Who's gone from hero to zero this week in China? Who has the halo of goodness shining above their heads, and whose dastardly deeds have plumbed the depths of depravity?

Hero of the week

Pole dancing patriots

Not satisfied to rest on the laurels of its massive medal haul at this year's London Olympics, China has dispatched another elite team in search of glory on the international stage in the fledgling sport of pole dancing. Weighty expectations rest on Team China, which comprises five women and two men in the main squad as well as six substitutes, ahead of the World Pole Dance Championships to be held on November 10 in Zurich, Switzerland.

While a full list of dancers has not been released, it's suspected that Gong Yifei, the former People's Liberation Army soldier who Metro Beijing reported in April had embraced his new career as a pole dancing instructor, is among the two male members.

The Chinese team has already entered boot camp in Tianjin to fine tune their aerobic routines and swing higher, stronger and faster at the pole.

Unfortunately, the team hasn't enjoyed the same fanfare that their Olympian compatriots received ahead of London. Let's just hope our dancers don't follow in the footsteps of hurdler Liu Xiang by falling at the pole and then awkwardly hobbling around it.

Villain of the week

'Gangnam Style' satirists

Stop. Please, for the love of mankind and K-pop purists everywhere, just stop. It was funny, maybe even artistic, when South Korean juggernaut Psy introduced the world to "Gangnam Style." But the parodies from China that have since followed have been paltry, painful and pathetic imitations.

It could be justified, even welcomed, if the parodies were in homage to a song by Jay Chou, Anson Hu or any other Mandopop mogul. Instead, we are faced with a shameful display of kowtowing to K-pop.

First, there was "China Style" that was a lousy replica. Next, American student at Tsinghua University Jesse Appell took the guaranteed path for fame in China for any foreigner by singing in Chinese. His video clip for "Laowai Style" ticked all the boxes for a viral hit by poking fun at stereotypes and dancing foolishly in front of landmark city sites. Finally, there was the abysmal "Grass Mud Horse Style" led by artist Ai Weiwei, which wasn't so much a parody as a pot-bellied prance. Let's hope the madness ends here.