This week’s gossip rags have been dominated by domestic quarrels between retired stars with names that seem to come from another era. A suspected extramarital affair, alcoholism, domestic violence and other unspeakable skeletons in the family wardrobes are playing out in the public sphere like a juicy soup opera plot.
First to kick off the melodrama was actor-turned-hypnotherapist Hsu Ming (徐明) and Ying Tsai-ling (應采靈), who tied the knot with Hsu at the height of her acting career 26 years ago. China Time Weekly (時報週刊) reported that Ying last week moved out of the marital home with four pet dogs after Hsu accused her of having an affair with the couple’s next-door neighbor and, while under the influence, beat up the alleged paramour.
Bouts of grouching and bickering ensued, which were widely interpreted by the media as reenactments of the couple’s past roles in cheesy television drama series some 20 years ago.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Though the pair reconciled with a big hug in front of the press on Tuesday, a possible lawsuit awaits China Time Weekly as Hsu remains inflamed by the magazine’s accusation of infidelity.
Meanwhile, a different husband-and-wife tiff appears to have taken a tragic turn in the story of the divorced couple Chang Chen-huan (張振寰) and Pao Cheng-fang (鮑正芳).
Once a sought-after TV actor, Chang now lives on loans from friends, works odd jobs and is consumed by alcoholism and depression, or so it seemed as he recounted his miserable life to invited media in front of the food stand he works at.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Chang was portrayed as a pitiful man denied the chance of visiting his son by his ex-wife. A different side of the story the following day, however, when a tearful Pao suggested Chang had abused her and threatened her with a knife.
In litigation-related news, veteran entertainer Chen Chin-pei (陳今�?as found guilty for publicly insulting retired singer Hsieh Lei (謝雷) by calling him an “old gay” while appearing on a TV variety show about three years ago.
Chen was fined NT$9,000 after failing to convince the judge that the word gay is a neural term for unmarried men. Pop Stop fails to see how being called old and gay could be used as a “serious” insult.
Also on the legal front, political show host Cheng Hung-yi (鄭弘儀) filed both civil and criminal suits against pan-blue-camp entertainer Hsu Nai-lin (徐乃麟) for calling him a black-hearted, or hei xin, (黑心), in public. Hei xin goods refers to Chinese merchandise that is hazardous to public health. Hardly an imaginative putdown.
The squabble began when pan-green-camp host Cheng reportedly expressed his eagerness to host president-elect Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) inaugural ceremony on May 20, free of charge. Hsu later backed down by saying he had borrowed the term “hei xin goods” from entrepreneur Robert Tsao (曹興誠) to refer to political talking heads in general.
Cheng Ching-hsiang (鄭青祥) turned a small triangle of concrete jammed between two old shops into a cool little bar called 9dimension. In front of the shop, a steampunk-like structure was welded by himself to serve as a booth where he prepares cocktails. “Yancheng used to be just old people,” he says, “but now young people are coming and creating the New Yancheng.” Around the corner, Yu Hsiu-jao (饒毓琇), opened Tiny Cafe. True to its name, it is the size of a cupboard and serves cold-brewed coffee. “Small shops are so special and have personality,” she says, “people come to Yancheng to find such treasures.” She
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