China's Noisy 'Dancing Grannies' Silenced By Device That Disables Speakers (theguardian.com) 117
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Across China's public parks and squares, in the early hours of the morning or late in the afternoon, the grannies gather. The gangs, made up mostly of middle-aged and older women who went through the Cultural Revolution, take to a corner of a local park or sporting ground and dance in unison to Chinese music. Loud music. The tradition has led to alarming standoffs, with the blaring music frequently blamed for disturbing the peace in often high-density residential areas. But many are too scared to confront the women. The dilemma of the dancing grannies has prompted some to seek out tech solutions. One went viral online this week: a remote stun gun-style device that claims to be able to disable a speaker from 50 meters away.
Reviews of the item were positive. "Downstairs is finally quiet. For two days the grannies thought their speaker is not working!", said one on Taobao, China's version of eBay. "Great invention, with this tool I will be the boss in the neighborhood now," said another. "This is not just a regular product, it is social justice!" China is home to an estimated 100 million dancing grannies. Square dancing allows older women, many of whom live alone or with younger family members who they accompanied on a move to the cities, to socialize. They form strong bonds, often shopping or doing other activities, including group investments, together, the South China Morning Post reported.
State media has described the square dancing, which has its roots in the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, as a "positive and effective way to reduce the medical and financial burden as well as increase the life quality of older people." "Many participants are retired, their children are no longer around. Square dancing becomes a place for them to have a social life." But neighbors complain it has gotten out of control, with competing groups blasting their music over each other in small areas, and bullying those who try to intervene. Viral videos and reports have shown the groups arguing and fighting with basketball players to take over their court, or, in one case, breaking into a football field and stopping the game to dance in the space, prompting a police response and arrests.
Reviews of the item were positive. "Downstairs is finally quiet. For two days the grannies thought their speaker is not working!", said one on Taobao, China's version of eBay. "Great invention, with this tool I will be the boss in the neighborhood now," said another. "This is not just a regular product, it is social justice!" China is home to an estimated 100 million dancing grannies. Square dancing allows older women, many of whom live alone or with younger family members who they accompanied on a move to the cities, to socialize. They form strong bonds, often shopping or doing other activities, including group investments, together, the South China Morning Post reported.
State media has described the square dancing, which has its roots in the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, as a "positive and effective way to reduce the medical and financial burden as well as increase the life quality of older people." "Many participants are retired, their children are no longer around. Square dancing becomes a place for them to have a social life." But neighbors complain it has gotten out of control, with competing groups blasting their music over each other in small areas, and bullying those who try to intervene. Viral videos and reports have shown the groups arguing and fighting with basketball players to take over their court, or, in one case, breaking into a football field and stopping the game to dance in the space, prompting a police response and arrests.
You're never too old to be immature (Score:5, Insightful)
As we can see... even as we get older, we can still be douche bags.
This isn't immaturity (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
This is the Chinese equivalent of a US Karen.
And that particular species of women hasn't exactly been known to demonstrate maturity.
Women abusing their privilege in order to be assholes.
That's not abusing privilege. That's equality.
Everyone deserves to be treated like an asshole if that's how they're acting.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
You look the other way if it's someone elderly, not female. A group of 20-something females doing the same thing would have been shut down.
Re:This isn't immaturity (Score:5, Insightful)
I've seen it happening, I think I have a video on my phone somewhere. It strikes me as generally a good thing, helps keep people fit and active as they get older. Just needs to be managed a bit better so that it's not disturbing people with the noise.
Re:This isn't immaturity (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I had a friend who was in China a few years back who had mentioned these old ladies and said it was really fascinating to watch just because of how many of them had gathered.
Re: (Score:2)
But old folks are supposed to glide quietly into oblivion.
(Speak for yourself, you old whippersnapper!)
Re: (Score:3)
But it's not really about listening to music, it's that power of forcing everyone within a certain radius to acknowledge the hold you have over them by playing music way too loud.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think you can sync dozens of headphones to a single Bluetooth source.
Re: (Score:2)
I had the sound translated.
It turns out that they're actually protesting, demanding bingo halls . . . :)
Re: (Score:2)
That generation formed Mao's child-soldiers during the Cultural Revolution, which took a death toll of millions of people. The children would sometimes boil and eat their victims. Now they're ganging up again to dance in parks.
Re: (Score:2)
The Guanxi Massacre. Genocide is too common in human history.
Re: (Score:2)
protecting Taiwan
Taiwan is a political distinction. Your earlier rant about Chinese would equally apply to them.
If you can judge all Chinese people on that, then why not judge all Westerners on Nazis and Soviets?
