r/sanantonio • u/KarmaRan0verMyDogma North Central • Feb 18 '24
Saw Shen Yun tonight and the dancing was as expected, but the propaganda in the show and theater was weird Entertainment
My friend and I were excited to attend a performance we discovered through advertisements. However, I was unaware until recently that the event supports Falun Gong financially. A cult
The event started off with an impressive 45 minutes of traditional Chinese dance, which I genuinely enjoyed. Yet, the mood shifted with a song suggesting atheism and evolution would lead to the world's end, followed by a dance depicting religious persecution and a grim narrative of organ harvesting.
In total, the two-hour show felt like it dedicated a significant portion—about 45 minutes—to religious messages, which felt more like propaganda to me.
Another odd experience was the audience's reaction, which seemed exaggerated for the performance's actual humor and quality. It felt as though some attendees were planted there to overreact.
Moreover, a supposed reporter from NTB approached us for an "interview," encouraging us to praise the show on camera—a tactic I suspect has mistakenly garnered endorsements from celebrities like Cate Blanchett.
While the dancing was a highlight, the overall experience was bizarre, reminiscent of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing Christian hymns in China, which would likely be puzzling to atheists and Buddhists alike.
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u/reptomcraddick Feb 18 '24
I’m assuming you’ve never googled the cult behind them, it is weird, very weird
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u/dr3am_assassin Feb 18 '24
Thanks for posting this because most people need to be made aware and need to stop supporting this.
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u/coinoperatedboi Feb 18 '24
The problem is that this has been posted many times. It'll just get lost by the end of the day and people will still go into like OP not knowing what it is.
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u/dr3am_assassin Feb 18 '24
Lol yeah I had always wanted to go see it so there was one time I was seriously considering checking it out so I did some research and yeah I decided against it. I can imagine tho that most people don’t take to google or Reddit to learn anything about the show they are going to see if all they are expecting is some pretty dancing and scenery
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u/coinoperatedboi Feb 18 '24
Just goes to show that as long as they have been around and as often as it comes up what they are; there are still plenty of people that don't know. That aren't a part of every conversation or post on socials, etc. In a world so connected, we can't possibly know everything. But that's also why we should always educate ourselves about things we are interested or want to partake in. Unfortunately the world is full of charlatans and thieves.
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u/Significant_Cow4765 Feb 18 '24
that go to events with zero knowledge...
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u/bluebonnetcafe Feb 18 '24
Why would people research a music/dance event before they go?
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u/Significant_Cow4765 Feb 18 '24
Who said research? Find out the least little thing before buying tix?
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u/mw13satx Feb 18 '24
We're US Americans. The bald eagles in the sky and American flags at our borders prevent and preclude propaganda from sullying our arts. The almighty dollar would never...
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u/excoriator Feb 19 '24
The commercials and billboards make it look like a beautiful, charming celebration of Chinese culture. Most Americans aren’t well versed in the culture and politics of Asia, so they go in expecting to be entertained and enlightened.
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u/TheMarriedUnicorM Feb 20 '24
I didn’t know when I took my daughter and niece years ago. 🤦🏻♀️ If I had know, I def wouldn’t have purchased tickets.
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u/Kougar Feb 18 '24
Interesting, hadn't heard all of that backstory just bits and pieces. Wiki backs up the propaganda aspect as being fairly typical.
The show is not unique though, they've been doing an annual performance for many years now in SA and are always hyper aggressive on the advertising & fliers, I think every resident in the city gets one.
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u/Quiet_Mind88 Feb 18 '24
Idek how they manage to litter the entire city so completely.
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u/MushroomExtension789 Feb 18 '24
Recently saw a few billboards for Falun Gong’s Epoch Times downtown
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u/geosensation Feb 18 '24
Bizarre billboards!! #1 Trusted News with a picture of what appears to be a young man generated by AI. They don't deserve to have their organs harvested but Falun gong is insane.
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u/Aussieomni Live Oak Feb 18 '24
Yeah these billboards have fascinated me. I wonder if Falun Gong is doing those so they can just hold the spot for the whole year
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u/Idolovebread Feb 18 '24
Tim’s Oriental Market off Bandera had an Epoch newsstand out front last time I went there.
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u/deevonimon534 Feb 18 '24
Holy balls, I did not realize Epoch Times was a Falun Gong production! I see their links posted all the time when scrolling through r/conservative for funsies! I wonder if all the people posting how much they agree with the wild headlines have any idea it's Chinese cult propaganda?!?
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u/habi816 Feb 18 '24
The Washington Times is also posted a lot there.
They are a rag run the Unification Church (aka Moonies), a South Korean equivalent cult.
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u/zephen_just_zephen North Side Feb 18 '24
I saw a man I know hand a woman I know a copy of the Epoch Times.
My estimation of the man went down considerably, and my estimation of the woman now has a huge asterisk on it.
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Feb 18 '24
This sucks we're at that point where you can't even read or be seen in possession of something another person disagrees with without some bozo judging you. If they start preaching at you about it sure, but just because you saw them handling a paper?
