Forumosa.com on ICRT!

Fair enough – they have to consider the Nielson ratings, which don’t ask foreigners for their opinions. That makes their target audience Taiwanese (although Rick explained that he is aiming his morning show more at expats, for one thing because he doesn’t speak much Chinese.)

But if that is the case, then ICRT et al. (OK, Jeff-u) should honor Forumosa’s target audience, which is foreigners. We don’t prevent non-foreigners from participating, but that is not who the site is set up to serve. We may not have ad revenues to consider, but if a forum loses its core audience, it either metamorphoses into something completely different, or it dies. (Witness Tea$hit’s difficulties of late – what’s up with that??)

Yeah, I heard the end of the show and was a bit surprised to hear Jeff Locker – especially when he steered the conversation into his nonsense about “bitching about Taiwan” or whatever. Professionalism sure took a jump out the window on that one and props to the moderators for refusing to rise to his crude and childish baiting attempts.
And what about all that TOTAL BULLSHIT about “foreigners bitching about Taiwan in pubs.” Has this guy never been in a pub in any other country? What do people talk about there? Yeah, Jeff. Just like us, they bitch about work, the government, their neighbours, traffic, etc. Its called venting. That’s V-E-N-T-I-N-G. Are you seriously suggesting that we should be forbidden from complaining – or as you so PROFESSIONALLY put it, “bitching” – unless we’re prepared to go on some third-rate monkey show on TV?
Jeff, you behaved like a peevish, childish boor this morning, which was made even more obvious by the fact that your guests did not.

Jesus, what a repulsive thought.
The thing that really hit home with this deal today was the almost bottomless pit of the lack of professionalism displayed at ICRT. Run and staffed by people out of touch, and with a very shallow talent pool, ICRT is the worst it has been in the last 20 years.
Is there a boss that heard or was informed of Jeff’s bleatings? His rudeness, arrogance and unprofessionalism? Clearly he belongs in a classroom of five-year-olds where he better fits in and not in the public eye where his biggest concern is to swell his own head.

Well, I agree that it would have made a much better interview had Rick been on the site before and known a little bit about it, but then again he does not have a producer for his show, and he has to do everything from booking the guests, making sure they show up, preparing questions, etc. etc., and we’re only one day out of his week, so I guess I can spare him some sympathy. He doesn’t have a computer at home, either, which probably complicates things some. Plus my impression of him both on-air and off is that he’s a really nice guy and he really did do his best to present us in a positive light. The repetitions were because different people tend to tune in at different times throughout the morning. I also enjoyed chatting with Jacques, who was charming and professional throughout.

Jeff-u’s “contribution” IMHO was inappropriate and unnecessary, and did nothing at all either for ICRT’s professional image or my own personal estimation of Jeff-u’s professionalism or academic preparation. Normally I would say to someone like that, “Well, let’s have a cup of coffee somewhere and you can show me your books and explain to me about them,” but somehow I don’t think that would have worked out very well in this case. :shock: But if he PMs me and invites me… :laughing:

You’ve gotta respect the guy for leveraging and maximizing profit, though. That’s the way you make big money in Taiwan: take a certain degree of name recognition (whether through being a media personality, a well-known teacher in a well-regarded school, etc.) and then develop spin-off products (buxiban classes, books, tapes, videos, T-shirts, action figures…) I was quite disappointed to see that “www.jeff.com.tw” is NOT his site, however, but perhaps “jeffu.com.tw” is still available?

Unfortunately I remembered to plug my phone into ICRT on the way to work this morning, and was treated to some wanker having a go at a couple of very smart and reasonable types about “people bitching”.

Mate, as you claim to read what we say about you, let me simply let you know that I’m really amazed you have any fans at all. How can someone so unforgivably rude and self-centred dare criticize others? You’re just upset that some of us don’t like your show, or excuse for a radio station, and have decided to get all upset on Taiwan’s behalf in retaliation.

As I’m not counted in your audience figures my view obviously doesn’t count so I won’t say any more. But I will be taking Brian’s advice and getting my phone fixed so I don’t have to hear such crap ever again.

Oh, and I’m not hiding behind a fake name either. TMWC is something that I have been known as for years, and I’m game to place my private phone number here if you are.

chris

I didn’t listen to the entire show, but I did hear the segment near the end that featured Locker and IronLady. Of course, listening to it on the radio, I wasn’t privy to what was said off-mic, but I thought IronLady handled herself very, very well. After Locker finished with what was basically a rant, IronLady first disarmed him with a compliment and then proceeded to answer his main concern directly and firmly, but without the same kind of scatterbrained defensiveness that he displayed. She spoke with great clarity and professionalism.

