Don’t think I’ve heard either of those songs. Never liked Fleetwood Mac after Peter Green and as for Elton John … ‘aint my cup o’ tea at all, at all. 
Hope they got the translation right. The TV was translating "rude, vile pigs as bu shoufa de zhu, or scofflaw pigs, which isn’t quite the same. Also, I believe that “fuck off” is often translated as gan ni niang, when I think that a better translation would be qu ni de. Telling someone to fuck off, is rudely telling them to go away. Not quite the same as go fuck yourself…
Hope they got the translation right. The TV was translating "rude, vile pigs as bu shoufa de zhu, or scofflaw pigs, which isn’t quite the same. Also, I believe that “fuck off” is often translated as gan ni niang, when I think that a better translation would be qu ni de. Telling someone to fuck off, is rudely telling them to go away. Not quite the same as go fuck yourself…[/quote]
Yes, should be interesting on these words reverberate throughout Taiwan over the next few months. You are right, there is a good lesson here on the difference between FUCK YOU and FUCK OFF and just plain FUCK!.
And as for VILE, that is a good word for everyone to learn in Taiwan. They already know rude, and impolite and discourteous, I think. But VILE, that is a deep deep word that needs explaining.
I am sure Jacky Wu and Chang Fei and Margarita and all the other TV talking heads will be sounding off on these words soon, especially Jacky Wu.
There was one newspaper, APPLE DAILY, that said Sir John also said “SHIT TAIWAN.” I didn’t catch that. Did he really say that?
The sad thing is that with all the good vibes that President Chen offered the outside world last week with his GIO press conference with the UN Press Club, that was aired on CNN News and Diplomatic License show on CNN, and got good positive coverage … now this Elton John thing puts Taiwan back in the CAT IN THE HAT spotlight again — pols fighting, media screaming, island out of control (Taiwan is now a bonafide member of the IOOC).
Have there been any editorials or articles in the local Chinese papers here yet, criticizing the CKS media circus? Maybe it will lead to some reforms, such as when TV cameras go into jails and shoot suspects when they have not even been indicted or deemed guilty yet. That also must be outlawed here some day. Media gotta grow up and show some proper props here!
Other than that, I like the media here. They are spirited and passionate and they even stand in waist high water in floods for reports. One day someone will get electrocuted, but no mind. Mind the gap.
[quote=“lane119”]Maybe it will lead to some reforms, such as when TV cameras go into jails and shoot suspects when they have not even been indicted or deemed guilty yet. That also must be outlawed here some day. Media gotta grow up and show some proper props here!
[/quote]
It might be nice if the stopped being let into ER rooms to harrass realatives of trauma incidents, and wouldn’t it be nice if just once in a while the police managed to do a major bus without the media just happening to be around.
[quote=“butcher boy”][quote=“lane119”]Maybe it will lead to some reforms, such as when TV cameras go into jails and shoot suspects when they have not even been indicted or deemed guilty yet. That also must be outlawed here some day. Media gotta grow up and show some proper props here!
[/quote]
It might be nice if the stopped being let into ER rooms to harrass realatives of trauma incidents, and wouldn’t it be nice if just once in a while the police managed to do a major bus without the media just happening to be around.[/quote]
Right! There should be a code of ethics, regulations, yes, about media entry to detention rooms, hospitals, trauma sites, airports, hotels, etc., where there is better line drawn between media and subjects in the news. They will learn. They could call it the Elton John Rule.
But some local journalists’ association has got to do it. Do they have journalists associations here? Or is it all press clubs and city hall pack journos? Oh, and the odd press release hand out.
Wow, here’s how the local Chinese language media is reporting it:
TEXT:
British rock star Elton John arrived in Taiwan early Wednesday morning, but the rock star already had a rocky start with the media at the airport. The superstar didn
I suppose we could summarize it this way: Both sides acted like idiots again.
I guess today would be a good day for the government to release some bad news. (Where have we heard that before!?)
The whole thing was a set up. The police were paid to stay away. Normally stars get driven from the hotel car park right onto the apron beside the plane and customs/immigration formalities are handled on the plane. The press knew it could get a rise out of Elton’s hangover and you can bet he was assured there’d be no press there. Hence the ensuing profanorama.
The news reports I saw seemed to vary between “qu ni de” and “X ni ma.”
And of course the media aren’t going to report this critically - after all, who would the be criticizing again? That’s right, themselves. And that ain’t going to happen.
