Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) drew mixed reactions after he recently called for entertainers to refrain from alcohol endorsement deals, which he said could offset the government’s efforts to combat drunk driving.
Naming brand-name alcohol product ambassadors including Jody Chiang (江蕙), Chang Fei (張菲), Wu Bai (伍佰), Mayday (五月天) and Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), Lai said earlier this week that celebrities should be a positive influence on their fans and be selective about what kinds of products they endorse.
Celebrities are extremely influential among young people and their alcohol endorsements might blind fans to the potential dangers of drinking, Lai said.
Photo: Sean Chao, Taipei Times
Celebrities should emulate actress and singer Ariel Lin (林依晨), who turned down real-estate endorsement deals because she refused to play a role in rising housing prices, added Lai, who similarly lauded Mando-pop king Jay Chou (周杰倫) for his song Cowboy on the Run, which includes the lyric: “Beer can harm the body.”
Drunk driving is a major cause of traffic accidents and fatalities, yet alcohol-related car accidents continue even in the face of the stringent inspections by police, Lai said, adding that the celebrity endorsements might compromise the government’s efforts to combat the problem.
In addition to endangering the lives of others through drunk-driving, consumption of alcohol is associated with health problems, he added, citing his experiences as a medical doctor.
In response, Chang said: “I really appreciate Mayor Lai’s concern for the citizens, and I share his anger at drunk drivers. However, I do not invite the endorsement deals, but they come to me instead. I will take Mayor Lai’s suggestion into consideration in the future, though.”
Chiang and Mayday refused to comment, with Mayday’s agent saying that the band does not currently endorse any alcohol products in Taiwan.
Pop star Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰) said that “civic responsibility does not rest solely on entertainers, and politicians should shoulder greater responsibility as there are more voters than fans.”
“I am confident that I can exert a positive influence on my fans,” he said, adding that he would caution the public against drinking and driving.
However, television variety show host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) on Monday said that Lai was meddling in other people’s business.
In response, Lai said he had only good intentions in sounding a note of caution and was not disrespecting the celebrities.
Acknowledging that reducing celebrity branding alone cannot stem the problem of drunk driving, Lai said that the government and the public must work together to crack down on the practice and change society’s binge drinking culture.
Additional reporting by Hung Jui-Chin
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