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Entertainment

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West in the east

Star rapper’s year in China
Nov 9, 2018 (WiC 431)

Early last month Donald Trump hosted an unlikely meeting in the Oval Office. Rather unexpectedly, he was on the listening side of of the occasion. In this case it was Kanye West sharing his views in a monologue that was broadcast live to the ...

The ugly reality

Chinese starlet Yang Mi tries her hand at ‘method acting’ in low budget film
Nov 2, 2018 (WiC 430)

Attractive actresses often take on ugly roles in search of a breakout performance. In Monster, Charlize Theron wore mottled makeup and crooked teeth to play a serial killer. Playing crazy won her an Oscar for the best actress in 2003. ...

Finding Mr Right

Why a celebrity marriage caused a social media meltdown
Oct 26, 2018 (WiC 429)

The doorway of a traditional courtyard house in Beijing always comes with a pair of mendang, i.e. the stone bearings on both sides, and hudui, the wooden pins above the door for hanging lanterns. These decorations tell visitors ...

Gutenberg prints money

Chow Yun-fat’s action flick rekindles Hong Kong film industry’s mojo
Oct 19, 2018 (WiC 428)

Back in 2015, two makers of film props in Hong Kong were charged with holding thousands of counterfeit notes in Hong Kong dollars and other currencies without the proper permits. The authorities said that the film’s producers should have ...

Always be selling

Indie film director takes on Golden Week competition to promote movie
Oct 5, 2018 (WiC 427)

Television networks know that nostalgia can be a hit with audiences. The sitcom Will & Grace will make a comeback this year on NBC and the 1990s show Murphy Brown has returned to the small screen after a 20-year absence too. Other ...

Fan hit the fines

Actress emerges from three-month detention
Oct 5, 2018 (WiC 427)

In spite of the week-long National Day holiday, China’s tax authorities have been working overtime. On Wednesday they announced that actress Fan Bingbing and the companies she controls have been fined a total of nearly Rmb884 million ($129 ...

Failing ratings

More bad news for the entertainment business, with TV figures queried
Sep 28, 2018 (WiC 426)

China watchers have long been sceptical about some of the country’s statistics, which can seem suspiciously smooth and steady. China’s gross domestic product, for instance, grew 6.8% in the first quarter of this year, a rate that was ...

The hunt for red October

Subsidy ban on Tencent and Alibaba ticket sites ahead of public holiday
Sep 21, 2018 (WiC 425)

It was over a decade ago that Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei claimed that a ‘wolf spirit’ – that is, perseverance, teamwork and ruthlessness – was critical for an enterprise to succeed. Since then, the debate about wolf pack culture has ...

A dangerous liaison?

Studio associated with Fan Bingbing sees stock plunge as troubles mount
Sep 14, 2018 (WiC 424)

Legend has it that Yang Yuhuan’s visage would “embarrass any flower”. Such was her beauty, wrote Tang poet Bai Juyi, that she mesmerised men with a simple smile. All the other ladies in the imperial palaces were cast into shadow. When ...

Conjugal bliss?

As divorce rate surges TV shows on celebrity couples’ marital advice are hits
Sep 7, 2018 (WiC 423)

Back in May, some of China’s more overbearing local governments demanded that couples take a quiz before they could be granted divorces. It included questions about favourite foods and how the chores were divided. The higher the score, the less ...

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