Yeah, Jeff Locker, you just may be a tosspot afterall. Of course I was cordial to your face, but afterwards it occurred to me how UN professional you actually were barging in with your little song and dance. You certainly won’t make many friends in the foreign community, but then again, me thinks that won’t matter a bit to you, oh ‘Mr. Let me take it upon myself to bridge the gap’.
Phoooey! :frowning:

Compliments to Jacques, and to Rick Monday. Rick seems like he needs to uh, to stay in more! Great hair colour, Rick… bit brassy, but…

I didn’t get much chance to speak because those two , the lady and the man, had it all wrapped up, it seems. I think they were all a bit afraid of what I might say and so I was never invited back to the mike. I did feel like a complete dimwit. Too bad muffin wasn’t there to be a dimwit with me. You should have seen how gus scurried off…
:wink:

[quote=“Alien”]Yeah, Jeff Locker, you just may be a tosspot afterall. Of course I was cordial to your face, but afterwards it occurred to me how UN professional you actually were barging in with your little song and dance. You certainly won’t make many friends in the foreign community, but then again, me thinks that won’t matter a bit to you, oh ‘Mr. Let me take it upon myself to bridge the gap’.
Phoooey! :-([/quote]
When I posted that Locker was being rude to guests when he filled in for Joseph Lin, he replied that he had been having “a bad day.” Locker, was today one of those bad days? Or is this just a bad month? Really, there must be a way for us to help you have good days. After all, it helps none of us if our bridge between the West and Taiwan is unhappy.

I’m surprised that a topic about ICRT is of sufficient interest to posters here to have run to six pages.

Nah, It’s just Formosans “bitching about Taiwan” again. :slight_smile:

About Mr. Locker bitching about our bitching. My 15+ years here gives me every right to bitch about something if I want to. That being said, I always try to find positive things about Taiwan also.

Mr. Locker, you have no right to judge me if I want to rant, vent, or bitch about Taiwan.

What irks me is his arrogant assumption that his “Asian Studies” degree from Yale gives him some sort of special insight into the workings of the Taiwanese mind that others of us aren’t privvy to. I had degrees in Chinese Language & Literature and East Asian Religions before I came here, and that didn’t make me any more knowledgeable than anyone else, except for making me realize that I had A LOT more to learn. I think there are people on this forum that are far more knowledgeable than him.

Any respect I had for Jeff after reading his posts on the “Jeff-U” thread was obliterated after listening to him on ICRT this morning.

Ironlady handled herself magnificently. Jeff-u came on with some crap along the lines of “I’m actively bridging the gap between Taiwan and the west, but all you at Forumosa are doing is bitching and whining.”

All in all, it came across as extremely unprofessional. You could feel the tension level rising as Jeff yammered on and on without giving either Maoman, Ironlady, or the host a chance to speak. Rick Monday was gracious, but he should have stepped and taken back control of his own show. Thanks to Ironlady for taking the high ground and effectively addressing Jeff’s bitching about the bitching on Forumosa.

That is funny! He can’t be under the impression that he’s the only one of us to have had an interest in this side of the planet before coming here… can he?

That is funny! He can’t be under the impression that he’s the only one of us to have had an interest in this side of the planet before coming here… can he?[/quote]
You’d be surprised what someone who is so caught up in themselves can delude themselves into believing …

What I find particularly insulting is that he claims to be the representative, demi-god, or whatever of the “foreign community” here, while at the same time pulling the crap he did today which only serves to alienate and severely piss off the people he is supposedly “representing.” I think Ironlady should’ve drop-kicked him.

Well thank goodness for Jeff! All I can say is that it seems to be a toll bridge. Cha-ching!

Hey, someone has to be a toll bridge between the cultures, har har.

I thought Jeff came on a little strong this morning. That being said, some of the comments (both on and off-air) from “our” side this morning were, while not exactly inaccurate, less than gracious. Considering the fact that we were guests at ICRT, I would have thought that tact would have dignified us more than spite. I can’t get too worked up about it, though. It seemed like petty squabbling, and who wants to get caught up in that?

I would personally like to see a transcript of it, but I don’t think 100% graciousness is really required when you’re invited somewhere and then attacked by a loose cannon.

Oh please! Before Formosa posted about this guy’s book, how many people here had even HEARD of him? He’s known to his listening audience – schoolies and 20-something office ladies. He’s hardly famous, even by Taiwan’s “tiny fish bowl” version of “famous.” Unless you think that occasional performing monkey slots on the Jacky Show is the equivalent of “fame.”

Hahaha!

Nope. Never heard of the guy.

I am now given to understand that he has a show which is aimed at people other than me, and good for him. I think it’s great that people have places where they go and feel important. I mean like I’ve got over one thousand guanxi dollars at the world famous forumosa. I love being a big wheel here, and who cares if I’m fantasising?

I’ve never read the Jeff-u thread and am not likely to. It’s not important to me. But it does matter to me that some tosser can walk in on my friends and start abusing them in public when they are supposed to be guests of his organisation.

Why doesn’t he just go and laugh at us on his show, and avoid all this unpleasantness? Wanker, wanker, wanker. I’ll say it again. Jeff is a wanker.

Maoman’s voice is kind of sexy, don’t you think? I think he should be the DJ next time, and Rick can learn about the site by being a moderator.