The People’s Republic of Desire

54 The Death of a Singer

Once safely off the plane and away from Steve's gaze I catch a cab back from the airport. It is four in the morning, and as the car makes its way through the quiet city that is just starting to come to life, I think back longingly on the United States and the life I had there. This has been my first time back since my relationship with Len took a nosedive into the San Francisco Bay. I had been nervous that the trip would bring back only bad memories, but it turned out to be just what I needed. Visiting so many familiar and friendly places, I sometimes wondered why I chose to leave in the first place. I think I made the right choice by not going to the Bay Area. I'm not ready to go back to Berkeley, a place I cherish and fear at the same time. I love the intellectual stimulation and the free-wheeling lifestyle there, but all my memories of sunny Berkeley are linked to Len in some way. I did regret not getting a chance to hike in Muir Woods, or drive my car up to Big Sur, or just sit on Telegraph Avenue and watch the hippies mingle with the doomsday prophets, middle-class college students, and local street kids.

Despite what I had heard in China, everything is still going great in the United States. People are friendly and happy as usual. I realize now that when I chose to leave, there wasn't anything wrong with the United States; there was something wrong with my state of mind. I am able to enjoy everything that the United States has to offer. It is as if my time in China really has healed me.

I spend three days in Shenzhen on my interviews. Then I'm finally back in Beijing. Beibei is supposed to pick me up at the airport. However, Beibei doesn't show up; instead, she sends her driver, Da Chen.

"President Beibei is preoccupied," Da Chen explains to me. "Little Bench has just died of pneumonia."

Little Bench was the gay singer whose former lover tried to set himself on fire in public after being dumped. The incident exposed the secret of Little Bench's sexual orientation and initially hurt Chichi Entertainment Company's record sales tremendously. Beibei had to pour in bundles of money to hire a Chicago-based public relations firm to rebuild Little Bench's image in China.

The American PR firm was brilliant. They had reporters write articles about how Little Bench suffered from humiliation and poverty during his childhood as a peasant boy and how he was seduced by a wealthy businessman during his teenage years and eventually became his sex slave. Little Bench tried to commit suicide many times, but music saved his life. Little Bench turned into a tragic hero as his traumatic experiences were revealed, and this won both the sympathy and the understanding of his fans. His record sales climbed up the charts in the following year.

I am still in shock over Little Bench's demise when Beibei rings me. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to pick you up at the airport myself. I need to tell you what happened when you were away. Niuniu, I'm a businesswoman, but I'm not heartless. I can't believe what the young people in my company have done. They make money out of death. Can you believe it?"

I exclaim, "What? Tell me more!"

Two hours later, I meet with Beibei in W8, a bar owned by author Wang Shuo and director Jiang Wen.

Beibei orders a martini and begins to talk. "After learning that Little Bench was close to death, I called a top-level executive meeting. Little Bench's agent Song Dynasty said that it was the time to promote his death. I vetoed the idea right away, but he argued, 'To be a legend, one has to die young and in a dramatic fashion like James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and John Lennon. The more dramatic and mysterious the death is, the more interest one can generate.' I thought he was just ridiculous and hideous, but I didn't expect the majority to agree with his proposal. They told me I had been simply outvoted and this was how democracy worked."

I say, "I guess because Little Bench was young, and because many people suspect that he had AIDS, those people in your company thought his death would be a hot topic."

Beibei nods. "Exactly. It's a good time for them to promote his records. You see, the Chinese have quickly learned the art of marketing."

I remark, "I wonder if the MBA students in Harvard Business School or Wharton would be so 'business-savvy' to use death to promote products. I bet not. They must have a class called Work Ethics they have to take. This story reminds me of Columbia Asia's newly released movie The Big Shot's Funeral Life mimics art!"

Beibei lights a cigarette, "Life is more lud icrous than art. The hospital where Little Bench stayed was a mess after the news broke. People from all walks of life flocked there. Some self-proclaimed tai chi masters came. They were making movements and giving demonstrations, claiming that they could prolong Little Bench's life for three more days. The fortune-tellers came. They tried to predict the exact time of his death. Reporters came trying to find AIDS-related information. The paparazzi came too, with their cameras and sleeping bags. They were not permitted to camp out in the hospital. Then lawyers came, hoping to find a possible lawsuit, after two reporters were pushed to the ground by a visiting celebrity's bodyguard. Coy-ote.com came. They set up a Web site so people off-site could get an update of the events…"

I comment, "Sounds like the hospital became a circus! Everybody there was out to make a buck."

Beibei takes a sip of the martini and adds, "I haven't even told you about Little Bench's uncle yet. Right after Little Bench took his last breath, the uncle held a press conference to announce Little Bench's death and launch his newly published book Tuesdays with Little Bench: The Story of My Nephew and His Lovers."

I ask, "Where was the funeral held?"

"Song Dynasty suggested holding the funeral in the Workers Stadium where Little Bench had performed. He wanted to sell tickets to the public. I objected mightily, but the majority ruled again. More tickets were sold to the funeral than to his last three concerts combined!"