Re: (Score:2)
Taiwan is a political distinction. Your earlier rant about Chinese would equally apply to them.
A common misconception. "China" is a political designation and "Chinese" is the adjective for people who live in that political area. The ethnic term you are confusing it with is "Han". About 90% of Chinese people (people in China) are Han. There are 56 distinct ethnic groups in China. Calling them all Chinese is the equivalent of calling someone in the USA an "American".
Re:This isn't immaturity (Score:5, Informative)
Taiwan is a political distinction. Your earlier rant about Chinese would equally apply to them.
A common misconception. "China" is a political designation and "Chinese" is the adjective for people who live in that political area. The ethnic term you are confusing it with is "Han". About 90% of Chinese people (people in China) are Han. There are 56 distinct ethnic groups in China. Calling them all Chinese is the equivalent of calling someone in the USA an "American".
Taiwan has evolved culturally in a way that has been largely independent of China for over 70 years (not to mention the 50 years of Japanese rule and the centuries of geographic isolation before that). Many/most Taiwanese refer to the mainlanders (at least the mainland tourists who visit Taiwan) as distinct in terms of politeness and behavior.
Re: (Score:2)
Taiwan has evolved culturally in a way that has been largely independent of China for over 70 years (not to mention the 50 years of Japanese rule and the centuries of geographic isolation before that). Many/most Taiwanese refer to the mainlanders (at least the mainland tourists who visit Taiwan) as distinct in terms of politeness and behavior.
Not for long.
Xi Jinping: Reunification will happen one way or the other [bbc.com]
We in the West won't like it, but it's pretty much inevitable that China will "bring her errant children home". The truth is, no one is really willing to go to war to prevent it from happening. It's just a matter of time before Taiwan is just another Chinese province again.
Re: (Score:2)
Taiwan has evolved culturally in a way that has been largely independent of China for over 70 years (not to mention the 50 years of Japanese rule and the centuries of geographic isolation before that). Many/most Taiwanese refer to the mainlanders (at least the mainland tourists who visit Taiwan) as distinct in terms of politeness and behavior.
Not for long.
Xi Jinping: Reunification will happen one way or the other [bbc.com]
We in the West won't like it, but it's pretty much inevitable that China will "bring her errant children home". The truth is, no one is really willing to go to war to prevent it from happening. It's just a matter of time before Taiwan is just another Chinese province again.
The West doesn't care about the Taiwanese people. However, the West cares very much about its own economic interests. If China controls Taiwan before a viable TSMC alternative arises, the West becomes dependent on China and China economic decisions. Right now, China's control over the West is mainly based on supply chains. Imagine if China could threaten to stop the flow of high-end chips to the West's large corporations and militaries. That would be a huge concern to the West.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Given the multiple uses of the word "some" (as in "some Chinese"), I'm not sure why you think OP was accusing all Chinese people of such vile behavior.
Re: (Score:1)
Yep, just another aspect of "Me, Me, Me, all the time, I'm everything, nobody else matters."
Re: (Score:3)
Viral videos and reports have shown the groups arguing and fighting with basketball players to take over their court, or, in one case, breaking into a football field and stopping the game to dance in the space, prompting a police response and arrests.
Speaking of immaturity ...
Were the grannies able to beat off the basketball players?
Hood problems (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Hood problems (Score:5, Funny)
Obligatory Monty Python reference [youtube.com].
Re: (Score:2)
That was my first thought when I read the original article.
Hells Grannies.
Re: Hood problems (Score:2)
Beat me to it. Saved me the trouble. :)
Re: (Score:2)
Yup, was thinking the same thing.
Re: (Score:2)
Join the club.
Confused (Score:1)
I've seen this story elsewhere and then as now I still can't figure out exactly what I'm supposed to be outraged about. I mean, you're in a commie nation; you don't have a lawn, or a right to quiet or sleep or anything else for that matter. You have your free healthcare. What's the problem?
Viral Videos (Score:1)
Links Pls?
News for Nerds: How does it work? (Score:3)
Me, I'd deploy it to stifle loud car sound systems at red lights.
Re: (Score:1)
I'd use it for the same purpose on cars driving by my house. I actually don't mind loud sound systems that much except when some jackass is blaring their system down the road in a neighborhood at 3AM. Those fuckers deserve to be arrested.
Would also be great for those asshole apartment neighbors running their stereo full blast all night long. I don't understand what the fuck these asswipes are thinking.
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
sigh. Thgis used to be "news for nerds" now it's insane ideas floating around that are so clearly "impossible science" it's not even funny.