The concert was great. I enjoyed myself and even inspired people to stand up and dance. A guy came down and handed me a beer because he enjoyed my dancing. I forgot how much I love his music. I mean I already knew I liked it or else I wouldn’t have gone, but I really forgot how much I love it. Dancing in the rain with Elton John pounding on the piano a few hundred feet away…Ah heaven.
Was it just me or was there no restriction on videotaping the venue? No one certainly seemed to be checking whether or not people had cameras. The only official person I saw was the guy who took my ticket at the big rush when hundreds of people were still standing in line to enter at the beginning of the show and he was too busy to even see what I looked like, let alone what I was carrying. I fully expect to see the whole thing on VCD in Shihlin Night Market by Sunday. If it’s not there, I will be utterly disappointed with the Taiwanese for not living up to the expected.
And to the foreigner couple who insisted on jumping the queue and then being assholes about it at the MRT station, I echo Elton John’s sentiments. :upyours:
So much for the Naruwan thing, eh?
Tempo wrote:
I am not surprised that someone who has been to 60 countries and been a superstar for over 30 years calls the media in Taiwan pigs. They certainly are, but my point is that Sir John should have been expecting this and risen above it as a professional.
Look, if you go to India and are taken to eat a thali meal and you are shocked at having to use your hands to eat and start calling the people vile pigs, then you just didn’t get it.
I am not being an apologist for the media here, they are awful, but seasoned billionaire entertainers ought to comport themselves with a modicum of grace.
Skyline Pigeon is OK from that eariest period, but to be frank, most of that stuff from the Empty Sky album is crap with potential (at the time it was released in 1973).
Here is the first verse of the song:[quote]Turn me loose from your hands, you vile pigs
Let me fly to distant lands…fuck
Fuck off over green fields, trees and mountains
Flowers and forest fountains, the worst I have ever seen
Home along the lanes of the skyway, you vile pigs[/quote]
I don’t agree. He’s a singer. He’s not in some kind of position of public responsibility. In a nutshell, he doesn’t have to take that s***.
Not an apt comparison. One is a cultural tradition, the other is plain unbridled indecency, for the sake of a buck, and rudeness.
Wasn’t very gentleman-like. But Elton John is more an artist than a gentleman, so speaking his mind takes priority.
I’d like to see Wesley Willis come do a concert in Taipei and have one of his schizo fits in the CKS airport. “Mother Fvcker! Assh0le! Suck my dog’s d1ck”
http://www.monzy.org/wesley/
That would give the media everything they’re looking for - and they could sell a whole lot of newspapers…
Sorry to get back to the topic of the concert, but has anyone taken pics there? We didn’t bring our camera because of the rain and because we expected some form of security checks (none whatsoever!!), would be nice to have a couple of pics as a souvenir, if anybody could post some here??
On the media: there was a slight fuck-up in our section where they had incorrectly labelled the seating, leaving out two rows in the front (so everybody had to goback two rows, not great but also not a big deal!!). This was section C, so we were about 50m from the stage anyway. A couple of rather excitable fellow-patrons made a fuss and started yelling at the helpless girls passing for the security/org team, and it didn’t take 5 minutes before no less than two camera crews were there filming (I was hiding behind my 7-11 rain poncho …) and interviewing people about this non-event of mis-labelled seats … these guys are desperate!!
The news reports I saw seemed to vary between “qu ni de” and “X ni ma.”[/quote]
The subtitles I was were gun dan or maybe gun kai. It there was an X is was in place of
肏
Did anyone here Elton say the words “fucking country”.
My wife swears she heard him say this at the airport, on telly. I saw the viddy, and he doesn’t. Did he say it in some footage I didn’t see?
Brian
[quote=“Bu Lai En”]Did anyone here Elton say the words “fucking country”.
My wife swears she heard him say this at the airport, on telly. I saw the viddy, and he doesn’t. Did he say it in some footage I didn’t see?
Brian[/quote]Robbie Williams said that a few years ago, it so easy to get those 2 confused. Check out my other post, whereever it is.
It was Robbie Williams that said “Fucking country” - as in “I’m just trying to get into your fucking country.” Elton said no such thing. But again, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the local Chinese-language media is distorting and outright lying about it. After all, he did tell them to fuck off.
Ah! 
Brian 1 : Wife Nil
Brian
Bu Lai En,
Off-topic: Are having one of those Foreigner vs. Taiwan discussions that turned into personal argument with your wife??
I’m glad I’m not the only one.
Yes, I think he said something like that when the reporter asked him to leave Taiwan.