At the same time that Disney is beginning to warm its relationship with China once again, ESPN has coincidentally decided to spike a documentary about the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The documentary in question is an ESPN Films 30 for 30 about Michael Chang, who became the youngest man to win a Grand Slam title after winning the French Open at 17 years old. Called American Son, the documentary would cover the experience of Chang’s family as immigrants as well as Chang’s tournament run. The day after the Tiananmen Square massacre, Chang completed a comeback victory over three-time French Open champion Ivan Lendl en route to his historic championship title.
WHAT THE GOP WORK REQUIREMENT PROPOSAL WOULD REALLY DO
“The crackdown that happened was on the middle Sunday at the French Open, so if I was not practicing or playing a match, I was glued to the television, watching the events unfold,” Chang later said in a 2009 interview. He also said that “what it was really about was an opportunity to bring a smile upon Chinese people’s faces around the world when there wasn’t a whole lot to smile about. I honestly feel that that was God’s purpose for allowing me to be able to get through those matches.”
The documentary was supposed to be shown at the Tribeca Festival, but director Jay Caspian Kang announced that ESPN had pulled it, apparently to be run next summer instead. It is a shame because Chang’s story is one worth telling and because 30 for 30 is one of the only worthwhile things ESPN produces anymore, but there is a worrying connection here.
some disappointing news: ESPN has decided to pull our documentary AMERICAN SON about Michael Chang, the 1989 French Open and Tiananmen Square from the Tribeca Film Festival. The film is now slated to run next summer. Tickets should be being refunded over the next few days.
— kang (@jaycaspiankang) May 16, 2023
ESPN is owned by Disney, which has been cozying back up to China in recent months. Variety asked if Bob Iger, the former Disney CEO who recently took up the role again, was the “hidden hand behind Disney and China’s relationship warming?” Two days after Iger returned to Disney, Avatar: The Way of Water landed a release in China. Disney then announced that two recent Marvel releases also landed a Chinese release after Marvel’s three-year absence from the Chinese box office.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Would it be any surprise if ESPN spiked the release of a documentary that has already been finished to avoid stepping on China’s toes just as Disney is regaining its previous access to the market? ESPN has run overt Chinese propaganda in the past. If anything, it is more of a surprise that ESPN even moved forward with making a documentary that would require it to talk about the Tiananmen Square massacre.
As a Twitter observer noted, not only does ESPN’s China map include Taiwan and the Nine Dash Line, which the US gov’t and international community deem illegal, it also includes the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which the US has recognized as Indian territory since the 60s.🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/J3UVkt1trM
— Jeff M. Smith (@Cold_Peace_) October 10, 2019
ESPN hasn’t offered a reason for pulling American Son, and the only indication that people will be able to see the documentary next year comes from Kang’s tweet. ESPN needs to answer for the delay and guarantee that it will be released sooner rather than later. Otherwise, it looks like yet another shameless act of cowardice taken by Disney to please the Chinese Communist Party.