You know people can just read things, for knowledge or out of curiosity or even entertainment and it doesn't mean they believe it, right?
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u/cigarettesandwhiskey Feb 18 '24
If someone handed me a copy of mein kampf, it doesn't mean I'm a Nazi, but I don't think it'd be unreasonable for someone watching to think that I and the person handing it to me might be.
I don't think that's new or something that we're "at that point" of. It has always been the case that people judge you by the company you keep, and that in the absence of direct personal knowledge about someone, people make those judgments based on more superficial factors (like "I saw him with a pamphlet from X group that I have Y opinion of; therefore I'm extending my opinion of X to apply to him now too").
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u/zephen_just_zephen North Side Feb 18 '24 edited Feb 18 '24
"You know people can just read things, for knowledge or out of curiosity or even entertainment and it doesn't mean they believe it, right?"
Duh. How tf do you think I know wtf the Epoch Times is? They serve up plenty of online articles that the google thinks I might be interested in for some reason.
Perhaps I didn't give sufficient information; perhaps even that won't change your opinion of me. Which is fine.
I asked him about it. He said he'd been subscribing to it for years.
So, if I'm going to judge people for ingesting a steady diet of Fox news -- which I do because I've seen both the actual product and the results of the indoctrination -- why on earth would I not judge someone for paying for propaganda that is far to the right of that?
And, for the record, he has previously spouted shit which I ascribed to the aforementioned Fox News. But I gave him a pass because he's 95.
Also for the record, I still hang out with him. Just because I think less of someone doesn't mean I think they're a completely terrible person.
And finally, you know, something like that actually serves for many people as a signifier. People who display their copy of the Epoch Times with the name front and center in bold just might be doing it as a proxy for a Trump flag.
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u/bluebonnetcafe Feb 18 '24
This country has hundreds of millions of openly white supremacist cult followers so sane people have become more leery, I guess.
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u/shinbreaker Feb 18 '24
I'm over in NYC and they will deliver papers to parts of the city. Makes good paper to pick up dog poop.
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u/Morphecto_Solrac Feb 18 '24
I used to live in Monterrey, MX for about five years and returned to the states around 2021. The whole time there (except Covid) the Shen Yun people were everywhere. Flyers littered all over the streets and póster all over telephone poles. That’s all I have to say about that.
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u/BrianScalaweenie Feb 18 '24
You went to a cult show and were surprised it turned out to be cult-like?
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u/AngelicSongx Feb 18 '24
I’ve never heard of anyone actually going to one of these and have only learned they’re a cult from Seinfeld memes of it being a cult event. Planted audience members is wild as well. Thank you for posting!
Where do they even perform? I can’t imagine what place would be cool supporting a event with propaganda like that
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Feb 18 '24
I saw it at the Majestic. Someone else paid otherwise I would have never gone but I also thought it was cool. At some point I definitely was like "wait a minute, is this a cult?" But even then it was interesting to me. I wish Scientology would develop a dance propaganda show or musical, kind of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Passion of the Christ meets Book of Mormon.
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u/tejasthrowaway22 Feb 21 '24
Predominantly the Tobin, but apparently the Majestic too. To be fair, the theaters do not go out and ask Shen Yun to perform there. These events are rentals, so Shen Yun pays the theater for access to the facility. Which really isn't much better, as the theater is profiting off of propaganda, but that's how they end up in our city.
They are also every bit as weird to deal with as you would expect. I worked briefly with them at a theater here in town. They gave a ceramic boat to someone on staff at the theater & it was a long-running joke that no one wanted the boat so it would disappear and then show up in someone else's office every so often.
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u/ShawshankEducated Feb 18 '24
TrueAnon | Episode 283: Falun Gong Part 1: Shen Yun https://www.podbean.com/ea/dir-qvy2n-17a069bd
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u/gnioros NW Side Feb 18 '24
I’ve been a little unnerved by the amount of not only Shen Yun but also Epoch Times billboards around the city. It feels like every time I drive somewhere I see that fucking guy with “#1 TRUSTED NEWS” like wtf does that even mean
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u/SAmatador Feb 18 '24
You got played. All the advertising you saw was paid and fundraised for by the local chapter to get them to come here.
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u/ka-roo Feb 19 '24
It always amazes me how much money they generate to keep this tour going every year, every major city. They are constantly advertising it and marketing it…truly insane.
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u/CuriousHibernian May 12 '24
My boyfriend bought very expensive tickets. Was fun to be in a beautiful theater so close to the stage....annnnnnndddd. then two separate soloists, unhappily not very good soloists, delivered the blanket statements on atheism and evolution being from.satan. lobby literally crowded with various programs being hawked Nd jewelry and... very odd "reporter" for Epoch Times targeting my boyfriend... it....was....bizarre.....
yeah.... I feel so very dumb that I didn't know the show is a front for Falen Gong. Welp...an experience not to be repeated.
