or to the national security of the US. The US should have properly handled such incidents in a calm and professional manner not involving the use of force, yet they decided to do otherwise, which is a clear overreaction.”

Still, the Pentagon’s top spokesperson spoke out on Wednesday to address larger concerns. He believes the balloons were part of a broader surveillance effort by Beijing. He told reporters at the Pentagon that the “surveillance balloon program has been operating for several years.” While there is currently no hard evidence to support these claims, the topic is being heavily debated amongst politicians. 

Biden is taking heat for waiting to shoot down the balloon, although he said he ordered the craft shot down last week, but military brass advised waiting until it was over water to minimize risks to people on the ground.

The post Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Could be Part of a Wider Snooping Effort appeared first on The Source.

Report: China Has Spy Balloon The Size of Three Buses Floating Over Western U.S.

China Has Spy Balloon The Size of Three Buses Floating Over Western U.S.

The United States is on alert after a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted over the state of Montana. The balloon, the size of three buses, was not shot down for fear that it could hurt people on the ground.

According to the AP, the balloon increases the tensions between the U.S. and China.

A Pentagon official stated the U.S. has “very high confidence” that the Chinese high-altitude balloon is flying over sensitive sites to collect information. Montana is home to three nuclear missile silo fields, stored at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

According to Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, the balloon is “currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.” The U.S. has taken steps to ensure the balloon does not collect sensitive information.

The White House has fighter jets, including F-22s, ready to shoot down the balloon upon request.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., wrote: “The fact that this balloon was occupying Montana airspace creates significant concern that Malmstrom Air Force Base and the United States’ intercontinental ballistic missile fields are the target of this intelligence gathering mission. … It is vital to establish the flight path of this balloon, any compromised U.S. national security assets, and all telecom or IT infrastructure on the ground within the U.S. that this spy balloon was utilizing.”

The post Report: China Has Spy Balloon The Size of Three Buses Floating Over Western U.S. appeared first on The Source.

China Lifts Ban on Marvel Movies, ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Ant-Man’ Receives Release Dates

Marvel Releases New Trailer for 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will get released in China after the nation has lifted a ban on Marvel Movies. Citizens of China will also get to see Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania once it releases next month.

According to Variety, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters in China on Feb. 7, with the latest edition of Ant-Man coming to theaters on Feb. 17, the same day as it opens worldwide. The films will be the first Marvel features to show in the nation since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and the first installment of the post-Blip world in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Endgame made $632 million in China alone.

Marvel films are not the only Disney products that have been soft-banned in the nation. An actual reason as to why has not been revealed but is likely in response to increased tensions between China and the United States.

You can see the trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania below.

The post China Lifts Ban on Marvel Movies, ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Ant-Man’ Receives Release Dates appeared first on The Source.

US to Require Negative Covid Tests Before Flights For Travelers From China

28dc virus 1 2c22 videoSixteenByNine3000

The CDC announced today that it is implementing a requirement for a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery for air passengers boarding flights to the United States originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. This includes passengers flying directly to the United States from China and passengers flying through popular third-country gateways, including Seoul, Toronto and Vancouver. The requirement aims to prevent the spread of Covid and transmission of any possible new variants. 

According to federal health officials, passengers flying to the US must get a test no more than two days before flying and present proof of the negative test to their airline before boarding. Contrary to past regulations the test can either be a PCR or an antigen self-test administered through a telehealth service. 

The new rules take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on January 5. Reports reflect growing concern around China’s lack of transparency in disclosing their surge in cases including the absence of genome sequencing information. Withholding of this information slows detection of new strains of the coronavirus putting public safety at risk. 

ap22361075248360 e72004e005fafb2466a1e3b60670425cfe09fcdc s1100 c50

The execution timeline was selected to give airlines a grace period to fulfill new requirements. New rules are expected to last in accordance with the situation on the ground. In addition to this rule, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding the Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program to airports in Seattle and Los Angeles. 

On Monday, China announced it will end quarantine requirements for international arrivals from January 8, marking a major step toward reopening its borders. The sudden end to China’s stringent health policy has raised eyebrows across the country and sparked the rollout of these restrictions. The gray area surrounding China’s reports and a surge in cases, has also influenced Japan’s decision to test all individuals upon arrival starting December 30th. 

The post US to Require Negative Covid Tests Before Flights For Travelers From China appeared first on The Source.