S1E2: The story of Kangxi Coming, the little Taiwanese talk show heard around the world
Season 1 · Episode 2
Thursday, May 23, 2024 • Duration 42:09
How a variety talk show with one of the oddest hosting pairings became one of the most successful in the Chinese language entertainment scene.
Synopsis: How Did We Get Here is a new scripted series under the #PopVultures banner, which will take a look in each episode about a celebrity, a band or the cast of a movie or film that made an impact on Asian entertainment and how they got to where they are now.
If you follow Chinese-language entertainment, there is a good chance you have heard of the variety series Kang Xi Lai Le, also known as Mr Con & Ms Csi or Kangxi Coming.
The light-hearted Taiwanese talk show, which ran from 2004 till 2016, is easily one of the most successful talk shows of all time in Chinese-language entertainment - a staple of Taiwanese television that continues to make people laugh even eight years after the end of its run.
The show began as a wacky experiment, by pairing the intellectual and cultured Kevin Tsai and the wild, funny Dee Hsu as hosts in one programme. Their chemistry was magic and the show consistently maintained high ratings throughout its run.
Not only was it a hot spot for celebrities to come on and promote themselves and their projects, the show even attracted personalities like politicians - former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou and social commentator, critic and historian Li Ao.
Even with its varied line-up of guests, the hosts never switched up their style - a mix of inane and sometimes raunchy questions about underwear and farts, lots of banter and good-natured mocking.
Now, 20 years after its debut and eight years after its last of close to 3,000 episodes aired, its legacy and impact remain - with some clips of the show going viral even today. Many fans are still clamouring for the show to make a comeback.
#PopVultures host Jan Lee discusses exactly how we got here.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 Introduction and an update about a possible Kangxi Coming relaunch
4:19 The show’s inception and how complete opposites Kevin Tsai and Dee Hsu came to be paired together
12:50 The first episode of Kangxi Coming and why it became so popular
17:33 The show’s evolution over the years and the introduction of assistant host Hank Chen
23:31 How Kangxi Coming managed to capture Chinese audiences despite a tight budget
29:49 The show coming to an end
34:53 Kangxi Coming’s resounding legacy till today
37:15 What are Dee Hsu, Kevin Tsai and Hank Chen up to today?
S1E1: Chinese drama My Fair Princess: The cast's dramatic off-screen lives
Season 1 · Episode 1
Friday, April 26, 2024 • Duration 47:14
It is one of the most famous Chinese period dramas ever, but where are the members of its main cast now?
Synopsis: How Did We Get Here is a new scripted series under the #PopVultures banner, where host Jan Lee will deep dive into a celebrity, a band or the cast of a movie or film that made an impact on Asian entertainment and how they got to where they are now.
There is a good argument to be made that the most famous Chinese drama ever aired is the Qing dynasty period royal romance My Fair Princess, best known for its first two seasons aired in 1998 and 1999.
The story is about a case of mistaken identity. An orphaned street urchin named Xiaoyanzi accidentally becomes a princess in place of her friend, the Qing emperor Qianlong’s illegitimate daughter Ziwei.
The series broke viewership records, became extremely popular across Asia and was an unprecedented hit that turned its main cast members into household names - Vicki Zhao, Ruby Lin, Alec Su, Zhou Jie, Fan Bingbing and Julian Chen.
Now, 26 years since the drama first aired - a lot has happened to the main cast. Two have been effectively cancelled by the Chinese government, one has apparently become a successful farmer, one is widely disliked by Chinese netizens and one quite literally got "burnt".
#PopVultures host Jan Lee discusses How Did We Get Here.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:20 Introduction about My Fair Princess
4:11 How the series got cast and its impact on Asian entertainment
11:57 What happened to Julian Chen?
14:16 What happened to Alec Su?
17:16 Is there a feud between Ruby Lin and Zhou Jie?
28:03 The cancellation of Fan Bingbing
35:12 The many troubles of Vicki Zhao and her eventual downfall
S1E7: When Xiao Zhan’s fans waged war on fan fiction
Season 1 · Episode 7
Friday, October 13, 2023 • Duration 49:14
How they "mass-reported" to Chinese authorities, a fan fiction about him and fellow actor Wang Yibo.
Synopsis: Can I Tell You Something Crazy is a new scripted series under the #PopVultures banner, which examines with fresh eyes, events that shook Asian media and entertainment.
In 2019, Chinese actor Xiao Zhan was easily one of the hottest stars in China. The previously little-known star had broken out that year in China and across the world with the mega-hit Chinese fantasy period series The Untamed, where he acted opposite fellow Chinese star Wang Yibo.
Adapted from a hugely popular boys' love novel named Grandmaster Of Demonic Cultivation, The Untamed attracted a large, ardent fan base that shot both its leads to A-list status. But less than a year after Xiao found fame, his loyal fan base became his undoing.
In a controversy termed the 227 (Feb 27, 2020) incident, Xiao’s fans following reported a piece of fan fiction that they felt portrayed their idol in an unflattering light and it caused one of the world's largest fan fiction sites - Archive Of Our Own - to be banned in China.
