Comments on: Armless pianist wins on "China's Got Talent" TV show http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 18:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: bfarn http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908034 bfarn Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908034 I'm sorry, did that article say he lost BOTH HIS ARMS from being electrocuted? While playing hide-and-seek? I'm normally not a proponent of the anemic safety playgrounds we have in the States, but.... well shit. I’m sorry, did that article say he lost BOTH HIS ARMS from being electrocuted? While playing hide-and-seek?

I’m normally not a proponent of the anemic safety playgrounds we have in the States, but…. well shit.

]]> By: ProgHead777 http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908053 ProgHead777 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908053 Electrocuted? Wow, arms or no arms, he looks pretty good for a dead guy. That's the real story here. "Dead guy (who happens to have no arms) plays piano". /snark That was f$#%ing amazing. Electrocuted? Wow, arms or no arms, he looks pretty good for a dead guy. That’s the real story here. “Dead guy (who happens to have no arms) plays piano”. /snark

That was f$#%ing amazing.

]]> By: caipirina http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908056 caipirina Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908056 Awesome talent and great story of what he managed to accomplish with his 'handicap' ... then again .. it feels a bit like a freak show .. and I hope he does not get exploited as the armless piano player ... Curious to see the 7 year stand up comedian .. Awesome talent and great story of what he managed to accomplish with his ‘handicap’ …

then again .. it feels a bit like a freak show .. and I hope he does not get exploited as the armless piano player …

Curious to see the 7 year stand up comedian ..

]]> By: teapot http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908569 teapot Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908569 I must be an evil person... #1 thought: "No WAY - He's gonna play it with his <i>face</i>!?" #2 thought: "Why does he need arms on his suit?" #3 thought: "footjob." I must be an evil person…

#1 thought: “No WAY – He’s gonna play it with his face!?”
#2 thought: “Why does he need arms on his suit?”
#3 thought: “footjob.”

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908088 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908088 Maybe it's the odd angle of the closeup shots, but that doesn't look like a normal piano to me. The key travel appears to be shorter than usual on the white keys, and the black keys may be elevated a bit. Regardless, it's quite a (you should pardon the term) feat. I wonder if he can play anything else - and whether he can sightread. FWIW, as piano sales falter in the US, pianos are a hit in China. It’s estimated that at least 30 million Chinese children are studying piano. Some sources put the number as high as 80 million. The world's largest piano maker, Pearl River, is a Chinese firm. In 2007 they built 100,000 instruments. Some were for export, but most of them stayed right there in China. Maybe it’s the odd angle of the closeup shots, but that doesn’t look like a normal piano to me. The key travel appears to be shorter than usual on the white keys, and the black keys may be elevated a bit. Regardless, it’s quite a (you should pardon the term) feat. I wonder if he can play anything else – and whether he can sightread.

FWIW, as piano sales falter in the US, pianos are a hit in China. It’s estimated that at least 30 million Chinese children are studying piano. Some sources put the number as high as 80 million. The world’s largest piano maker, Pearl River, is a Chinese firm. In 2007 they built 100,000 instruments. Some were for export, but most of them stayed right there in China.

]]> By: unmoris http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908369 unmoris Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908369 This song sounds much better when played by feet. This song sounds much better when played by feet.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908120 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908120 I admire this young man for learning to play the piano at age eighteen. I remember reading that Lenny Bruce tried out for a talent show, but lost to a piano player with no arms. At least that's what he said. My Sunday school teacher told us the parable "I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet." "So I asked him, you wouldn't happen to have a pair of shoes you're not using, would you?" I admire this young man for learning to play the piano at age eighteen.

I remember reading that Lenny Bruce tried out for a talent show, but lost to a piano player with no arms. At least that’s what he said.

My Sunday school teacher told us the parable “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet.”

“So I asked him, you wouldn’t happen to have a pair of shoes you’re not using, would you?”

]]> By: Darran Edmundson http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908657 Darran Edmundson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908657 First thing that popped into my head was an English joke from my childhood, 'A man in his car spots a bloke hitchhiking beside the road. Getting closer, he realizes the man has 3 eyes, no arms and only one leg. He stops the car and says, "Aye, aye, aye, you look harmless, hop in."' (It works well with the accent and the dropped 'h'.) First thing that popped into my head was an English joke from my childhood, ‘A man in his car spots a bloke hitchhiking beside the road. Getting closer, he realizes the man has 3 eyes, no arms and only one leg. He stops the car and says, “Aye, aye, aye, you look harmless, hop in.”‘ (It works well with the accent and the dropped ‘h’.)

