Branding the city "My life as Mcdull" by Shan

Love McDull !!Love Hong Kong!!



My life as McDull

•A sense of local patriotism
•Self-aware humours
•Hong Kong urban landscape
•Hong Kong spirit









Sense of local patriotism


•Just like we fought for SARS in 2003
•On Hong Kong, not China
•E.g. McDull wanted to be an athlete in
Olympics--- Hong Kong athletes are not rubbish




•Handover
•“Hong Kong experienced a de-sinicisation process
which gradually separated Hong Kong socially, politically,
and culturally from mainland China.”
•Film---carry the patriotism message.
(E.g. McDull, Prince de la Bun )








Self-aware humours


•Related to the linguistic matter
Hongkonger who speaks Cantonese can understand & laugh for it
•Difficult to translate accurately
•Create sense of belonging


•E.g. name of McDull (basin)
•The songs consist of Cantonese
•The pronunciation of some English word, such as, “orange”, “banana” and “umbrella”
•Imply problems or pressure of being a Hongkonger
•Want to make you smile







•Cartoon and the little pig are used purposely
•Reflect a real Hong Kong through a child eye
•Relieve the workload of the reality


Hong Kong urban landscape

•Shek Kip Mei (old district in H.K.)
---high population density
•Awakes you about the past of Hong Kong
•Reconstruction of old districts (Urbanization)
---improve the quality of living environment
•loss of memory


•“Landmarks” are common view of the city
•Important signs for Hongkongers
•E.g. The crisscross road
Neon light advertisement
Cha Chan Tan
Skyscraper






Hong Kong spirit

•Hongkongers are hard-working
(E.g.Mai Tai, McDull)
•Hongkongers are tough
(can-do spirit---SARS


•The author also said that
the ‘Hong Kong dream’,
the ‘Economic Miracle of Asia’
and the ‘Pearl of the Orient’
are established gradually by Hongkongers.
•The fruit is not built by one day.

References

•Books:
Kwai Cheung Lo. 2006. “Knocking off Nationalism in Hong Kong cinema”, Duke University Press
Ma, Eric. 1999. “Mediating Hong Kong Identity (II): Re-sinicization.” Culture, politics and television in Hong Kong, London: Routledge
Ma, Eric. 1999. “Mediating Hong Kong Identity (I): De-sinicization.” Culture, politics and television in Hong Kong, London: Routledge
Stephanie Donald and John G. Gammack. 2007. “Structures of Attention and the City of Life Hong Kong”. In Donald and Gammack, Tourism and the Branded City: film and identity on the Pacific Rim”. London: Ashgate
•Movies:
“My Life as McDull” (dir. Toe Yuen, 2001)
“McDull, Prince de la Bun” (dir. Toe Yuen, 2004)
•Website:
http://www.beyondhollywood.com/moviepics/mcdull2_1.htm