Actor Wu Kang-ren (吳慷仁), who was once seen as being pro-Taiwan for having participated in the Sunflower movement in 2014, has reportedly joined an agency in China, seemingly diverting his career westward to Beijing. It has stirred up heated debate in Taiwan as some fans feel betrayed.
Actor Chang Chin-hao (張晉豪) tried to explain Wu’s actions, saying that Taiwan’s entertainment industry is declining, and that Wu is just seeking better opportunities for his career development.
If that is true, why have South Korean artists Lee Da-hye (李多慧) and An Ji-hyun (安芝儇) relocated to Taiwan?
Obviously, the “art” of making a living that South Korean and Taiwanese artists choose differs greatly. In Taiwan, those who settle in the country believe that “where there is ease, there is home,” while those who leave look back at it as a bleak beginning.
The primary focus of the art of K-pop is visual: South Korean artists are photogenic; South Korean music videos are dazzling; South Korean dancers perform synchronous movements.
If we close our eyes and just listen without moving our bodies with the rhythm, K-pop is not as mesmerizing as it might be.
This might be why K-pop has conquered the world. It does not matter if foreign teenagers do not speak Korean. What it takes to be a fan of K-pop is imagining oneself as a shining star who loves dancing.
The art of Taiwanese artists is talking. Variety shows are mostly talk shows and dialogue matters in dramas.
In Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, Robert McKee said: “The famous axiom ‘show, don’t tell’ is the key.”
Taiwanese screenwriters disobey this instruction far more than those of South Korean dramas and Japanese anime. Taiwanese dramas rely too much on expository dialogue to explain what is going on at any time, regardless of how long it takes. Therefore, if Taiwanese actors and actresses wish to increase their income, it is only a matter of time before they seek out opportunities in the entertainment business in China, which is the closest to Taiwan in terms of language.
However, that industry is in the palm of the Chinese Communist Party’s hands. Referring to China as the “mainland” has become a passcode for Taiwanese artists, especially those seen as being pro-Taiwan, to gain access to the Chinese market.
South Korean stars, who are good at dancing and are good-looking, do not have to publicly apologize. Even if they are denied access to the Chinese market, they can simply go to other countries to work.
Experienced readers would know that the way a person talks, how fast they speak and their intonation are more important than what they talk about.
No wonder McKee suggests that screenwriters avoid “telling.”
It would be better if Taiwanese stars were versatile enough to shine all over the world like K-pop artists. If they could, they would not have to worry about their career no matter how things evolve in the Taiwan Strait.
Jimway Chang has a master’s degree in history from National Tsing Hua University and is a high-school history teacher.
Translated by Fion Khan
In the event of a war with China, Taiwan has some surprisingly tough defenses that could make it as difficult to tackle as a porcupine: A shoreline dotted with swamps, rocks and concrete barriers; conscription for all adult men; highways and airports that are built to double as hardened combat facilities. This porcupine has a soft underbelly, though, and the war in Iran is exposing it: energy. About 39,000 ships dock at Taiwan’s ports each year, more than the 30,000 that transit the Strait of Hormuz. About one-fifth of their inbound tonnage is coal, oil, refined fuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG),
On Monday, the day before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed on her visit to China, the party released a promotional video titled “Only with peace can we ‘lie flat’” to highlight its desire to have peace across the Taiwan Strait. However, its use of the expression “lie flat” (tang ping, 躺平) drew sarcastic comments, with critics saying it sounded as if the party was “bowing down” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Amid the controversy over the opposition parties blocking proposed defense budgets, Cheng departed for China after receiving an invitation from the CCP, with a meeting with
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is leading a delegation to China through Sunday. She is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing tomorrow. That date coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which marked a cornerstone of Taiwan-US relations. Staging their meeting on this date makes it clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intends to challenge the US and demonstrate its “authority” over Taiwan. Since the US severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, it has relied on the TRA as a legal basis for all
Taiwan ranks second globally in terms of share of population with a higher-education degree, with about 60 percent of Taiwanese holding a post-secondary or graduate degree, a survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed. The findings are consistent with Ministry of the Interior data, which showed that as of the end of last year, 10.602 million Taiwanese had completed post-secondary education or higher. Among them, the number of women with graduate degrees was 786,000, an increase of 48.1 percent over the past decade and a faster rate of growth than among men. A highly educated population brings clear advantages.
RSS