]]> By: pinehead http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908170 pinehead Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908170 His dexterity is obviously compromised due to the way human feet are made, but he did well regardless. I'm actually more impressed by his singing voice. I was expecting to hear a distinctly alien and emotionally disconnected rendition of the song, but he did quite well with it. I'm impressed. The house band was also very good. His dexterity is obviously compromised due to the way human feet are made, but he did well regardless. I’m actually more impressed by his singing voice. I was expecting to hear a distinctly alien and emotionally disconnected rendition of the song, but he did quite well with it. I’m impressed. The house band was also very good.

]]> By: penguinchris http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908187 penguinchris Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908187 RE: 7 year olds in these kinds of competitions - I saw a similar program in Thailand but it was all kids, maybe age 7-12. They were pretty awful and I think the only reason people liked them was that they're kids and they're doing things normally older people do (pop singer stuff but also comedy). It was a pretty big show, and very popular. I suppose they've got a Thailand's Got Talent too but I don't know, never saw it or anything about it. My point is though that this 7-year old comedian probably isn't that good, just cute. I have to say though that I'm glad that a 7-year old comedian and an armless pianist got anywhere near the finals, much less winning. I've never actually seen these competitions from the US or England but the people who end up winning those don't seem to be as interesting. Although I guess the only one I'm aware of is Susan Boyle. I think it's the same story with her - she's good but not spectacular - you just don't expect it when you look at her. RE: 7 year olds in these kinds of competitions – I saw a similar program in Thailand but it was all kids, maybe age 7-12. They were pretty awful and I think the only reason people liked them was that they’re kids and they’re doing things normally older people do (pop singer stuff but also comedy). It was a pretty big show, and very popular. I suppose they’ve got a Thailand’s Got Talent too but I don’t know, never saw it or anything about it. My point is though that this 7-year old comedian probably isn’t that good, just cute.

I have to say though that I’m glad that a 7-year old comedian and an armless pianist got anywhere near the finals, much less winning.

I’ve never actually seen these competitions from the US or England but the people who end up winning those don’t seem to be as interesting. Although I guess the only one I’m aware of is Susan Boyle. I think it’s the same story with her – she’s good but not spectacular – you just don’t expect it when you look at her.

]]> By: dainel http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-919710 dainel Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-919710 The piano looks normal to me. Except that the sustain pedal appears to be locked down the entire time. Perhaps someone has inserted something into the mechanism to prevent it popping back up. The piano looks normal to me. Except that the sustain pedal appears to be locked down the entire time. Perhaps someone has inserted something into the mechanism to prevent it popping back up.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908194 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908194 I feel bad that I immediately thought he lost his arms in a factory... I feel bad that I immediately thought he lost his arms in a factory…

]]> By: bat21 http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908209 bat21 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908209 "Aren't you worried about him?" "No, he's armless." “Aren’t you worried about him?”
“No, he’s armless.”

]]> By: Rockmetteller http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908239 Rockmetteller Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908239 He's a great piano player, ya gotta hand it to him. He’s a great piano player, ya gotta hand it to him.

]]> By: niro5 http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-907995 niro5 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-907995 If you ask me, the real talent of a Chinese comedian has to be staying out of jail. If you ask me, the real talent of a Chinese comedian has to be staying out of jail.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-909028 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-909028 simon cowell would've found something wrong with him simon cowell would’ve found something wrong with him

]]> By: standard http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908021 standard Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908021 I couldn't understand a word Nick Cannon was saying. I couldn’t understand a word Nick Cannon was saying.

]]> By: Kleinzeit http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-908287 Kleinzeit Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-908287 Think once, think twice, think don't hide in a high-voltage transformer box when you're playing hide and seek. Think once, think twice, think don’t hide in a high-voltage transformer box when you’re playing hide and seek.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/10/11/armless-pianist-wins.html#comment-909567 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-909567 Electrocuted? No. That means he would be dead, a severe electric shock? Yes that is the correct term. Electrocuted? No. That means he would be dead, a severe electric shock? Yes that is the correct term.

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