Re: (Score:2)
How is an acoustic noise canceling device impossible? I wouldn't be surprised if someone invents a noise-canceling directional loudspeaker, if one doesn't already exist. The Navy has already demonstrated interest in technology like the handheld acoustic hailing and disruption device.
Re: (Score:2)
How is an acoustic noise canceling device impossible? I wouldn't be surprised if someone invents a noise-canceling directional loudspeaker, if one doesn't already exist. The Navy has already demonstrated interest in technology like the handheld acoustic hailing and disruption device.
Because it is impossible for the canceling wave to reach the ears of each listener 180 degrees out of phase with the source for each listener. Noise canceling doesn't make the original wave go away, it just makes it deliver 0 energy at certain locations because a canceling wave of equal amplitude is 180 degrees out of phase with it at that location.
In fact at some locations, you'd be amplifying the signal, not canceling it because at some points you'd be exactly in phase with the source. Not to mention tha
Re: (Score:2)
Thgis used to be "news for nerds" now it's insane ideas floating around that are so clearly "impossible science" it's not even funny.
Most late-model, higher-trim Hondas and Acuras have them. When it's disabled you notice the difference in noise.
Re: (Score:2)
Most late-model, higher-trim Hondas and Acuras have them.
That's a completely different scenario than what this device is supposedly doing. Noise cancellation schemes like in cars, or headphones, don't silence the source of a sound, they reduce the sound perceived at a particular point.
There's no plausible way that the described device could work via active noise cancellation.
Re: (Score:2)
I'd rather have a device to silence the neighborhood dogs yapping: I see someone, right here, he's right there. . .yap, yap, yap. . ."
Re:News for Nerds: How does it work? (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm having trouble finding one, but my guess is that it's a Bluetooth jammer.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Yes! Why isn't THAT the story? I live near a highway that street racers frequent, and I would gladly sit outside and employ such a device.
Here in Oz (Score:2)
There is group just round the corner from me in Perth, Australia who meet up at a local Primary School and do this on Sundays in their undercover area. Luckily the music isn't particularly loud and it's only for an hour or two.
Re: Here in Oz (Score:2, Informative)
Generally the music isn't that loud and it rarely goes past 9. These people are effectively young people saying "get off my lawn".
I personally enjoy seeing it. As the article outlines it's a good, free manner for the elderly to socialize. If you live in a downtown apartment in China it's likely drunk people late at night or early morning fireworks which is more annoying. Most of the time these dances are around busy areas too, like malls.
I suspect this story is primarily talking about Shanghai and Shanghain
Re: Here in Oz (Score:4, Informative)
You must not have seen the linked articles about these folks interrupting in-progress football and basketball games and multiple groups all trying to out boom-box each other in limited public spaces.
Following some links it appears the root of the issue is generational. The elders who grew through the push view everything around them as theirs because of the sacrifices they made, therefore the kids have no right to bark. Meanwhile the kids just want to be able to play some football uninterrupted
I would side with whoever is showing the most consideration for their fellow inhabitants. It does not appear to be the grannies here.
Re: Here in Oz (Score:2)
This behavior is rare. Again an amplification that what we hear about is only from Shanghai. I commonly past squares with multiple groups playing music and have never seen any battle arise. The groups can be large though, approaching 100 or more, so the music is sometimes a bit loud but nothing I find disturbing.
I agree with your conclusion but more so again Shanghainese. Shanghai, HK, Taiwan are so much more modern they simply considering themselves better than other Chinese. Shanghai people generally aren
Re: (Score:3)
This is not about loud music, it is about a bunch of 70 year old walking onto sportsball fields, mid game, throwing elbows about how they deserve to be there more than you. Fuck dancing in the streets, if this is whats going on I'll send some bluetooth jammers myself.
https://www.chinatimes.com/rea... [chinatimes.com] -- videos related.
Re: (Score:2)
This behavior is rare. Again an amplification that what we hear about is only from Shanghai.
Ah, no, I travelled in China annually before plague and never found a city park where this was not a problem. If anything Shanghai had it the least.
Re: (Score:2)
"plague", "a problem". It's not a problem. Are you one of those people with a weird form of tinnitus or something where any public sound can make you cringe? Yes, it's very common but it's not a problem, it's a culture. If you don't like it, either avoid it, or go home but it's a perfectly acceptable social behavior and as the article points out, many foreigners find a certain beauty in it. Frankly when drunk with some of my friends and stumbling to the next bar, we often will temporarily join the square da
Re: (Score:2)
Generally the music isn't that loud and it rarely goes past 9.
