One of the most significant stories in this whole debacle is the rising of the grass-root voices, particularly from the Chinese-American community in the US.
This page collects columns, reviews, articles, comments from various social media debunking Fu Ping's story. For coverage in the mainstream media, please visit the Records section.
lin at Amazon
According to her review, "lin" is a mother to her daughter. She had lived through the same Cultural Revolution period in China as Fu Ping, when her own parents were sent away. From her experience and research, she instinctively recognized issues in Fu Ping's story and went on to expose them on Amazon. Her review received wide attention on Amazon and she was even publicly and personally attacked by Sir Harold Evans on The Daily Beast.
- Original 1-star review initially published on Amazon, January 22, 2013
- Subsequent 5-star review, February 18, 2013
Fang Zhouzi in China
Fang Zhouzi (方舟子) is a well known net-name in the Chinese language blogsphere, both inside China and abroad. His real name is Fang Shimin (方是民). He received graduate level education in the United States and earned a Ph. D. in biochemistry from Michigan State University in 1995. After several years of a successful research career in that field, he decided to launch a new career as a free-lance writer, splitting his time in writing popular science essays and advocating for scientific integrity. It was the latter effort made him famous as "China's Science Cop," exposing many cases of fraud. Here is an incomplete list of media reports on his efforts.
In November, 2012, British Nature and "Sense about Science" organization awarded him the inaugural John Maddox prize.
Fang Zhouzi's blogs are written in Chinese language, some of which have been translated into English by others.
Fang Zhouzi's blogs are written in Chinese language, some of which have been translated into English by others.
- Fu Ping's Two Memoirs in Two Worlds, February 27, 2013 (in Chinese)
- The Double Faced Political Correctness of New York Times in Ping Fu Affair, February 25, 2013 (in English and Chinese)
- The Depravation of Sir Harold Evans, February 21, 2013 (in English and Chinese)
- Fu Ping's "American Legend", February 17, 2013 (in Chinese)
- Once Again on Fu Ping's Lies and Quibble, February 15, 2013 (in Chinese)
- Fu Ping's Memoir is a Clumsy Fiction Deceiving American Readers, February 13, 2013 (in Chinese)
- American Media's Arrogance, Prejudice, and Falsification in the Fu Ping Affair, February 8, 2013 (in Chinese)
- The Habitual Liar Fu Ping, February 5, 2013 (in Chinese)
- Fu Ping's "Clarification" is Full of Lies, February 2, 2013 (in English and Chinese)
- Fu Ping's "Legendary Life", Again, February 1, 2013 (in Chinese)
- Fu Ping's "Legendary Life", January 28, 2013 (in Chinese)
xgz at The Daily Kos
"xgz" is close to Fu Ping age-wise. He also lived through a similar path: He was born before the Cultural Revolution to parents working in academia, both of whom spent a brief period of a few weeks in the countryside during the early part of the Cultural Revolution. After the Cultural Revolution, he entered Peking University in the late 1970s and graduated in early 1980s. He came to the US around the same time as Fu Ping, and earned a Ph.D. in physics. For over twenty years since then, he has been working as a research scientist in US. He is also active outside of the academics, being a member of The Daily Kos since 2006 and having volunteered for the Obama campaign.
"xgz" is close to Fu Ping age-wise. He also lived through a similar path: He was born before the Cultural Revolution to parents working in academia, both of whom spent a brief period of a few weeks in the countryside during the early part of the Cultural Revolution. After the Cultural Revolution, he entered Peking University in the late 1970s and graduated in early 1980s. He came to the US around the same time as Fu Ping, and earned a Ph.D. in physics. For over twenty years since then, he has been working as a research scientist in US. He is also active outside of the academics, being a member of The Daily Kos since 2006 and having volunteered for the Obama campaign.
