notice how matthew lien has the full blessing of the taiwan government in everything he does? his shows are all sponsored by the ministry of cultural affairs.
why? because he is what the TW government considers to be a "safe" forigner. he is in fact, a tool of their agenda, to create a numbed down, tree hugging, do what i say society.
matthew lien's music is for a niche market, which is fine- environmental sounds and songs of conscience are a good thing to relax to. but why does matthew lien have priviledges? why is he the darling of the ministry of cultural affairs?
my guess is that he is a culural trade from the Canadian government office in Taiwan. he promotes eco- tourism to canada, while building up the self esteem of taiwanese by living here and singing about the trees, the flowers, and the rabbit shit up on the mountain.
any foriegner trying to release a record in taiwan will meet up will stonewalling and excuses. it is almost impossible for one to get cultural venues to perform in taiwan, save the occassional underground pub.
so how did matthew lien do it? think about it.
As a foreigner, myself, who is also Canadian, let me say in all honesty that it isn't just the government here that does it. It is beyond me how the typecast that is preferred all over the island is set, be it for TV commercials (where the oh-so-tall foreigner in a business suit speaking absurdly good but far-too-mannered Chinese accompanied by his Taiwanese wife into the family home selling some household product), for talk shows (as guest host or simply a guest), or even just as a 1-minute interview subject about the latest changes in some Taiwanese law, etc.). Even the best English teaching jobs are taken up by such types, because they are preferred by managers, bosses, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs to your question of "why," the answer is simple, but it still won't help you or me, or anybody, really. It is because such types are clowns. They have the biggest noses, are the tallest foreigners, and are the ones who don't challenge anybody's preconceptions in the least. And imagination is the last thing anybody needs, of course.
However, I am not anybody, and for that matter, you probably aren't either, otherwise you wouldn't feel nagged by this question, nor would you be irritated by the apparent dumbness of why the least interesting and the most mediocre (particularly among foreigners) are the ones who are rewards) as opposed to the opposite situation.
thanks for reading! nah, the only thing i care about is the FACT that you have to be unchallenging, uninteresting, tall, and shallow minded other wise the taiwan public at large just can't get it.
ReplyDeletethis culture, i tell you, you can NEVER aim too low.
after 20 years in chinese culture, i found the answer to understanding them. just put yourself as base and shallow as you can and you have your AVERAGE chinese way of thinking.
the whole "5000 years of glorious history" is all bullshit. any improvements in chinese/taiwanese society have ALL been from the west, be it the dentist who fills cavities to the jeans, makeup, shirts,etc they wear. not ONE improvement in their lives has come from chinese culture, because it's an INTELLECTUAL DEADEND, practically a RECIPE for being mentally lost.