News Links - 1/30/08

[dleedlee]

Media Focus on Zhang Ziyi's New Year Show-up
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/01/30/1261@318946.htm
A glimpse into Spring Festival Gala 2008
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008 ... 429758.htm

Shu Qi called up for Berlinale jury duty
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/5403/1/

Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai adapts true tale of trust, love
In Love We Trust to debut at Belinale
http://news.trend.az/index.shtml?show=n ... 84&lang=EN
Berlin film fest program ranges from Oscar contender to Iranian, Japanese entries
http://canadianpress.google.com/article ... b5_VMhUINA

Police act as more nude pictures of 'stars' appear (thanks, Fan)
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/080129/187/2o2jp.html

Edison Chen/Gillian Chung/Bobo Chan "photographs" make the front pages of Hong Kong newspapers
Another netizen looked at the bottom of the woman's foot and compared it against known photographs of Gillian Chung, and determined the calluses and toes were different.
http://www.zonaeuropa.com/200801c.brief.htm#016
Celebrities Condemn Irresponsible Actions
http://www.batgwa.com/story.php?id=540
Niki Chow Avoids Comment On Altered Photographs
http://www.batgwa.com/story.php?id=541

Pornographic Image of Gillian Chung Found on Internet, EEG take Legal Action

A pornographic image featuring Twins’ member, Gillian Chung, has been found on the internet, which has left the Hong Kong entertainment industry shocked. Many female celebrities have fallen victim to netizens who digitally alter their photos, leaving them feeling helpless. This recent blow to Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, has also involved Edison Chen, who has announced through a lawyer that he will be taking legal actions against this evil practical joke.

Yesterday, Gillian’s company’ EEG informed the police of the crime and then publicly announced that people have illegally altered images of Gillian to create and release pornographic images of Gillian. The company also stated that a lawyer has been employed to handle this issue and as soon as the distributor and uploader are identified, legal action will take place. Celebrities have all stood up against these evil actions, with Gillian’s rumoured boyfriend, Juno Mak calling the offender inhumane and an animal. Meanwhile, Gillian’s other rumoured boyfriend, Alex Fong, refused to comment.

Juno commented, “I believe that the image was made by a computer. I have not seen it and I do not plan to see it. (Will you comfort Gillian?) After what happened, she will be unhappy. But the Gillian I know is very strong; she does not need me to comfort her.”

When hearing of the news, Stephy Tang was shocked. She expressed, “With the technological advances, female celebrities have fallen prey to those who use our images to create porn. Even though, I am I not the victim of this incident, I still feel uncomfortable. I feel sorry for Gillian.” Stephy then stated that she will never take intimate photos.
Meanwhile Ella believes that no female celebrity will ever want this to happen to them. She commented, “If you like a particular female celebrity, you can go to functions and take photos to keep as memory. Such atrocious things should not be done. Performers and fans should respect each other. Do not do things that hurt female artists.”
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.ph ... 97603&st=0


Actor Lo Meng(?) arrested for kissing men (thanks, Fan)
http://www.news24.com/News24/Entertainm ... 57,00.html

Taiwan's film makers find it hard to survive
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show ... ature.html

The naked truth about China's censors
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JA31Ad01.html

Epic Chinese Films Will Come Onscreen (South Korea)
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/ar ... 18170.html

Heavy Snow Takes Toll on Movie Industry
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/01/30/176@319073.htm
Blizzard buries Chinese New Year show
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/5402/1/

Winter storm chaos grips China
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080129/ap_ ... OXkrWs0NUE
Theatre Opens for Stranded Travelers
http://english.cri.cn/2946/2008/01/29/1461@318650.htm

Ruby Lin Attends Taipei Surf Store Opening
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/01/30/176@319048.htm

ASIAN POP - The AZend
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 010&sc=292


Designer labels lure young girls into prostitution
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... con_type=1

Playing in China: Shanghai's Scandal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1201658 ... lenews_wsj

[Brian Thibodeau]

ASIAN POP - The AZend
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 010&sc=292

From the article:

Countless pundits (including yours truly) have remarked on how the English-speaking Asian American market represents an enormously appealing raw opportunity: Disproportionately educated, professional and affluent; media-savvy and technologically forward. But it's a genie that remains resolutely corked in its bottle, awaiting the right magic word. And it's quite possible that none of the traditional media options available constitutes the abracadabra this market's waiting for.

Yang often seems bummed than what he thinks is an "enormously appealing raw opportunity" has actually gone and joined the boring ol' mainstream along with the rest of the second-, third- and fourth-generation children of immigrants that make up the majority of his country (and mine, and some of yours!).

Seriously, is there any chance that these hip young ethnics—the ones actually born and raised "American", "Canadian", "Australian", "Martian" and what have you—simply don't need a "special" network for themselves? Feel free to slap me down if I'm stepping outta line here. I'm fourth-generation gweilo who loves to sample a little bit of many of the cultures that make up my country, and some of my non-gweilo acquaintances, especially those who are as fully Canadian born-and-bred as I am, seem to feel the same way. The lack of a 24-hour Asian network of some stripe up here hasn't exactly caused millions of Canadian Asians to suddenly lose their cultural connection. It's still there.

Yang brings up some interesting behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing in relation to the AZN channel's demise, but then explains the key problem that the advertising was never there, even from Asian-American companies! And without advertising . . .

I thought this was the most profound piece of the article, and the main reason why no major "ethnic" network will ever survive in North America (remember the African-American-ish UPN?). They're trying to create a niche market for people who probably have little use for it any more:

The implications of this question for Asian American agencies are profound. As one former senior team member of AZN notes, "The Asian agencies don't realize that if they don't build this kind of network, the mainstream cable channels of the world are just going to show that they can deliver Asians. Rather than being afraid of English-language media, they should have been afraid that advertisers are going to realize that the Style Network, Golf Network, G4, all of these are overindexing on Asian viewers. English-language media isn't a threat — it's their last hope."