Singer-turned-producer Bao Xiao-bo (包小柏) was assaulted by four gangsters dressed in black at Chinese Television System (華視) studios earlier this week.
While slapping Bao around the ruffians were said to have warned him to watch what he says in the future. Bao was one of the jurists who harshly criticized Ken Yu (余祥銓), the son of veteran entertainer Yu Tien (余天) one month ago, which allegedly trig-gered his nervous breakdown.
Rumors quickly spread, pointing to Yu as a possible mastermind behind the attack. In response Yu swore he would never take such action and condemned the violence. The family drama reached another climax when the apparently vulnerable son suffered yet another breakdown after hearing news of the assault.
A trawl through online chat sites and forums revealed what some members of the public are thinking: it's just no good a guy breaking down every two or three weeks.
Malaysian-born Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) is a sought-after star for both Chinese-language and international mega-budget movies, but not for Jet Li's (李連杰) new kung fu flick Fearless (霍元甲). Her part in the film found it's way onto the editing room floor.
Director Runny Yu (于仁泰) explained that the film would exceed two-hours running time if Yeoh's character was left in. As for Yeoh, the star struck a diplomatic note saying, "I respect the director's decision."
Hong Kong star Jordan Chan (陳小春) has become embroiled in the fallout from Gigi Leung (梁詠琪) and Ekin Cheng's (鄭伊健) split. Hong Kong press reported Leung had complained about Cheng in private after the breakup, saying there had been some bad influences on Cheng and Chan was one of them.
Chan wasted no time retalia-ting in gossip columns by saying, "It's really not a polite thing to say about me ... and I am supportive of Ekin about the split."
Home-grown pretty girl Little S (小S) became a mom last week and like every mom in the world, she believes her baby girl is the cutest thing on earth. "My baby is a super model in the baby world," the exuberant new mom proclaimed.
But the local entertainment industry may lose a potential super star as the family is worried that living conditions in Taiwan are deteriorating and plans to send the baby abroad for a better life.
On a more patriotic note, taike-chic promoters Chang Chen-yue (
The two said the term taimei has nothing to do with petty provincialism and is a compliment for girls who are confident, daring, wear attention-grabbing outfits and don't care about being high-society phonies.
To their mind, Shu Qi (舒淇) is premium taimei material. Also on the top taimei list are Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), Little S, Aboriginal stars A-mei (張惠妹) and Landy (溫嵐).
Local soap-opera actor Chen Zhao-rong (陳昭榮) divulged alarming news last week by admitting he and Mando-diva Faye Wang's (王菲) husband Li Ya-peng (李亞鵬) will be part-ners in an Internet business project. Chen said Li had long wished to leave the hostile showbiz world and with Wang start a new career. So it seems that the diva may step out of the spotlight any minute and become an entrepreneur, or else a supportive housewife.
Most heroes are remembered for the battles they fought. Taiwan’s Black Bat Squadron is remembered for flying into Chinese airspace 838 times between 1953 and 1967, and for the 148 men whose sacrifice bought the intelligence that kept Taiwan secure. Two-thirds of the squadron died carrying out missions most people wouldn’t learn about for another 40 years. The squadron lost 15 aircraft and 148 crew members over those 14 years, making it the deadliest unit in Taiwan’s military history by casualty rate. They flew at night, often at low altitudes, straight into some of the most heavily defended airspace in Asia.
Beijing’s ironic, abusive tantrums aimed at Japan since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi publicly stated that a Taiwan contingency would be an existential crisis for Japan, have revealed for all the world to see that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) lusts after Okinawa. We all owe Takaichi a debt of thanks for getting the PRC to make that public. The PRC and its netizens, taking their cue from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), are presenting Okinawa by mirroring the claims about Taiwan. Official PRC propaganda organs began to wax lyrical about Okinawa’s “unsettled status” beginning last month. A Global
Taiwan’s democracy is at risk. Be very alarmed. This is not a drill. The current constitutional crisis progressed slowly, then suddenly. Political tensions, partisan hostility and emotions are all running high right when cool heads and calm negotiation are most needed. Oxford defines brinkmanship as: “The art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, especially in politics.” It says the term comes from a quote from a 1956 Cold War interview with then-American Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, when he said: ‘The ability to get to the verge without getting into the war is
Like much in the world today, theater has experienced major disruptions over the six years since COVID-19. The pandemic, the war in Ukraine and social media have created a new normal of geopolitical and information uncertainty, and the performing arts are not immune to these effects. “Ten years ago people wanted to come to the theater to engage with important issues, but now the Internet allows them to engage with those issues powerfully and immediately,” said Faith Tan, programming director of the Esplanade in Singapore, speaking last week in Japan. “One reaction to unpredictability has been a renewed emphasis on
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