Reds-Hunting Watch: Scenes from the Thai Entertainment Industry
by Thorn Pitidol
While on the state's affairs front, CRES extends its emergency rule, and thus,
continues its special power to invite any suspect who threatens national
security (i.e. Reds) to stay under arrest or detention without warrant or
charge (see a post below: CRES has decided again).
What's happening within the Thai society is equally noticeable. The Thai
entertainment industry can perhaps provide a good reflection on this. Today,
I bring you some of the news from Thai media outlets, especially ones from
the ASTV-manager website, the cyber-homeland of the PADs. It's important
to note first that the news and comments on this website cannot represent
the whole picture of the Thai society. Still, the ASTV-manager website is
really famous among the Thai middle class, and the student abroad. In fact,
it's been the most popular Thai news website for the last 7 years (see the
stats here, http://directory.truehits.net/shownewsdetail.php?id=1109).
The entertainment section of the ASTV-manager website has been
instrumental to the web-site's popularity. I remember that 7-8 years ago,
when my friends and I just started using the internet to read news and
stories online regularly, most of us got to know www.manager.co.th through
its celebrities gossiping column called "Sor-Jed", which is famous for its
notorious and sexually-related contents. Nowadays, Sor-Jed is still there,
but the website is perhaps more popular from its association with the PAD.
And it has already been a while that the entertainment section of the ASTV-
manager website, and its readers, has been diligently performing the so-
called PAD's sacred task of Reds-Hunting.
This started from a story of a singer called Mint Mintita Wattnanakul (AF3), a
singer and actress, and a daugther of an actor Kovit Wattanakul.
Mint and her dad was accused of being "Reds" first in the "Sor-Jed" collumn.
And incidents during the Nataraja Award ceremony, the same ceremony
that Pongpat Wachirabunjong made his hugely famous (among the Thais)
speech "if you don't love the father, just get out of here", (please see the
video with English sub-title though the hyperlink, warning: plenty of scenes
with tears) made her life much worse. Her dad, Kovit, was spotted as
leaving the ceremony early, and was rumored to be leaving because of his
dissatisfaction with Pongpat's speech. And Mint was spotted as not being
able to sing His Majesty's Song "Kwam Fun Un Soong-Sud (The Highest
Dream)" while she was performing the song on the stage with other stars
for the ceremony (see min 7.50 of this video http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=OmvYxLDochI). Her response was that she did not have enough
time to prepare for this song, as she was informed of her role in the show
very late. Still, as a result of these incidents, Mint has been a subject of hot
debates among the Thais, and her controversial status already caused her to
lost a starring role in two TV dramas. She recently said "if I have lost all my
opportunities in the Thai entertainment industry, then I will go back to live
my life as a normal student".
In addition to Mint, even one of the all-time most popular singers in
Thailand, "Bird Thongchai McIntyre", is also affected from the accusation of
him being "Reds". Thongchai recently had to come out to refuse the rumor
that he supported the Red-shirt movement. Thongchai said "I have no color,
and I am loyal to the King". Some of the PAD supporters, however, do not
seem to believe him. I recently found him to be still on the list of Reds
supporters to be condemned) on this facebook page; "Please help spread the
words on the Reds' Evilness"
Now, let's come to a more recent event, a story of "Mark Thawkumlue",
a contestant in the present season of Academy Fantasia (AF7) show on
Truevisions.
Mark, a high-school boy from Chiangmai, was found to had criticised another
Mark who is the present Prime Minister on his facebook with something
equivalent to the F-word. Mark.T. rudely criticised Mark.A. (the PM) on his
facebook because he believed that Mark.A. should have resigned, and if
Mark.A. resigned, the protest would not have ended with the Reds' "fires".
This news, and the labelling of him being Reds, was spread through the
ASTV-manager website (see mark1), and there has been a huge pressure
on True AF (the organiser of Thai AF show) to expel him from the AF7 show.
True AF, however, decided to keep him, stating that he did not break any
of the show's rules. ASTV-manager continues to put pressure on Mark and
True AF by spreading another news that Mark.T. once posted his opinion on
his facebook saying that "...when will the picture be taken down from all the
houses" (see mark2). Interestingly, since all these news about him came
out in the Thai media, Mark's popularity on the show rose tremendously.