In response, fan fiction readers, writers and more, targeted Xiao Zhan, calling for the boycott of brands he works with and review-bombing projects he had previously been in. The boycott was so widespread and overwhelming that Xiao eventually apologised for his fans' actions.
In this episode of Can I Tell You Something Crazy, #PopVultures host Jan Lee takes another look at the 227 incident - a fight between two factions of fandom that blew up beyond anyone's imagination.
It is a story of para-social relationships, toxic fandoms, the murky politics of boys’ love in China, censorship, reporting culture and also, a story about stories - the value, power and refuge that fan fiction often provides.
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S1E1: Hear our podcasts on The Straits Times' app, besides Apple Podcasts & Spotify
Season 1 · Episode 1
Monday, October 9, 2023 • Duration 02:25
Each follow on the audio apps below and a rating really helps us! Happy listening!
Synopsis: A brand new feature is within The Straits Times app, which you can download from the Apple app store or the Google Play store. For those of you who already have it, the latest version update now has a dedicated Podcast Section, where you can listen to our latest incoming show episodes and check out back episodes too.
You can also choose to follow our podcast RSS feeds, or the shows on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
If you have a smart home speaker like the Google Home or Nest device, or your Android phone, just say: “Hey Google, play me (name of any of the shows below) or The Straits Times Podcasts.”
S1E77: Why K-pop’s Fifty Fifty girl group suffers negative public opinion
Season 1 · Episode 77
Friday, September 8, 2023 • Duration 44:49
Find out why netizens back their agency instead in an ongoing dispute.
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene.
If you are on TikTok, you might have a heard a viral song that goes like this: "I'm feelin' lonely/Oh, I wish I'd find a lover that could hold me." Those are the lyrics to Cupid, one of 2023's biggest songs, sung by rookie K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty.
Cupid is a record-breaking hit. Not only did it make the group the fastest K-pop act to debut on the Billboard Hot 100, it is also the longest-charting K-pop girl group song in history, on the Hot 100. They are even on the soundtrack of 2023's biggest movie Barbie, with their number Barbie Dreams.
Unfortunately, all promotions and new activities of the group have been suspended.
In June, Fifty Fifty's agency Attrakt accused Warner Music Korea of attempting to poach the group. Shortly after, Fifty Fifty announced that they had filed a lawsuit to suspend their exclusive contract with Attrakt, alleging a lack of transparency in finances and failure to fulfil contractual obligations.
The shocking departure of Fifty Fifty from their agency just as their careers were set to take off, has made headlines in South Korea.
While idols mired in legal disputes with their agencies would usually enjoy the support of their fans, public opinion for Fifty Fifty in this case has firmly soured. #PopVultures host Jan Lee examines why, in this episode.
S1E6: How an 'Andy Lau obsession' drove a father to suicide
Season 1 · Episode 6
Friday, August 25, 2023 • Duration 42:35
It can be traced back to his daughter's lifelong fixation with the Hong Kong movie star.
Synopsis: Can I Tell You Something Crazy is a new scripted series under the #PopVultures banner, which examines with fresh eyes, events that shook Asian media and entertainment.
In March 2007, Hong Kong movie star Andy Lau attended a joyous event organised by Andy World Club, his official fan club. There, he played games, chatted with fans and took photos - including one with Yang Lijuan, a Chinese fan who had travelled from her hometown of Gansu province in China to meet her lifelong idol.
Everything seemed fine. But just a day later, Yang Lijuan's father - a retired schoolteacher named Yang Qinji - threw himself into the sea and left behind a 3,000-word suicide note addressed to Lau. In it he wrote: “Andy Lau, your heart is black, you have no conscience. You are worse than a dog.”
What had world-famous film star Lau done to incur such wrath from a humble schoolteacher in China?
In this episode of Can I Tell You Something Crazy, #PopVultures host Jan Lee revisits the most infamous "fan" in China - Yang Lijuan. Her father burnt through his savings, sold their family's house and eventually took his own life, all to support his daughter's lifelong, unhealthy fixation with Lau.
This is not just a story of one of the most extreme and tragic examples of what celebrity obsession can lead to, it is also a cautionary tale - about the incredible power the media wields and the incredible damage it can inflict.
S1E77: Why are writers and actors in the US on strike?
Season 1 · Episode 77
Friday, July 28, 2023 • Duration 34:17
This marks the first time since 1960, that both labour unions representing writers and actors, are on strike together.
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene.
Despite the double summer blockbuster of Barbieheimer - which brought in the fourth largest weekend box office of all time - Hollywood is currently at a standstill. Amid deteriorating working conditions and salaries that have failed to keep pace with rising inflation, the writers and actors of America are on strike.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA), who write for television, went on strike in May against the major studios, networks and streamers that form the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) followed in July, going on strike having failed to reach a fair deal with the AMPTP.
This marks the first time since 1960 that both labour unions have been on strike together. In this episode of #PopVultures, host Jan Lee runs down the reasons why both unions are on strike, why it is unlikely to end anytime soon and how this double strike will affect audiences around the world.