That can't be right - it's supposed to go to 11!
This is a wonderful practice (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
When you want to take a QUIET stroll through the park, in order to get away from URBAN NOISE, the last thing you want to encounter is LOUDER NOISE.
I live in an Eastern European country, I encountered such a group just once, looked at them as a curiosity and walked past. However, if I were to live in that area and have strange music blasted into my ears (and everyone else's) on a daily basis, that would piss me off.
Re: (Score:2)
Loneliness is practically a pandemic among older people in some parts of the United States. I think it would be wonderful if something similar became more popular the
Re:This is a wonderful practice (Score:4, Informative)
It actually is ear-splitting. It's very loud, played on cheap stereos and it is barely one step above random noise. The music is basically some whining instruments with some whining foreign voice over it.
I understand it helps them, but it doesn't help anyone else who wants to walk around, or discuss quietly, or just sit and enjoy nature in peace. One's freedom ends where someone else's freedom begins.
And before you cue in with the "we have to be sympathetic" argument, would you say the same about a bunch of metalhead bikers gathering in the park and blasting thrash metal while headbanging?
I am a metalhead, and I would not condone such behavior either, simply because it infringes upon everyone else's well-being and freedom.
Re: This is a wonderful practice (Score:1)
Your freedom argument is shit. Unless the park especially forbids musical records your shit out of luck. They have the freedom to commune in the park and you have the freedom to go somewhere else for a quiet moment.
You also sound like bigot by complaining about their music preference.
Re: (Score:2)
There are plenty of cases where no law exists because previously, nobody was rude enough for a law to be necessary.
It's also not illegal to practice armpit farts in church, but it's pretty rude when people want to hear the sermon.
Re: This is a wonderful practice (Score:2)
Church is a private assembly. They can ask you to leave.
Now if someone asked me to leave a park because armpit farts, that would be unacceptable. As it turns out, you can even do that in China.
Re: (Score:2)
If you walked right into the middle of someone's basketball game at the park and started armpit farting, you might well be asked to leave by a cop hoping to keep the peace. Note that TFA reports such an incident where arrests were made. If you brought an amplifier and people could hear it in their private homes, you might be ordered to turn it down. If for no other reason, because any one of a thousand people you're annoying will likely pop you in the nose and that would mean paperwork to be filled out.
You
Re: (Score:2)
If I walked into a game and did this, I would probably get pushed over by a player charging. If my grandma did this and someone charges them, while I do not respect or appreciate violence, I may be hard pressed to hold back my anger. How we handle our elders is important and I don't think the basketball video shows a negotiation as much as a confrontation. This is why the police didn't arrest people in that case, and in stead closed down the public area because people were no longer able to come to a sensib
Re: (Score:2)
Naturally there is nuance and some offend greatly and others not at all. While most ordinances won't be an issue if you and some friends cheer loudly for the football game on TV, if your amateur metal band practices in the garage and keeps the people next door from being able to hear the football game on TV, you will likely get a visit from the police.
Hence my comparison of singing (perhaps badly) in public vs. using a concert amp while singing in public.
I, like most people, don't favor violence against th
Re: (Score:2)
Ah, okay, so it's then okay for me to bring my stupidly overpowered blaster speakers and play deathcore while headbanging.
Which park do you visit again? I'd like to, ahem, "entertain" you, since you believe it's okay.
Re: This is a wonderful practice (Score:2)
Qinghai. There is a wonderful "People's park". Let's meet up, ride some shit tier rollercoaster and roller skate.
I am down with metal. let my hair down and we can headbang to your delight. I even doubt the police will come unless the crowd taking pictures gets too large.
Re: (Score:2)
Qinghai.
That explains a lot.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes. I live in a very traditional cosmopolitan Chinese city which highlights communist ideals more than most other Chinese cities. I get to watch Tibetans do these square dances. I get to watch Han and Hui Chinese do these dances. I get to see them dance with each other. I understand how the social contract has been constructed under the communist party and why. I get to first hand see and meet groups westerners are claiming there is genocide against when in reality no such thing is happening.
I enjoy this l
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think that the voice is foreign to them.
Re: (Score:2)
True, that's why I don't complain about local music when I visit a foreign country, but wouldn't think about playing my own, in public, while there. Just as well as I would rather not hear foreign music being publicly blasted in my ears, in my own country.
Re: This is a wonderful practice (Score:2)
This. People here are so disrespectful, looking for any reason to rag on China without knowing a thing about what they are speaking about.
