|
EDITORIAL: The first
lady and her silent trips
First lady Chow Mei-ching (©P¬ü«C) threw out the first ball at a Major League
Baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday. She was invited to
open the game after the Dodgers organization discovered that she is a keen
baseball fan who attends games and supports the sport in Taiwan.
This was the first time a first lady has opened a game at Dodger Stadium.
However, Chow kept an extremely low-profile after her pitch, preferring to watch
the rest of the game from a private box and avoid the press. She continued her
six-day trip, including visits to several Chinese-language schools, in the same
fashion.
The Los Angeles visit marked the latest example of Chow¡¦s quiet public persona
over the past three years. She has actively shunned the limelight and avoided
the press, whether undertaking charity work, accompanying President Ma Ying-jeou
(°¨^¤E) to events, making foreign visits or going on diplomatic trips.
Following her husband¡¦s election in March 2008, critics and the public
speculated about how Chow, a highly educated and accomplished career woman,
would redefine the role of first lady. Since then, she has won praise for
quitting her job as a bank lawyer to avoid potential conflicts of interest and
devoting herself to charity work.
The 58-year-old first lady has worked closely with several charities, including
the Taiwan Red Cross and World Vision Taiwan, and also promoted art and culture
as an honorary director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and other troupes.
However, her insistence on maintaining a low-profile has wasted numerous
opportunities to raise Taiwan¡¦s international profile and promote charitable
organizations.
In 2009, Chow accompanied Ma for the first time on a foreign visit to diplomatic
allies in Central America. That trip was dubbed ¡§a trip of silence¡¨ by many
media outlets because she made no speeches and declined to give interviews. The
local media has dubbed her ¡§Mrs Cool¡¨ for the poker-face she always maintains in
front of the cameras.
Although Chow has traveled regularly on charitable and cultural missions and
embarked on the first trip by a Taiwanese first lady to Russia, reporters have
been given little opportunity to cover her trips.
By refusing to issue public statements and making little if any effort to
attract media attention, Chou has in effect downplayed the significance of her
trips and the role she appears to enjoy most, that of spokesperson for
charitable organizations and performing arts groups.
With her signature black shirts, blue jeans and lack of make-up, Chow is not a
typical Taiwanese political spouse, and her image as a down-to-earth and
independent first lady has oftentimes made her seem more charismatic than her
husband.
Although there is nothing inherently wrong with Chow¡¦s decision to maintain a
low-profile life, even after becoming first lady, it would make more sense for
her to take advantage of the media exposure she attracts to get her message
across to a bigger audience.
The nation would benefit more from a first lady who not only has her own voice,
but knows how and when to use it.
|
