SPARKLING RED STAR: PAN DONGZI COMPETING IN SINGING CONTEST

That's the title of a Chinese online parody video sending up revolutionary movies and CCTV's Young Singer Contest. The popular download takes clips from the 1974 propaganda - I mean, patriotic - film and uses them to tell the story of the young singer entering the competition solely for the cash and his dad bribing the judges to let him win. Created by the People's Liberation August 1st Film Studio, the movie is being defended by the same studio which issued a statement claiming the video:

"...includes dirty language, subtitles and changing the studio name from August 1 to August 7,  but also changing the story so that the little hero dreams of making money through singing. The changes not only hurt filmmakers but also mislead youngsters. Those who ignore the Chinese revolutionary history will encourage more people to mock patriotic movies."

Well, we can't have even more people mocking propaganda - I mean, patriotic - movies than we do already. The unnamed videographer backed down saying he was greatly touched by the August 1 Studio's statement. "I call for all netizens and Web sites not to spread or download the video any more, otherwise all the aftereffects have nothing to do with me."

April 1 Film Studio says they still might sue him. Who says China isn't just like America?