Sunday, March 15th, 2009
News Links: Ides of March 2009
Before we get to the links, some observations about the online response to “Gillian Week” as Gillian Chung Yan-Tung returned to the 
entertainment circle with an in-depth TVB interview, a press conference, a publicity event and a promotional trip to Taiwan all in the past week.
Based on monitoring the chatter on discussion boards, I would say that about 1/3 of the people are fully supportive of Gillian Chung, 1/3 still view her with scorn and derision and 1/3 are sympathetic but mostly indifferent. This last group feels bad for Chung and her plight but I don’t think they would go out of their way to support her by buying her products or seeing her films. I think the key for Ah Gil will be to see how much of this last group she can win over. It’s too early to say right now if her comeback will be successful but I think it’s safe to say that she won’t be as profitable for EEG as she was prior to the fateful days of January 2008.
One thing is for sure, EEG and EEG-friendly media outlets are trying their hardest to sell the idea that Ah Gil is back and that the public is behind her. Oriental Daily News ran some transparently biased reports this week suggesting that the crowd at Chung’s publicity event for a clothing store was fully supportive (other media outlets reported that some people were shouting insults) and that Chung had overwhelming support on the Internet even though it’s clear that she doesn’t.
As for the online reaction to her TVB interview, I would say that 30% of the people had a positive response to it while 70% viewed it negatively. I believe the negative reaction stems from the credibility problems Chung and EEG have after the over-reaction to the EasyFinder photos in 2006, the initial “it’s fake! it’s fake!” response to the first Sexy Photos Gate images and the infamous “naive and stupid” press conference.
The main issue the detractors of the interview had was that it seemed like a staged piece of theatre in support of Gillian Chung’s comeback. Some noted that while Cecilia Cheung’s interview felt like a free-flowing conversation held in a normal TV studio, parts of Chung’s interview felt like it was scripted by EEG media handlers. From criticism that the interview was held at EEG boss Albert Yeung’s home (which included the usual snark about Yeung’s relationship with EEG starlets) to allegations that Chung threw Edison Chen under the bus because she saw that Cecilia Cheung received a positive response from doing it, many felt that Gillian Chung was still being fake and disingenuous. It did not help that there was talk that Chung’s manager, Mani Fok, interfered during the interview by cutting in and limiting discussion of topics such as Chung’s rumoured relationship with Juno Mak Jun-Lung. (Fok admitted later in the week that she was “acting like a lawyer” during the interview).
Many felt that Gillian Chung didn’t directly answer Stephen Chan’s questions as a hotly debated topic was Chung’s response to a question about her reaction to the EasyFinder scandal. When Chan hinted that her reaction to the changing room photos may have been overplayed, Chung answered that her response was appropriate because she felt like she had been “raped” and that there was a big difference between consenting to have your picture taken and having your picture taken without your knowledge. While some felt the answer was sufficient, most felt that Chung dodged the real question. I think the majority view is best summed up by “Kiwi Pika”, a poster on a Chinese-language discussion board. My translation of the post:
She didn’t answer the question about the changing room photos properly at all. Saying that it felt like “rape” is an insult to women who have been raped. Please, it’s so far from the same thing! We didn’t see anything! All we saw was a little bit of shoulder. All that crying was really over the top. I think the natural reaction would have been anger. Anyone in a similar situation would feel angry but I don’t think they would feel victimized. The pictures didn’t show anything! She or, more likely, her management decided to take the opportunity to make money from it by milking it for all the sympathy she could get. I find it hard to feel sorry for her because all of this is just karma for making a mountain out of a molehill.
I’ll be back later this week with my thoughts on this whole brouhaha. Until then, enjoy these links:
SEXY PHOTOS GATE:
The Observer on Sexy Photos Gate
Gillian Chung’s secret romance
Gillian Chung’s press conference: Gillian Chung makes high profile comeback, Gillian the toughie
Gillian Chung goes to Taiwan for promotional event
Gillian Chung admits Juno as boyfriend
Edison Chen gets death threat: Stamps with ’sinister’ meaning QING MING DEADLINE, Edison laughs off death threats, Edison Chen receives death threatening letter, Bullet death threat aimed at Chen, Letter threatens harm to Chinese-Canadian star involved in racy photos scandal, Edison gets threats
Edison Chen vows: “I’ll come to Singapore again”
Nic Tse pledges undying love for Cecilia Cheung
Cecilia Cheung expecting her second child
Joey Yung expresses full support for Gillian Chung
Summary: A Seemingly Endless Scandal
IN PRODUCTION:
Jackie Chan starts shooting historical epic
Villagers disrupt ‘Mulan’ shoot
Chow Yun-fat to star in Dadi Century’s Confucius biopic
John Woo to make “Titanic of the East”: CRIENGLISH.com article, AFP article
John Woo eyes film on Hard-Boiled game
GENERAL NEWS:
“Dragonball” Premieres in Tokyo
Will Rain be able to save his Hollywood career?
Jackie Chan cheated of HK$3 million over car deal
Kelvin Kwan, Jill Vidal: Pop pair face more time behind bars
Taipei Times Pop Stop: Edison Chen, more
Hollywood-Asia marriage matures
Zhang Yimou: Insider story of the Beijing Olympic
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival: 10 Glorious Days of Asian American Film
Hong Kong’s Celestial strikes Canadian licensing deal
FEATURES:
Chow Yun-Fat: Chow on this!
Heroic pairs in Dragonball: Evolution
F4’s Vanness Wu: Anything for Ang Lee
Jaycee Chan smitten by Bollywood
Rainie Yang: I’m a tomboy around guys
Edmond Chen: Hollywood can be a pain
Chen Kaige: Capturing the best and worst of times
Chen Kaige wants to make Cultural Revolution film
FILM REVIEWS:
Variety reviews DESIRES OF THE HEART (Ge You, Vivian Wu, Fan Bingbing)
CRIENGLISH.COM FILM PREVIEWS:
Ann Hui’s NIGHT AND FOG (Simon Yam, Zhang Jingchu)
THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT (Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu)
PHOTO GALLERYS:
