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EDITORIAL: Putting a
positive spin on celebrity
The most heart-warming story on newsstands on New Year’s Day was the one about a
sizable group of young people, braving biting cold on New Year’s Eve on the
streets of Taipei, who showed that their commitment to democracy and press
freedom mattered more to them than partying as they staged an overnight vigil in
protest against media monopolization.
Even more heartening was the timely public endorsement from Wu Ching-feng (吳青峰),
lead singer of the popular band Sodagreen (蘇打綠), who, while performing during
Monday night’s celebrations in Greater Kaohsiung, lent his support to the
students’ appeals.
Indeed, the various New Year’s Eve parties around the nation were quite
different from those of previous years.
Pop/rock idol Bobby Chen (陳昇), during his performance in Taipei, trumpeted a
message against the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant through
flashing anti-nuclear slogans and signs behind him. Pop singer Shin (信)
delivered a similar anti-nuclear message at the celebrations in Hsinchu. Seconds
before revelers were ready to start the countdown to a new year, Shin called on
the public to give serious consideration to the issue of nuclear power as he
highlighted the dangers of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. Pop-rock band Mayday
(五月天) also touched on an anti-nuclear message during its gig in Greater
Kaohsiung. It was not the first time this popular band, the big winner at last
year’s Golden Melody Awards, took such a stance. During its performance at
Google’s headquarters in San Francisco in November last year, five members of
the band publicized their stance by plastering anti-nuclear stickers on their
instruments and themselves.
In Taitung, Aboriginal rocker Chang Chen-yue (張震嶽), in between his performances
at a countdown party, spoke against the construction of the beachfront Miramar
Resort at Taitung County’s Shanyuan Bay (杉原灣). He then dedicated a song to
Taitung that extolled the beauty of the east coast’s shoreline.
Given that so many Taiwanese entertainers are known for ducking issues of
social, cultural and political sensitivity for fear of being blacklisted by the
Chinese government, thereby reducing the money that they can make in the Chinese
market, it was truly gratifying to see an increasing number of big-name
celebrities taking the initiative to be more vocal and involved on numerous
issues of critical importance to the nation.
There’s no denying the influence of celebrity on the public. This is not to say
that the public should blindly follow celebrities, but, with them being more
vocal on social issues and matters that concern the nation’s core values of
democracy and human rights, hopefully more celebrities will follow suit by using
their fame to highlight these critical issues, raise public awareness and help
foster a healthy debate on public policies.
“We don’t want people to rush to take part in opposition against the Fourth
Nuclear Power Plant or issues concerning the Miramar Resort in Taitung, but you
can choose to understand the issues and have your own opinions. I hope you will
come out and let’s discuss these issues together,” Fan Chiang Chun-hung (范姜峻宏),
lead singer of the hip-hop group Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤), said recently.
On Friday last week, social activists chose the character wang (旺, meaning
“prosper”) as the word best representing last year’s social movements in Taiwan.
As the nation moves into 2013, it is expected to be another busy year for those
active in social movements, and it is hoped that more high-profile celebrities
will join their compatriots in taking a stand for the voiceless, for the
unjustly deprived and for the continued existence of freedom in this land we
love called Taiwan.
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