Pop stop

Brokeback Mountain fever continues to rage. In the aftermath of the gay romance flick, not only has a new slang term "dun bui," or "brokeback," come into common parlance in Hong Kong to describe homo-sexual relationships, but "dun bui" tycoons in Hong Kong now feel less restrained in expressing their desire for showbiz heartthrobs.

According to Hong Kong media, a pimp offering services to high-society types revealed that in the eyes of wealthy gay entrepreneurs, Jerry Yan (言承旭) of F4 is the top choice to have a fling with. Bids for a one-night-stand with the star recently reached NT$20 million. The reason for Yan's popularity is that he has a body of a stud and a refined face like an angle.

Two other members of F4, Tsai Tsai (仔仔) and Wu Jian-hao (吳建豪) also appear on the wish list of male stars to have sex with. Seems like the Taiwan four-piece boy band has hit the soft spots of Hong Kong's wealthy and powerful.

Gay TV host Kevin Tsai (蔡康永) is also on the rise to fame and fortune. According to a local online poll, the intellectual-turned-entertainer beat off strong competition from Wang Lee-hom (王力宏) and Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武) to become college students' favorite male star.

"Oh, it's such a beautiful surprise," Tsai told the press as he gracefully accepted his title.

In the latest installment of the speculated romance between supermodel Lin Chih-ling (林志玲) and Jerry Yan, the two coincidentally announced their separate decisions to take a break from show business and jet off to Europe for a vacation. Both denied, however, that they would be recharging their batteries together.

Putting her TV host job on hold for six months, Lin said she wanted to, "slow down, take a walk and go grocery shopping in Paris and enjoy an ordinary life." And Yan said, "If we really run into each other in Europe, it will just be an accident." One must say Yan's foreshadowing remark only makes their trips look more suspicious.

As speculation mounts over the frosty state of relations between Asian megastars Gong Li (鞏俐) and Zhang Ziyi (章子怡), Li seems to have taken the lead on the scoreboard after she beat off Zhang to bag the leading role in the highly anticipated Hollywood film Believe It or Not, directed by Tim Burton and co-staring Jim Carrey.

Though a late comer to Hollywood compared to Zhang, Li quickly overcame the language barrier and has starred in big-budget films such as Miami Vice and Young Hannibal: Behind the Mask.

Zhang, on the other hand, has worked her charm to secure a seat on the international film

festival circuit. Last week the young diva proudly confirmed the rumor that she will be a judge at this year's Cannes International Film Festival.

As for local music scene news: A-hsin (阿信), the lead singer of Taiwanese rock band Mayday (五月天) is reportedly planning on leaving the band and releasing his own album. Gossip observers believe the band won't split up and A-hsin will just take some time out.

Judging by the lukewarm reception of the band's upcoming concerts in Beijing, solidarity may be a better tactic if Mayday wants to open up China's market since the booming underground rock scene in Beijing offers not only a variety of music styles but sneers at the more breezy tunes put out by artists on this side of the Taiwan Strait.

-- compiled by Ho Yi