The role of entertainers
Raymond Zhou China Daily  Updated: 2005-10-29 06:36

The dumbing down of China is on an inexorable course.

Recently, a German television show reported that China's television lacks educational programming.

No surprise here. China may be deficient in many things, but one thing it has in abundance is entertainment information. If you care to browse an urban daily or turn to most television channels, you would think that, instead of 100 million-plus migrant workers, we have 100 million entertainers.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against entertainment programming per se. On the contrary, I believe it serves a purpose in the grand scheme of things: takes pressure off our daily lives by turning our minds temporarily to trivia; satisfies our voyeuristic instincts; and provides us common topics for idle chat.

For a while in our history, entertainment was taboo. Thirty years ago, there were no movie-star posters; and 40 years ago, movie-star posters in cinemas had to be approved by the authorities. But when entertainment news resurfaced, it came back with a vengeance.

But proliferation does not breed professionalism. For all the avalanche of star gossip, much of it is thinly veiled public relations releases. Reporters are frequently paid off with red envelopes and are easily and willingly manipulated by celebrities of a certain status. Those with no access to big names, especially some local tabloids, routinely resort to fabricating stories out of thin air or do quick copy-and-paste jobs from online postings.

But who am I to complain about the low standard? Readers and audiences are devouring whatever is offered them. The target of these "products" is young adults, who tend to be gullible and in need of idols.

The job of an entertainer is to entertain. I don't mean to disparage, but they should not be looked up as gods. Because of ubiquitous exposure, which is built-in with the job, many are perceived as having halos around them.

Most fans grow out of this phase, but not some officials and authorities of prestigious universities. Therein lies the rub.

Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau made an appearance at Fudan University's centennial celebration. Granted, Lau is known for his versatility and has been somewhat of a role model, but he is not a Fudan alumnus, nor does he have any other association with the school. His "gig" did bring more coverage from the press, but the focus was on the star, not the school.

Peking University invites so many pop celebrities that, if you depend solely on website news, you'd be forgiven to conclude that this is not an esteemed institution of higher learning but a busy fan club.

I'm not so snobbish as to imply that entertainers should not be allowed as guest speakers. They have their areas of expertise, such as acting, singing and performing, and may well share their knowledge and insight with college students. But they are often pressed for deep thoughts on life, philosophy and other grand topics. In fact, schools use them more as baits of attraction than experts in their own fields.

Stephen Chow, the reigning king of comedy, has made his round of Beijing schools, but he admitted that he was aware of the ludicrousness of it all. Jet Li, who recently gave a lecture at Peking University, felt he was not qualified to speak there because he did not even have a primary-school education.

Besides administrators of top schools, county officials in remote areas are also among the star-struck. Some of them spend a big chunk of their annual revenues just to get a few stars to dress up an event, while oblivious to the widespread poverty still existing in their jurisdiction.

Singing and acting are professions. Just like others, a few of the practitioners make it big time, even fewer become role models and once in a blue moon, a national hero may emerge. Some mistake their public personas for their genuine selves. By elevating them beyond their capacity, such as giving them the task of college administration or enshrining them in textbooks, one is taking the fish out of the water - a disservice to both the fish and the fish consumer.

Let entertainers be confined to entertainment pages.

raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/29/2005 page4)