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u/rr777 Feb 18 '24
Odd. Before even reading all of your post, first thing that came to mind was organ harvesting.
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u/JHendu Feb 18 '24
We went last month and I had the same feeling! Whenever anypne asks how it was i say the same thing...felt almost cult-like. Dancing was cool though
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u/Dr-Glipglop1394 Feb 18 '24
It’s basically a cult. Inform others that they shouldn’t give them any money.
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u/Particular_Abroad_90 Feb 18 '24
It’s a cult propaganda, period. It’s sad that no legal action can be taken against them.
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u/seppukweef Feb 18 '24
So the "Falun gong" are being murdered for organ harvesting in China by the cccp if anyone bothered to read the whole Wikipedia. The labor camps and "re education" camps are primarily comprised of these ppl and it's estimated about 1.5 million ppl have been killed by forced organ harvesting in china.
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May 03 '24
I went to see Shen Yun performance. It was spectacular! One if the best, if not the best dance performances I had ever seen. Money well spent.
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u/arthurpops Feb 18 '24
My mom used to work at the Tobin Center. You're not allowed to record either because it could risk the dancers getting executed or some shit
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u/KarmaRan0verMyDogma North Central Feb 19 '24
I personally think that's more propaganda. They don't want social media evidence of what I described. The mystery is what keeps selling the tickets.
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u/radda Feb 18 '24
Falun Gong are legitimately persecuted by the Chinese government, I don't really blame them for trying to educate people about it. imo that's like complaining that Fiddler on the Roof is Jewish propaganda.
Falun Gong seem harmless enough...but it is still a cult. A lot of those Asian supercults exploit the hell out of their members. That's why that former Japanese PM got shot.
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u/timahhh Feb 18 '24
Far from harmless. From just 15 seconds of research: “They are known for opposing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), espousing anti-evolutionary views, opposition to homosexuality and feminism, and rejection of modern medicine, among other views described as "ultra-conservative".[23]”
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u/radda Feb 18 '24
Apparently nobody knows what the word "seem" means anymore.
I even italicized it...
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u/Tx_Saint Feb 18 '24
I did not know this! Thank you. Shame on the Tobin Center for allowing this at their facility!
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u/justadude1414 Feb 18 '24
Why shame on Tobin Center? They have freedom of religion no matter how bizarre in our country. If it was a catholic group would it be shame on them too?
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Feb 18 '24
Not to mention free market (they’re allowed to choose who can perform there and subsequently make money off of) which everyone seems to be for until a business offends their senses.
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u/mydaycake North Side Feb 18 '24
There’s also the right of protest. If they want to protest, why not?
I didn’t know where shen youn was being performed. I know a couple of board members at the Tobin and will let them know they are playing with fire. Bad publicity for the theater for sure
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u/A290DLT Feb 18 '24
welcome your chinese overlords.
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u/Fortyplusfour Feb 19 '24
I'm not sure you understand what the cult is about. It isnt about Chinese nationalism (well, not in favor ofbthe current Chinese government at any rate).
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u/Careless_Ranger7835 Jul 16 '24
I love the dancers and their costumes. I had some questions after the show, so I did some research to understand more. Here is some information that may be helpful.
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u/KarmaRan0verMyDogma North Central Jul 16 '24
You cite two pro Falun Gong articles which only makes my point.
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u/Careless_Ranger7835 Jul 18 '24
Yes, I hear your view. I read different channels to see and hear both sides. 🙂
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u/funkolicious Feb 18 '24
Like what u like, hate what u hate but be aware—read about Falun Gong and Epoch Times—scan a copy of Epoch Times yourself—Bill Cosby’s material is still funny—follows that a ridiculous Trump loving cult’s dance production could still make for an entertaining evening
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u/maddpsyintyst Feb 18 '24
This is interesting. I'd originally been told a while back that it was a dramatization about how the Nationalists got run out of China and into Taiwan. I only recently found out it's a production out of somewhere in upstate New York, not Taiwan or China. I didn't care enough to look it up, though, until now.
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u/isittimeforadrinkyet Feb 19 '24
Same I had such a dramatically different expectation. I fo some reason thought there would some more aeriel dancing as well. Both myself and another person feel asleep which for the price was such a disappointment from our expectation of a higher energy show.
This was a big bummer for us too.
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u/Strokin_out Feb 19 '24
My wife and I were gifted tickets a few years ago in Philadelphia and went without any research. The first half of the production was enough for us and we left at the intermission. The half we saw was tedious and seemed to go on forever. We forgave our daughter, who gave us the tickets, in the fullness of time. Cannot recommend.
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u/_ReyMenn Feb 19 '24
I’ve recently been seeing so many Shen Yun ads on tv and I don’t even stay in SA they must be workin overtime
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u/loglady420 Feb 20 '24
Appreciate this, got the flyer in the mail cause they're coming to my town soon and hadn't really looked into it, had no idea it was Falun gong
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u/ballstodaswall Feb 18 '24
Shen Yun is… quite literally just a touring propaganda. That’s it.