China celeb director detained & charged for prostitution scandal

Golden Bear Award (China’s equivalent to the Oscars/Academy Awards) winning movie director Wang Quan’an is in jail for messing around with prostitutes …
Celebrities can’t expect much leniency after sex scandals

Movie director Wang Quan’an was detained on charges of hiring prostitutes on Monday. The news caused quite a rumpus among the public. Some denounced Wang for his illegal act; some put forward an impractical proposition of legalizing prostitution, while others hyped Wang’s “virtue” of paying for sex rather than demanding sexual favors from unknown young actresses.

His detention has made big news in China, and the director will pay the price for his prostitution scandal in the long run. Some accused the police of being “unmerciful” with Wang. But prostitution is equally risky to everybody. Wang’s future depends on the public reaction. It remains to be seen how the public will treat him in view of the scandal and whether new films directed by Wang will be affected, and also whether his commercial value will be reduced.

Other entertainment industry celebrities who were detained on prostitution or drug charges faced the same challenges as Wang. They have had to endure public mockery, which has actually dealt such a heavy blow that audiences will hardly recognize them as they once were when they appear on screen again. This is more devastating than criticism and punishment. Chinese society has become more open and tolerant than before. But having good morals is still essential to entertainment figures in China.
Western celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Hugh Grant were embraced by fans again after they were hit by scandals, causing an illusion among Chinese entertainers that they could be as lucky as Bryant and Grant. However, Chinese entertainment figures are subjected to higher standards of morality than their Western counterparts.
Should China become more “tolerant” toward entertainment figures? If the public is still willing to see stars that have been involved in prostitution, gambling or drug abuse in movies or advertisements, then those stars will be only subjected to legal punishment. However, the fact remains that they will also be punished by the market to varying degrees. There are many sympathetic public voices for celebrities that have become embroiled in prostitution or drug abuse scandals. But the market rules are objective and ruthless.
In the process of marketization, for one thing, individuals have gained more choices and freedom; for another, social rules that they have to abide by have become clearer. If one breaches these rules, he or she must pay the price.

China’s fallen stars on the rise Sex and drug scandals expected to cast long shadow over careers and the industry
BEIJING: The prostitution scandal that has embroiled Golden Bear-winning director Wang Quan’an may cast a long shadow over the country’s entertainment industry, insiders say. The 48-year-old, who won the top award in Berlin in 2007 with Tu’ya’s Marriage, was allegedly caught by police having sex with a 31-year-old prostitute from Heilongjiang province on Sept 10 in a high-end downtown Beijing apartment, according to a Beijing Public Security Bureau statement.
The statement also alleges Wang, who’s from Shaanxi province, paid three women, including an 18-year-old, for sexual services from Sept 8 to 10. As millions of Chinese netizens expressed sympathy for Wang’s wife actress Zhang Yuqi, who was attending the New York Fashion Week at the time, a report on Wednesday by the Chengdu Economic Daily claimed that Wang may be asked to leave the China Film Director’s Guild (CFDG).
The report said the CFDG recently reiterated a proposal discouraging the employment of people in the industry who have been involved in scandals. The proposal, initiated by the CFDG and four comparable-level film industry associations, urges celebrities to “behave” and serve as role models. But film director and CFDG president Li Shaohong denied the report and accused the newspaper of misrepresenting comments she had made on her Sina Weibo micro blog. She warned the media against “kicking people while they’re down” and setting a “language trap” for her.
Wang is the latest of a dozen stars caught up in recent scandals amid the government crackdown on vice. The rising number of detained stars has become a hot topic on the Internet. Many people fear they will harm the entertainment industry’s image. Netizens have created viral spoofs, for instance, a mock poster for the fake film Prison on Fire, featuring celebrity detainees.
In it are Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee Chan and Taiwan-based actor Kai Ko, who were arrested for drug use, and actor Huang Haibo, who was arrested for visiting sex workers. Despite the derision, some industry insiders believe they should be given second chances. CCTV movie and TV news programme managing editor Tian Xiaofang said that Wang is a “nice and humble person” and it’s “hard to believe he hired prostitutes, since his wife is so young and pretty”. She believes the scandal may ruin his career.
Celebrity sociologist and sexologist Li Yinhe took to Weibo to point out the scandals beg the question of the size of China’s sex industry and if government measures have proven effective. But things seem likely to get worse before they get better for scandal-afflicted celebrities. Media report the industry regulator, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, has asked major broadcasters to “seriously consider” airing series featuring fallen stars. The official Xinhua News Agency says this will likely ban these celebrities from TV. — China Daily / Asia News Network

Moral of the story is … if you are a celeb in China, please don’t shit in your own backyard, please go fuck around in Korea or the Philippines … See the difference here: –