He has so far received the most popular votes, almost twice more votes
(17% versus 9.5%) than the second most popular contestant (see the AF7
website here).
Finally, the latest incident from yesterday (7th July 2010), the ASTV-
manager website posted a specific attack onBen Anderson's first genuine
genius Thailand has produced since 1960s, Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
The topic of the news posted on the ASTV-manager website read "Jei got
annoyed while on-air because he could not accept a different opinion on the
Red-shirts protest". Basically, the story presented is that Apichatpong (Jeoi)
was interviewed by the manager radio station (owned by ASTV), and was
asked by the DJs questions regarding the interview he gave after he received
the award in Cannes Festival. Apichatpong mentioned that he was simply
trying to explain the truth about Thailand to the foreign journalists, and it's
important for the Thais to be honest in saying things about the country, for
example, to accept that there is a large inequality in our society. Apichatpong
also stressed that it's important to accept that a class struggle is the root
of the present conflict, and the Thais should not see all the Reds as just
simply being "bought". At this point one the manager radio's DJs responded
by lecturing Apichatpong back that the Red-shirts movement has nothing
to do with the issues of class and inequality, and that Apichatpong has a
moral responsibility to help tell this truth to the Thai public. Apichatpong said
what he mention was just his view, and everyone should be able to express
their view. But the DJ argued back using the case of lies related to the Thai
King that some views cannot be withstand. Apichatpong responeded that
the such lies can be dealt with by the legal process, and asked the DJs that
he would like to end the interview there because he felt "terrible" and felt
he was "forced to wear a colored shirt". The comments posted on the ASTV-
manager website on this news is full of criticisms and contempts by the
readers on Apichatpong, for example, Jeoi, you are Reds that pretend to be
neutral; or Jeoi, you are so naive to relate the Red-shirts with class struggles
when it's all about Thaksin.
Like other countries' entertainment industry, the entertainment world can
be a bit surreal. But, certainly, it can also reflect a current taste of the
audiences.
by Thorn Pitidol
While on the state's affairs front, CRES extends its emergency rule, and thus,
continues its special power to invite any suspect who threatens national
security (i.e. Reds) to stay under arrest or detention without warrant or
charge (see a post below: CRES has decided again).
What's happening within the Thai society is equally noticeable. The Thai
entertainment industry can perhaps provide a good reflection on this. Today,
I bring you some of the news from Thai media outlets, especially ones from
the ASTV-manager website, the cyber-homeland of the PADs. It's important
to note first that the news and comments on this website cannot represent
the whole picture of the Thai society. Still, the ASTV-manager website is
really famous among the Thai middle class, and the student abroad. In fact,
it's been the most popular Thai news website for the last 7 years (see the
stats here, http://directory.truehits.net/shownewsdetail.php?id=1109).
The entertainment section of the ASTV-manager website has been
instrumental to the web-site's popularity. I remember that 7-8 years ago,
when my friends and I just started using the internet to read news and
stories online regularly, most of us got to know www.manager.co.th through
its celebrities gossiping column called "Sor-Jed", which is famous for its
notorious and sexually-related contents. Nowadays, Sor-Jed is still there,
but the website is perhaps more popular from its association with the PAD.
And it has already been a while that the entertainment section of the ASTV-
manager website, and its readers, has been diligently performing the so-
called PAD's sacred task of Reds-Hunting.
This started from a story of a singer called Mint Mintita Wattnanakul (AF3), a
singer and actress, and a daugther of an actor Kovit Wattanakul.
Mint and her dad was accused of being "Reds" first in the "Sor-Jed" collumn.