- Guardian Exposes More Lies in Ping Fu's "Memoir", February 14, 2013
- Why are We Suckers for Lies? A Psychological Explanation, February 10, 2013
- Inconsistencies in Ping Fu's Gang Rape Story, February 8, 2013
- Ping Fu's Fantasy Childhood Life in Communist Shanghai, February 7, 2013
- Racism against Chinese Americans on Clear Display in Ping Fu Affair, February 5, 2013
- Ping Fu's Time Traveling Machine, February 4, 2013
- Bend, Not Break: A Lie in Two Worlds (Part III), February 3, 2013
- Bend, Not Break: A Lie in Two Worlds (Part II), February 2, 2013
- Bend, Not Break: A Lie in Two Worlds (Part I), January 31, 2013
Other Amazon Warriors
- Wu Liangfu, A Comprehensive Review of Bend, Not Break, March 15, 2013
- Wu Liangfu, Why Has Ping Fu's Book Generated So Much Criticism? February 26, 2013
- Ben Locke, She may have been Successful, but her Real Life Story isn't Inspiring at all, February 21, 2013
- MOB: We're Helping Ping Fu to Vindicate herself out of Human Conscience, February 13, 2013
- cdwy300: 5 Stars for Ping Fu's Contribution to the Study of Pseudologia Fantastica, February 12, 2013
- Wang Dehui, Why We Won't Let it Go, February 6, 2013
- Yong, Ping is the most Honest People I had never Seen Before, February 3, 2013
- WEIQUN, Why Do I Give One Star to this Book? February 3, 2013
- Liu Xin, Why We Speak Up, February 1, 2013
- Erica Brindley's Discussion Thread, February 1, 2013
- Farside Z, Extremely Divergent Reviews - One Simple Truth, January 29, 2013
- Chris, Her Story doesn't Agree with the Photo She Provided, January 29, 2013
Other Grassroot Voices
- Leng Baoqing, China.org.cn, Fu's Memoir Tainted by "False Memories", July 13, 2013
- Christine, Shanghai Shiok, Understanding the "Unrelenting Vilification" of Ping Fu, July 2, 2013
- Alicia, Beijing Cream, Disgraced Author Ping Fu almost Apologizes (Again) for Memoir Inaccuracies, July 2, 2013
- Christine, Shanghai Shiok, Why is Ping Fu the only "Victim"?, June 30, 2013
- William Poy Lee, Red Room, Bent & Twice Broken: Penguin China-bashes to Protect Ping Fu's Flawed "Memoir", February 25, 2013
- John Kennedy, South China Morning Post, Some Vindication of Ping Fu and the Malicious Chinese Cyber Trolls "Persecuting" her with Facts, February 14, 2013
- Alicia, Beijing Cream, Ping Fu is Latest Memoirist Caught in Web of Exaggeration and Mistruth, February 6, 2013
- James Griffiths, Shanghailist, Chinese Readers Annoyed that Ping Fu's Memoir is (Allegedly) Full of Lies, February 5, 2013
- John Kennedy, South China Morning Post, "Liar-hunter" Fang Zhouzi Accuses Ping Fu of Selling Fake Tragedy to Americans, January 31, 2013
- ZiLanZhai Master (Fu Ping's former classmate), Story always belongs to those who have Stories, January 26, 2013 (in Chinese)
Just to show support! Let facts speak for themselves.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of which version of Ping Fu’s life stories we believe, we should remind ourselves that Ping Fu’s has Constitutional rights to express herself. As a naturalized American citizen, Ping does have her freedom of speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. We live in a country where each individual has the right to his or her Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. In most states, convicted criminals still have the legal rights to financially benefit from their memoirs—while the readers of such memoirs can exercise their freedom of speech to express their views on the morality of profiting from such memoirs and the advisability of exposing such memoirs to their children at home.
ReplyDeleteIn some states, including North Carolina, there are Son of Sam laws prohibiting convicted criminals from publishing memoirs for profit. However, Ping Fu is not a convicted criminal. Therefore, she is legally entitled to profit from both of her self-contradictory memoirs – 1996 memoir in Chinese, and 2012 memoir in English. It is the social responsibility of reporters and news media, not controlled by any government agency, affiliated with any political party, or unduly influenced by Corporate America, to help American readers in deciding whether to use their purse strings in purchasing and supporting Ping Fu’s Bend, Not Break. Didi Kirsten Tatlow did exercise her social responsibility and showed us that, contrary to some stereotype, American journalists as a group are defenders of our Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness—the American way of life.
Supporters of Ping Fu should also observe civility in this ongoing discussion, and respect the fact that critics of Ping Fu are also guaranteed certain Constitutional rights under the First Amendment, including the right to make comments anonymously. In Talley v. California, the United States Supreme Court struck down a Los Angeles city ordinance that made it a crime to distribute anonymous pamphlets. In McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission, the United State Supreme Court struck down an Ohio statute that made it a crime to distribute anonymous campaign literature.
While many of Ping Fu’s readers, classmates and acquaintances are willing to support or criticize “Bend, Not Break” by providing their real names and contact information, we should not make negative comments about those seekers of truth who prefer not to be personally embroiled in a public controversy.
