"We weren't told anything. And I was shooting from at least five paces away. We weren't in his face the whole time," Tony Yao (姚介修) of The Liberty Times (自由時報) said, reflecting a general opinion in the press the following day that John was way out of line in his outburst. Taiwan's famously soft-spoken pop star Jay Chou (周杰倫) even went on record to say the British singer needn't come back.
But CKS airport sees a steady stream of visiting international stars, without each arrival making embarrassing headlines.
"Not everyone gets off their plane and starts cursing people. Some artists are more easy-going than others, but if neither side shows patience for the other, it's inevitable that sometimes these types of episodes will occur," Lin said.
This latter point will likely continue to apply since no one has raised the idea of changing the rules concerning reporters at the airport, Lin said.
So, CKS looks likely to maintain its status as the first litmus test of celebrities' ability to adapt to local norms. Some may be doomed to spectacular performances, like John, while others, like Tom Cruise and Sophie Marceau, will earn plaudits for their all-smiles tolerance of Taiwan's notoriously pushy reporters.
"[Elton John] wasn't like Tom Cruise at all. When [Cruise] came, he smiled a lot and was very nice to us," Yao said. "[Elton John] shouldn't act like such a big shot. After all, he owes his status to the media."
Maybe. Or is it the other way around?
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