Wedding bells ring for Tony and Carina?
I kept a low profile last week after a commercial endorsement I did for a hair restoration product caused a stink. Those who know me in the cross-talk community are aware that my crown is as smooth as a baby's behind. This didn't stop the manufacturer thinking I would be a good spokesman. And it didn't stop me taking the money and pretending the potion worked. My lawyer is advising me not to say more because of impending legal proceedings, but it's a relief not to have to wear the wig any more.
Since I couldn't go out, I stayed in and watched a lot of TV. I packed the fridge with bottles of Tianjin beer and cooked up some of my favorite snacks, including "ear hole" fried cakes and some "dogs ignore" steamed buns. Then I settled down for the final of Wushu Masters, on CCTV Olympics channel. Basically this involves two ordinary-looking guys beating each other up, cheered on by family and friends. The bouts are characterized as "no gloves, no weight classes and no gimmicks".
Frankly, the final was a letdown, a one-sided contest because of a hand injury to one of the fighters. But, it was brightened up considerably by seeing the obvious discomfort of the winner, who was made to dress up in plastic armor and brandish a halberd. The host made a passionate speech about the Middle Kingdom's martial arts treasures, while his female co-presenter wore a white fur-trimmed creation that looked like Mother Christmas. Confetti poured down and the winner's embarrassment was only salved by a check for 300,000 yuan ($43,000).
The other event of import last week was the arrival in my mailbox of Edison Chen's sex photos, with a cast of stars such as Cecilia Cheung, Bobo Chen and one of the Hong Kong singing twins Gillian Chung, among others. A colleague of mine expressed surprise I hadn't seen the photos and forwarded them out of concern for my ignorance. Wow. No wonder the Hong Kong pop singer and actor decamped to the United States. Here, where freedom of expression (think Paris Hilton, Britney Spears) is something to flaunt, Chen's career is once again taking off. According to the Singapore daily Lianhe Wanbao, Chen has just been offered the prime part in a $13.8 million movie set in Chicago and the island city, also starring Taiwan actress and former "glamour" model Shu Qi.
One woman who has gone respectable is Carina Lau (pictured right), according to China's premier gossip rag Banana Weekly. She was spotted flashing a big rock on her finger at paparazzi in Shanghai on Saturday. The magazine speculated Lau and long-time lover Tony Leung are finally going to tie the knot and create children. The actors have been together for 18 years, but according to the magazine were known for having an "open" relationship. Lau was dating the fabulously wealthy Honghai chairman Guo Tai-ming last year.
Still following the money, a survey quoted by Yangtze Evening News revealed the earnings of China's top TV hosts, putting Li Xiang of Hunan TV number one, raking in 30.8 million yuan ($4.4 million) last year. Sports commentator Huang Jianxiang was displaced from the top spot after being fired from Hong Kong's Phoenix TV in January for dismal ratings. He Jiong, the sweet-faced, sharp-witted, anorectic looking anchor and singer was third with 20.7 million yuan.
(China Daily 04/11/2008 page18)
