I never thought the day would come I’d like Ariel Lin.

I don’t like… like her as much as I like let’s say Arashi, Jay Chou and my OTP. Those three are my only fandoms.

What I mean is, I don’t dislike Ariel anymore… that much.

My disliking her is more personal and offscreen more than onscreen. I haven’t watched any of her dramas except It Started With A Kiss, that I failed to finish.

But if I’ll come to really think about it, she is someone I’d typically admire. She has a degree in literature, she likes arts, and most recently, I agree with what she did, protesting the way the media creates unnecessary scandals and complaining about the inhumane conditions in Taiwan’s TV industry. Whether she made these protests as publicity for her new drama is beside the point. The fact that she can speak out against the media–which can be vengeful–and the television industry in general, is worth noting of. This, especially when majority of stars would rather just suck it up and suffer (while bitching privately) and accept the scandalous nature of the industry in selling the drama. I absolutely abhor that system but I abhor more those stars who allow themselves to be “victims” of scandals in order to get publicity, even at the expense of their reputation. It’s akin to selling their soul so they could gain the world. And for what? For fleeting fame that won’t even give them everlasting happiness.

Ariel’s blog on September 2 has created quite a stir.

Here are some translations from AF:

從四月中開拍至今，依晨再次投入了睽違近三年的電視劇拍攝工作，曾經非常習慣的工作環境，依然熟悉，只是手術過後的我，似乎不再如十年前那樣的適應。此時我說的適應，並不是心態上的，而是身體狀況方面。簡單說，台灣的影視戲劇工作環境一直都不佳，超時工作的情況一直都很嚴重，很多制度也一直都不健全，使得“拍戲”這份工作無論幕前幕後都顯得艱困重重。這個部份也不贅述了，重點是︰已經做了十年這樣工作的我，真的覺得大半時間都工作12~18小時(有時甚至更多或日夜顛倒)，每天下工後殘餘的精力僅足夠我卸妝、洗頭、洗澡，看一下明天拍攝的劇本後和家人道聲「晚安」(or「早安」——″)即倒頭大睡的生活，真的不是我接下來十年或更多日子，想要完全拷貝的模

Since mid April to present, I have assumed work involving filming of series that I last undertook over three years ago. In a working environment that I was once very accustomed to, it will appear that after the operation, whilst still very familiar to me, I am unable to adapt with ease as I could a decade ago. What I mean by “adapt”, I do not mean emotionally in this context, but rather physically. To put it simple, the filming environment in Taiwan has never been the best. Overwork and an unhealthy work pace has always been a big issue, contributing to both on and off screen obstacles. I won’t elaborate more on this, but the main point is: after working in this environment for ten years, I feel that I spent half my time working 12-18 hours a day (sometimes even more and often reversing day and night). Each day after returning home from work, I would only have energy to take off my make-up, shower, look at the scripts for the next day’s shoot, say good night (or good morning) to my family and then collapse in utter exhaustion into deep sleep. This type of lifestyle is really not the blueprint that I want to follow in the next ten years or longer.

Side note: It’s not only in Taiwan where this working environment persists though. It happens in South Korea (as evidenced by the recent case of Han Ye-seul and Spy Myungwol), the Philippines and Hong Kong. I’m not sure about Japan, but the point is, there is a need to provide a more conducive environment where artists and crew can work under better conditions. Perhaps establish a union like what they have in Hollywood to protect the rights of artists and workers.

至於先前某些媒體報導時使用「據傳…」、「疑似…」等不確定字眼來撰寫負面的新聞內容，我很誠摯地說：有任何“正確的”書面證明歡迎提出！若無力積德，也無須造業。一個人的名譽很有可能在你們下筆的那瞬間就被決定往哪個方向走了，我們也許需要花好長一段時間才能証明自己並非報章雜誌所述的那樣不堪！但，又何需証明?為何要証明?個人的財務狀況、婚姻狀況或身體狀況應該是最私密、最屬於個人隱私的部份，只要無關乎國家、社會的權益或安全，即使是公眾人物亦有權保留，更何況一個圈外人?!

With regards to certain media using “rumors has it…”, “suspicions…”, and other such uncertain terms to pen negative news content, I sincerely ask: “if there is proof please offer it to be ratified! Else don’t manufacture lies to sell stories.” A person’s reputation is set in a direction the moment you pen these thoughts, and we might need to spend a very long time to prove that we are not as depraved as per your descriptions. But then again, why should we have to prove otherwise? A person’s financial situation, marital status or physical wellbeing should be within a person’s right to keep private. As long as it does not affect national security, a societies’ rights and safety, even a public figure has the right to keep these matters private, let alone a person who is not in the entertainment industry?!?

Side note: I like how she used national security to drive home her point. Although I am also amused when stars invoke their right to privacy when something is inconvenient for them but when it will help boost their stock, they don’t have such reservations. I’m not saying that applies in Ariel’s case, but there are stars who enjoy the fame yet they don’t want to take the responsibility that comes with it, which is to avoid being caught in scandals if they don’t want their faces on Next magazine and Apple Daily. And then they lie in the end to get out of the sticky situation. So do they ever wonder why the media has to resort to “rumors” and “suspicions”? They can’t even be honest and yet they want fair treatment. Again, I’m not saying this applies to Ariel but I’m talking in general.

而某些記者近日下筆似乎也特別狠重，使用一些強烈暗示的不雅字眼在標題上，將一部尚未播出、全劇組嘔心瀝血爆肝之作如此糟蹋、抹煞眾人的辛苦付出，真的很令人不平！

Some reporters’ tone in recent articles has also been particularly malicious. The use of strong, indecent sexual insinuations in their article title has tarnished a series that has not yet been premiered, a series that is the culmination of a great deal of hard work by a group of top professionals. This is a slight on all the professional input by everyone in the cast which is very frustrating!

Side note: I can imagine her frustration and I bet other stars are also frustrated that in order to sell a drama, one has to resort to scandals to get noticed instead of relying on the strength of the project itself. It only goes to show that the Asian audience is not mature yet. But perhaps Ariel needs to be reminded too that many times before, she has been party to “malicious articles”. Two words: Joe Cheng. In order to sell their tandem, how many “malicious reports” have come out? She’s not exactly innocent on this, neither are many other artists. And for an audience, it also gets very frustrating for me to read cooked-up scandals that obviously are meant to sell the drama. So who’s to blame? The media? The networks who want them for ratings? The artists who allow themselves to be used this way? Or the audience for buying hook, line and sinker that two stars currently appearing in any given series are falling for each other and dating? If you’re to ask me, it’s sickening.

But Ariel still deserves some shoutout for doing what she did, especially deciding to quit doing TV dramas, which she hasn’t done in three years by the way. Idol dramas make the stars in Taiwan, not those films. But quitting while ahead of the game is always a wise decision. And quitting for love is worth the admiration.

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