These kind of dancing grandmas and poker grandpas are a beautiful way to use public spaces and to keep the elder active. I have heard of some of these confrontations but never seen any of this abrasive behavior personally. I person love this part of their culture.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes there is noise, but how can anyone truly be against this?
Well, I hate most people. People that are actively annoying me are the ones I hate the most.
They look pretty amazing! (Score:5, Interesting)
The music didnt seem too loud, or intrusive, but maybe its gotten out of hand. Still, I would say this is part of the culture and should be celebrated.
Re: (Score:2)
I would say this is part of the culture and should be celebrated.
According to the story, many Chinese people feel that loud boom-boxes are not part actually of their culture, and should instead be silenced.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You're the one who said the loud boom boxes aren't intrusive, in response to a story that says locals think they are.
That's what this story is about. Loud boom-boxes.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
"I went to this huge country, and I never saw this controversial activity that locals complain about, therefore it must not be that bad."
Durr.
Re: (Score:2)
The music didnt seem too loud, or intrusive, but maybe its gotten out of hand.
There are bad apples in every city. No one in my apartment building including myself ever seems to play loud music, that doesn't mean that noise complaints don't exist in my city.
Re: (Score:2)
When we toured China in 2018 we were amazed at all these square dancing ladies.
When you go on vacation, you're far less likely to be annoyed by things like this. A lot of people expect a party atmosphere when they are traveling.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Misery likes company.
Re: (Score:2)
I remember seeing them in Beijing, too, in the early 2000s. Everyone was having so much fun dancing and also the people watching.
Britain had a similar problem in the 70s: (Score:3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Those vicious gangs at the end were the worst though.
I hate when they take over the basketball court (Score:1)
Not to be cute (Score:2, Funny)
": a remote stun gun-style device that claims to be able to disable a speaker from 50 meters away. "
EVERY gun can disable a speaker from 50 meters away, some even from 2 miles away.
Obligatory XKCD (Score:2)
Ok, now throw the switch labeled "Macarena" https://xkcd.com/368/ [xkcd.com]
Social Media Bullshit (Score:2)
Apparently Chinese grannies have speakers that are operated via infrared remote control.
The "stun gun silencers" are simply infrared flashlights that turn the speakers off.
This story is either more of the usual social media bullshit fantasy gone wild, or a propaganda campaign.
It's News for Nerds that are drooling mouth breathers and not really (technology) news of any kind.
Foiled until the grannies discover tape (Score:2)
Step 1. Place piece of masking tape over IR sensor.
Step 2...
Shut up and take my money! (Score:2)
I will buy one of these devices today so I can zap those ridiculous woofer-on-wheels people who think the bass track is the only track.
Send them analog cassette boom boxes (Score:2)
Fight the power!
Re: I want one. (Score:2)
How does it work? It's like a big noise cancelling headphone. It cancels out the incoming wave with a microphone and loudspeaker. The sound is diminished in the area of the device but not for listeners near the original sound source. Big fucking whoopee.
Re: I want one. (Score:4, Informative)
The link in the article shows a remote-control device that is disguised as a flashlight that can turn off the speakers from 50 to 80 meters away. It acts like a universal remote to turn off the speakers without having to confront the dancers. https://www.scmp.com/news/peop... [scmp.com]
Probably an RF device similar to the TV-B-Gone IR device that turns off virtually any TV so people in restaurants and bars can enjoy the atmosphere without a TV blaring in their ears. https://www.tvbgone.com/ [tvbgone.com]
--
Re: I want one. (Score:5, Funny)
Here is a listing on eBay (Score:2)
Says it will not work through walls, so it appears to be an IR TV-B-GONE built into a flashlight. The reflector in the flashlight plus a high power IR emitter probably give it good range.
Re: (Score:3)
Al Gore invented Algorithms
Re: (Score:2)
I've always assumed it was more in line with the degree of brain function and maturity rather than just size of the brain. Seems to be compensating for some lack.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
well endowed girls go for the muscle cars though
Well-endowed in what area? Presumably nothing above the chest...
Someone ought to tell the loud-car people that cars sounding like a Harley might impress a certain group, while cars sounding like a chainsaw impress nobody.
Also worth noting that a magnetron on a stick is surprisingly effective against loud stereos.
Re: (Score:2)
South Park hit the ball out of the park on that problem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
I don't see how that can work. So it doesn't. (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
One of the links does, but it isn't an obvious link in the article. https://www.scmp.com/news/peop... [scmp.com]
Re: Link to video? (Score:2)
Probably just disables your hearing aid.
What ? When was the last time you saw a young person object to loud noises ?
These posts are probable just those grannies' husbands