And incidents during the Nataraja Award ceremony, the same ceremony
that Pongpat Wachirabunjong made his hugely famous (among the Thais)
speech "if you don't love the father, just get out of here", (please see the
video with English sub-title though the hyperlink, warning: plenty of scenes
with tears) made her life much worse. Her dad, Kovit, was spotted as
leaving the ceremony early, and was rumored to be leaving because of his
dissatisfaction with Pongpat's speech. And Mint was spotted as not being
able to sing His Majesty's Song "Kwam Fun Un Soong-Sud (The Highest
Dream)" while she was performing the song on the stage with other stars
for the ceremony (see min 7.50 of this video http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=OmvYxLDochI). Her response was that she did not have enough
time to prepare for this song, as she was informed of her role in the show
very late. Still, as a result of these incidents, Mint has been a subject of hot
debates among the Thais, and her controversial status already caused her to
lost a starring role in two TV dramas. She recently said "if I have lost all my
opportunities in the Thai entertainment industry, then I will go back to live
my life as a normal student".
In addition to Mint, even one of the all-time most popular singers in
Thailand, "Bird Thongchai McIntyre", is also affected from the accusation of
him being "Reds". Thongchai recently had to come out to refuse the rumor
that he supported the Red-shirt movement. Thongchai said "I have no color,
and I am loyal to the King". Some of the PAD supporters, however, do not
seem to believe him. I recently found him to be still on the list of Reds
supporters to be condemned) on this facebook page; "Please help spread the
words on the Reds' Evilness"
Now, let's come to a more recent event, a story of "Mark Thawkumlue",
a contestant in the present season of Academy Fantasia (AF7) show on
Truevisions.
Mark, a high-school boy from Chiangmai, was found to had criticised another
Mark who is the present Prime Minister on his facebook with something
equivalent to the F-word. Mark.T. rudely criticised Mark.A. (the PM) on his
facebook because he believed that Mark.A. should have resigned, and if
Mark.A. resigned, the protest would not have ended with the Reds' "fires".
This news, and the labelling of him being Reds, was spread through the
ASTV-manager website (see mark1), and there has been a huge pressure
on True AF (the organiser of Thai AF show) to expel him from the AF7 show.
True AF, however, decided to keep him, stating that he did not break any
of the show's rules. ASTV-manager continues to put pressure on Mark and
True AF by spreading another news that Mark.T. once posted his opinion on
his facebook saying that "...when will the picture be taken down from all the
houses" (see mark2). Interestingly, since all these news about him came
out in the Thai media, Mark's popularity on the show rose tremendously.
He has so far received the most popular votes, almost twice more votes
(17% versus 9.5%) than the second most popular contestant (see the AF7
website here).
Finally, the latest incident from yesterday (7th July 2010), the ASTV-
manager website posted a specific attack onBen Anderson's first genuine
genius Thailand has produced since 1960s, Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
The topic of the news posted on the ASTV-manager website read "Jei got
annoyed while on-air because he could not accept a different opinion on the
Red-shirts protest". Basically, the story presented is that Apichatpong (Jeoi)
was interviewed by the manager radio station (owned by ASTV), and was
asked by the DJs questions regarding the interview he gave after he received
the award in Cannes Festival. Apichatpong mentioned that he was simply
trying to explain the truth about Thailand to the foreign journalists, and it's
important for the Thais to be honest in saying things about the country, for
example, to accept that there is a large inequality in our society. Apichatpong
also stressed that it's important to accept that a class struggle is the root
of the present conflict, and the Thais should not see all the Reds as just
simply being "bought". At this point one the manager radio's DJs responded
by lecturing Apichatpong back that the Red-shirts movement has nothing
to do with the issues of class and inequality, and that Apichatpong has a
moral responsibility to help tell this truth to the Thai public. Apichatpong said
what he mention was just his view, and everyone should be able to express
their view. But the DJ argued back using the case of lies related to the Thai
King that some views cannot be withstand. Apichatpong responeded that
the such lies can be dealt with by the legal process, and asked the DJs that
he would like to end the interview there because he felt "terrible" and felt
he was "forced to wear a colored shirt". The comments posted on the ASTV-
manager website on this news is full of criticisms and contempts by the
readers on Apichatpong, for example, Jeoi, you are Reds that pretend to be
neutral; or Jeoi, you are so naive to relate the Red-shirts with class struggles
when it's all about Thaksin.
Like other countries' entertainment industry, the entertainment world can
be a bit surreal. But, certainly, it can also reflect a current taste of the
audiences.
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