With the Lunar New Year just around the corner, the country’s television channels are racing to woo the general public with what is supposed to be wholesome family entertainment from the nation’s legion of pop stars. Though the prosaic television products may go largely unnoticed by revelers and mahjong-playing families and friends, such occasions provide some showbiz reporters with an opportunity to burnish their patriotic credentials.
The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) scrutinized the Lunar New Year’s Eve show produced by Taiwan Television (台視, TTV), which was recorded at the Taipei Arena (台北小巨蛋) on Monday. Despite a star-studded lineup including Elva Hsiao (蕭亞軒), Show Luo (羅志祥, also known as Alan Luo) and Wilber Pan (潘瑋柏), the newspaper lamented the conspicuous absence of A-listers such as Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), Wang Lee-hom (王力宏) and pop rock idols Mayday (五月天). The paper reported that foreign stars made up the headline acts for the show, with TTV spending millions of New Taiwan dollars on boy outfit SHINee and girl ensemble After School from South Korea, as well as J-pop singers Kosuke Atari and Thelma Aoyama.
The Liberty Times attributed the need to enlist foreign help to the outflow of Mando-pop stars to China. It is reported that Lin Chi-ling (林志玲), Jay Chou (周杰倫) and Wang Lee-hom will perform at the massive-in-China Lunar New Year’s Eve gala on China Central Television (中國中央電視台). Meanwhile, popular entertainers Chang Fei (張菲) and Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) will cohost Xiamen Star’s (廈門衛視) New Year’s Eve celebration.
Photo: Taipei times
As far as Pop Stop is concerned, the only thing worth lamenting is television broadcasters’ lack of motivation and creativity, which results in repetitious and banal programming.
In other celebrity news, Lin Chi-ling’s mother, Wu Tzu-mei (吳慈美), found herself embroiled in a dispute with Jerry Yan’s (言承旭) fans after she complained about him becoming tearful at the mention of her daughter’s name on Chinese talk show Happy Camp (快樂大本營). Mother Lin told the press that Yan should not damage her daughter’s marriage prospects. Her preferred suitor is Scott Chiu (邱士楷), the son of a toilet magnate — not the melancholic heartthrob.
In response, Yan’s fans called for a boycott of the soybean sauce product that Wu endorses.
Asked if she would rather her mother keep mum, the ever-pleasant actress said she has no right to do so. “She always means well. But next time if you have questions, please ask me directly,” Lin was quoted as telling the press on Monday.
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