How many bicycles are there in Beijing?

[Dudley]

This is a thread for asking those nagging questions that just won't go away.  Put your question up here, and maybe someone else with insider knowledge and time on their hands will answer it for you.

Here's mine:

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That's a fact
It's a thing we can't deny
Like the fact that I will love you till I die.

So sings "Crazy" Katie Melua.  But is it a "fact we can't deny?  How many bicycles are there in Beijing?

[Conexus]

According tosome china tourist website thang there are on average two bicycles for person in the whole of China- so just find the number of people living in Beijing, and multiply by two.

But over report say that bicycle numbers are falling thanks to the car, so maybe the population X 2 isn't the right way to do the sum now...  

[Funt Solo]

And does Alanis Morrisette (sp?) understand the meaning or irony?

[Funt Solo]

or == of

[Conexus]

there are 14,560,000 people in the whole of beijing therefore, using the above mention rough estimate thing, the are 29,120,000 bycicles in Beijing- I don't know where katie got her figure from, but they are way wrong

[Max Kon]

why on earth would people have 2 bikes each?

[Thursday]

One for the journey there, one for the journey back.  Obviously.

[Max Kon]

actually, if it was just bad english it could mean 1 bike for every 2 people 9 million would be a bit just over.

[Dudley]

Ah yes, the Great Alanis Morrisette Irony Fallacy.

First, let's look at some representative sample of the lyrics, in this case the first verse:

An old man turned ninety-eight / He won the lottery and died the next day / It?s a black fly in your Chardonnay / It?s a death row pardon two minutes too late / Isn?t it ironic . . . don?t you think

...and the infamous chorus:

It?s like rain on your wedding day / It?s a free ride when you?ve already paid / It?s the good advice that you just didn?t take / Who would ?ve thought . . . it figures

...and, oh heck, one more verse for luck:

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly / He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-bye / He waited his whole damn life to take that flight / And as the plane crashed down he thought /  Well isn?t this nice . . ./ And isn?t it ironic . . . don?t you think...

Then, just to be clear in our terminology, let's take a look at what "irony" actually means.  Dictionary.com provides us with the meaning that we all know and love, namely "a) The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning. b) An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning. c) A literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effect."  Now, this is the point where most examinations of Ms Morrisette's meaning cease.  

However, this is to ignore the secondary meaning of the word "irony", which is "a) Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs: ?Hyde noted the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated? (Richard Kain), b) An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity".  Moreover, the definition of "ironic" yields "Poignantly contrary to what was expected or intended: ("madness, an ironic fate for such a clear thinker.")".

It is clear that Alanis is playing with this secondary meaning.  Some of her conjunctions could be considered a little poor (black fly in white Chardonnay), and some could do with being fleshed out (Rain on a wedding day would only be ironic if other circumstances rendered it so).  However, much of this can be put down to the relative restrictions of the song format.  Clearly, the affecting story of Mr Playitsafe, the lottery winner, and, later in the song, the lady who desperately needs a knife (to perform an emergency tracheotomy on her partner, no doubt) but has to wade through a thousand spoons, are all genuine if weak ironies.

To sum up: Alanis Morrisette has been unfairly traduced and her reputation trashed.  But she has made millions of dollars regardless.  Ironic... don't you think?

[SamuelAWilkinson]

"And does Alanis Morrisette (sp?) understand the meaning or irony?"


I always thought she did. 'Cause it's ironic that none of the things she sings about in that song are actually ironic. It may well have been on purpose.

[Funt Solo]

Indeed, each example in the song is prefaced with "Isn't it ironic, dontcha think?"

Perhaps this is an instruction for us to come to our own conclusions about the acceptability of each example.

[johnnystress]

Who is buying this rubbish? She writes like a silly 13 year old girl.

Bet it gets to number one

This seasons "your beuatifaaaall"

shite!shite!shite!

Bah

>:(

Jerry Lee Lewis is 70 today by the way

[House of Usher]

Would it perhaps have been more ironic if an aeroplane had crashed on Mr. Play It Safe's house with him inside it?

[Funt Solo]

Of the 14,560,000 people in Beijing, there must be a quantity that are either too old, too young or unable to use a bicycle.

There would further be those that do not use a bicycle.  They may have a car instead, for example.

Plus, we are not taking into account bicycles that may be in storage, or bicycle production industries.

[House of Usher]

However, bicycles thrown in canals may be considered removed from play, and are thus exempted from the census.