Highlights (tap/click above):
1:19 What is the WGA, SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP?
3:34 How is Hollywood affected when the unions go on strike?
7:19 Why are the unions on strike? Their demands and how long might the strike last
23:10 How are viewers affected?
28:20 Some exceptions to the strike and the meaning of “scab”
Follow #PopVultures Podcast episodes here every month:
S1E76: A recap of the #MeToo wave in Taiwan
Season 1 · Episode 76
Friday, July 14, 2023 • Duration 52:19
Explore the emergence of an unprecedented #MeToo movement in the Taiwanese entertainment industry.
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene.
The Taiwanese entertainment industry has been rocked by an unprecedented #MeToo wave, where sexual assault and harassment allegations have been levelled at several prominent celebrities, including hosts Mickey Huang and Blackie Chen as well as boy band Fahrenheit member Aaron Yan.
In this episode, #PopVultures host Jan Lee discusses how and why this reckoning on sexual assault unfolded in Taiwan, recapping some of the major names who have been accused with particular focus on Huang, Yan and Chen.
Highlights (tap/click above):
2:35 The Taiwanese drama Wave Makers that kickstarted its #MeToo wave
8:00 The downfall of Taiwanese host and comedian Jeffrey Hsu Chieh-hui
10:30 Mickey Huang admits to sexual harassment and the 23-minute video tirade he went on
20:00 Aaron Yan accused of filming sex videos of his 16-year-old ex-boyfriend without consent
30:27 Blackie Chen being accused of workplace sexual harassment in two instances
46:02 Final thoughts
Produced by: Jan Lee (janlee@sph.com.sg), Paxton Pang and Penelope Lee
Edited by: Penelope Lee
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S1E5: Lawsuit that broke K-pop boy band TVXQ in half: Can I Tell You Something Crazy?
Season 1 · Episode 5
Friday, June 30, 2023 • Duration 55:15
Revisit the watershed 40-month legal dispute between SM Entertainment and former TVXQ members, thathas seen a repeat attempt by three EXO members recently.
Synopsis: Can I Tell You Something Crazy is a new scripted series every month under the #PopVultures banner, which examines with fresh eyes, events that shook Asian media and entertainment.
In 2009, the five-man K-pop boy band TVXQ were on top of the world. Their fourth album Mirotic was the best-selling album of 2008 in South Korea, with over half a million copies sold, while the hit title track Mirotic swept wins at awards shows and gained fans around the world.
With 800,000 fans in their Korean fan club - the most of any K-pop group at the time - and 200,000 fans in their Japanese fan club, TVXQ were superstars. As one of the earliest breakout K-pop groups of the Hallyu wave in the early 2000s, they were the first Korean act to headline a concert in Malaysia and the first Korean group invited to perform at the Japanese New Year's Eve music programme Kohaku Uta Gassen.
But everything came to a halt in July 2009.
At the peak of their popularity, three members of the group - Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun and Xiah Junsu, who would later come to be known as JYJ - sued their management agency SM Entertainment and asked to be let go from their contracts. But fellow members U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin, insisted on staying with the company, splitting the group's considerable fandom in two.
Hot on the heels of the recent attempt by three members of another SM Entertainment group - Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin of EXO - to terminate their contracts with the company, #PopVultures host Jan Lee revisits the watershed 40-month legal dispute between SM Entertainment and former TVXQ members.
With the help of K-pop scholar and senior lecturer at Macquarie University Dr Thomas Baudinette, she examines the aftershocks the case left on the industry, which can still be felt even today.
Produced by: Jan Lee (janlee@sph.com.sg), Paxton Pang, Eden Soh and Penelope Lee
S1E75: Unpacking the Johnny & Associates sexual abuse scandal
Season 1 · Episode 75
Friday, May 26, 2023 • Duration 51:26
Allegations about the prominent Japanese talent agency first date back to the 1980s.
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood scene.
#PopVultures host Jan Lee examines the major sexual abuse scandal surrounding J-pop boy band agency Johnny & Associates, known for producing groups such as Arashi and Smap as well as the younger, million-seller groups like Snow Man and SixTones. Former idol trainees at the 60-year-old company have come out to accuse the agency's late founder Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019, of a consistent pattern of sexual assault.
Kitagawa's niece - Julie Keiko Fuijishima, the current president of the agency - has apologised in light of the snowballing allegations, which first date back to the 1980s, though she did not acknowledge the veracity of these claims.
In this episode, Jan - a long-time Arashi fan, gives a background on Johnny & Associates, who Kitagawa is, and recaps the events that have happened in the current news cycle about the allegations.
She shares why these allegations, which first surfaced some 40 years ago, went ignored by mainstream Japanese media for as long as it did. She also discusses her own feelings as a long-time fan of the talents produced by Johnny & Associates.
Highlights (tap/click above):
4:05 What Johnny & Associates is, how the agency works and who Johnny Kitagawa is
9:56 A recap of key events that have happened in the current news cycle about Kitagawa's sexual abuse, from a BBC documentary to a public statement from the company's most veteran talent Noriyuki Higashiyama
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