Cross dressing Chou too much for cross-talker
Award shows make me uncomfortable. Not for the obvious reasons that they are contrived and uninteresting, but because my agent insists I show up, press the flesh and play nice. It's like being the only adult at a kiddies' birthday party with so many "prima donnas".
There were plenty of "first ladies" at the Music Radio China Top Music Chart awards show on Saturday - and some of them were men. China's most popular singer, Jay Chou (pictured below), dug deep into his closet and came out with a dress masquerading as a long white shirt. He wore it under a black, see-through blouse. His gloves were the kind English women used to wear riding, but with black sequins fastened with pearls.
When reporters at the Beijing Worker's Stadium event asked the winner of the best album award why he was dressed up in ladies' attire he responded with a coy smile: "Sometimes it's good to try something new." To be fair, as a cross-talker, I'm also used to cross dressing, so I understand Chou's problem.
Other winners included Jolin Tsai, Little Pig, Hu Yanbin, Li Yuchun and Eason Chan. Even Huang Xiaoming got a gong. Basically, organizers realized the heartthrob actor has the voice of a starling and invented the "song presentation" category so he could get a prize for trying.
The 27th Hong Kong Film Awards the next day were a more formal affair. Ang Lee's Lust, Caution took the best Asian film gong while Jet Li was the night's hero with The Warlords. According to the South China Morning Post he apologized to co-star Andy Lau for winning best actor, saying: "I'm sorry. I've betrayed you brother." Other red-carpet victors were Warlords director Peter Chan, Siqin Gaowa took best actress for The Postmodern Life of my Aunt, while Lau got the consolation prize of best supporting actor for Protg.
Style is not my strong suit, ogling models is, so Friday was frittered away at a Marc Jacobs promotional event in the capital city. Gao Yuanyuan, the actress known for her "fresh looks and chaste spirit" was suitably dressed in gauze and pink. Golden Horse winner Li Xiaolu was also present, swathed in a dainty yellow number. A catfight from the two rivals seemed inevitable. No such luck.
"Oooh, you look lovely in pink, I'm so short I couldn't get away with wearing such a dress," Li purred.
"My, your perfect white skin looks so good in yellow," Gao mewed in return.
They couldn't have been nicer to each other if the meeting had been scripted. Which I suspect it was. The BTV cameras were a giveaway.
On a sadder note, friends of "Fat Sister" Lydia Shum, the HK actress who died in February, are said to be worried. They say daughter Joyce Cheng has sold off her dear departed mother's jewelry, designer bags and car to spend on her foreign boyfriend. Zheng turns 21 in June and is about to inherit 30 million yuan ($4.3 million). The "friends" are concerned Zheng will spend it all on her "xiao bai lian" or "little white face". On first being told the story I thought it was racist. On second thoughts it's probably sexist.
Finally, I want to address an article obviously aimed at me by the Shanghai Daily, which says coverage of celebrity scandals follows in the footsteps of Western paparazzi and is an example of journalists "over correcting themselves" to follow market supply and demand.
I consider myself corrected.
Hu Deman, legendary Beijing crosstalker and confidante to China's biggest celebrities, talks to Jules Quartly
(China Daily 04/16/2008 page18)