Requiring public disclosure of personally identifiable information as a prerequisite to free speech is tantamount to requiring a voter to sign his or her name (or “its” name a la “Sir Harold Evans’s hermaphrodite”) on the ballot in order to vote in federal and state elections, regardless of whether Sir Harold Evans, a British national, might or might not agree with this American principle. Such requirement of personal identity would discourage free exercise of Constitutional rights, earned by American people after the American War of Independence to protect individuals from unwarranted intrusion into ordinary people’s private lives under British imperial rule.
Finally, all of us should be grateful that we are living in the United States. Without the legal protections we enjoy as American citizens, few of us would have the courage to freely express our thoughts and observations.
Good start! We need to build a community and platform to do fact-check, to seek truth and to deter liars. It is time to start a collective efforts...
ReplyDeleteVictor
Excellent site!
ReplyDeleteJoshNYC..The Ping Fu scandal has lasted for about two months. It is an emotional roller-coaster for many commentators. What is the current status? The woman has lost credibility. Although she continues to seek attention, she should have realized that few will take a lightweight seriously. It is possible that she will be hackled in her entire life. Her book has not sold well. A book like this cannot do that well in the first place, but readers’ challenges to her truthfulness have further curtailed the sale. The Chinese community has been mobilized so that they will be more active and civic-minded. The reputation of American journalism has been damaged, and it would take time and efforts to redeem itself.
ReplyDeleteTo seek apology from this woman is meaningless. Can you believe anything coming out of her mouth? If she apologized, many commentators might be too nice to accept it. All truth-seekers want is to have an official record that the book is not a non-fiction. A class action lawsuit may be in order, and the case against Armstrong should provide some guidance. It is not unlikely that the Penguin Book will conduct internal review after it has sold much of its inventory. It is hard to believe that such a well-established company will continue to ignore readers’ outrage. Time is on the side of the truth. Persistence and patience are required.
hal mckissicksanford nc..I recently finished reading her book and thougt it excellent. So she
ReplyDeletemade a few minstakes. Who doesn't.?
The fact that she started from such adverse beginnings and rose to
the top in the business world is remarkabe. We can never have too
many individuals like Ms. Fu.
JohnMI..fcosi,
ReplyDeleteWhether Ping Fu made up the stories out of insane mind or out of deliberate calculation for personal gains (fame, money and power), we need explanations and responsible reaction from her, her publisher and her powerful team. Yes, we are driving ourselves crazy pointing out the obvious lies, but we are excising our due citizen rights to protect democracy, protect innocent readers, and protect our taxpayers from any frauds. I am sure Ping Fu's team and her publisher by now must have believed us that Ping Fu lied (I doubt they are as stupid as you said to still think the Emperor's naked body is beautifully clothed in new clothes). They are just vested interest groups, whether it is money or reputation, that they will stand by Ping Fu until they are forced to admit truth. We have a duty to stand by truth and not give up in frustration.
Praise The Lady
ReplyDelete1. She who has family ties to The Father of China;
2. She who witnessed atrocities no one else recorded;
3. She who published an article in People's Daily, when and where no one else could;
4. She who caused UN sanction against China, when UN cannot even do it;
5. She who was arrested in a way only 007 could experience in the movie;
6. She who was released thanks to Paramount leader Deng, Xiaoping;
7. She who was exiled to the US when even the most famous political dissident had to wait for decades in prison before US government's intervention to make it happen;
8. She who was immediately kidnapped and very soon rescued without any police record;
9. She who can make full conversation with only 3 English words;
10. She who can secure green card in 3 years which takes others at least 5 years;
11. She who had full credit of a company founded and supported by a hidden former husband;
12. She who nurtured the inventor of internet browser;
13. She who can save US by 3D printing produces that used to be made in China;
14. She who is already promoting 3D printing meat at home;
15. She who has a heart so big to even love critics she labeled "internet terrorists";
16. She who is so successful despite or thanks to the lies, distortions, exaggerations, fabrications even to this day, even to become President's advisor;
17. She who is incredible if you choose to believe, is terrific if you choose to admire, is inspirational if you do not care;
Let's praise the lady, not the lord;
Let's also praise the land, protected by the lord, to allow such a lady to be successful, without question, or without being questioned.
Amen
just a quick note to support. thank you very much. it's been interesting reading all these and the ones in Amazon.
ReplyDeleteplease keep up the great work.