Taipei City Councilor Wang Shih-cheng (王世堅) of the Democratic Progressive Party on Saturday gave film distributors permission to use his image to promote horror film Child’s Play after memes emerged linking him to Chucky, the killer doll in the movie franchise.
Wang said that he has not been part of a commercial advertising campaign before and he was not aware that he had generated a buzz online, as he rarely used social media or a smartphone.
“It is my job to protect the interests of Taipei residents, so I would be happy to be their Chucky to scare the mayor, city officials and others in authority so they do not abuse their power,” Wang said.
Photo: Yang Hsin-hui, Taipei Times
“Somebody needs to keep people with power in check,” he said.
Film distributors contacted him about an ad campaign and he agreed on condition that he does not receive payment and would not be asked to work on it until the city council is out of session, he said.
“From what I understand, Chucky was a good doll until it was possessed by an evil spirit... I am an easy-going guy when I am not working in the city council, but when I am asking the tough questions, I have a bit of a mean streak,” he said.
“The project sounds like fun and Taiwanese know how to have a good time, even when things are tough,” he said. “We understand that having a sense of humor is a good thing.”
Asked how he feels about the Internet memes, which link him to Chucky’s snarl and long, unruly hair, Wang said: “As an elected representative, I am fine with the way people see me and I respect their right to have harmless fun.”
“I happen to be a good guy who is possessed by my responsibilities,” Wang said. “I am not afraid of the dark.”
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not