20 | Tuesday, December 3, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE

Fans of Godfrey Gao lay floral bouquets, photos and cards outside the filming location of Chase Me to mourn his death. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY A tragic reality

The death of model­actor Godfrey Gao on a shoot for a TV series has not only shocked the world, but exposed the high price of fame, Chen Nan reports.

he popularity of reality TV interviews, which usually lasted shows in China has sky­ about two hours. rocketed, with almost “By the time we returned to the every channel having its hotel, it was around 5 am and the Town series where celebrity pop preparations for the next episode stars, actors and models vie to started after lunch,” adds the assist­ increase their exposure, offering ant of a Taiwan singer, nicknamed their fans a chance to see them in Xiaobai, who featured in the reality real­life situations and share their TV show earlier this year. “It might thoughts online. be all shiny and happy on the sur­ Recently, the spotlight has again face, but the truth is that all of us fallen on reality shows for a far less were exhausted.” She adds that she glamorous reason — sparked by the felt lucky “because the show was untimely death of 35­year­old God­ about singing, and didn’t involve frey Gao. The Canadian model­ac­ any extreme sports”. tor, who was born in Taiwan, died Xiaobai notes that the temptation during the shooting of a reality show of reality TV shows is that they offer by Zhejiang Satellite TV in the early an easy way for celebrities to gain hours of a Wednesday morning in instant attention. Rising pop stars Ningbo, Zhejiang province. Godfrey Gao’s tragic death sparks heated debate over the exciting, sometimes dangerous, formats of popular reality shows which star celeb­ can expand their fan base, while vet­ The reality series Chase Me, is a rities, such as Keep Running (left) and Chase Me (right). WU MING AND ZHANG JIA / FOR CHINA DAILY erans can get in touch with fans competition­format show which through a new format. For the once­ premiered on Nov 8 and pits celebri­ popular idols, these shows can help ties against amateur contestants in contestants, such as Hong Kong So are these wildly popular shows rector Deng Chao, broke his right he found the show too physically them reconnect with the world of a variety of outdoor physical chal­ singer­actor William Chan and really as fun and as exciting as they arm during filming of the reality demanding, especially since filming showbiz. lenges, such as climbing high build­ actor Huang Jingyu, left the filming appear — or is there a more sinister series in Datong, Shanxi province. usually began at midnight and “Singers, actors and models — ings, endurance races and rope­ location shortly after the incident. side to them? The truth is shocking. One of the audience members didn’t finish until 6 or 7 am. everyone tries hard to show off their gliding. The death of Gao has not only In 2013, the 18­year­old assistant recalls the incident: “It happened “Reality shows have officially talent in their own field, but sudden­ According to a statement released stunned his fans, but the much wid­ to Chinese martial arts actor Shi around midnight and it was raining. reached the pinnacle of crisis,” says ly, reality shows bring all of them by Zhejiang Satellite TV, Gao suf­ er viewing audience, including Xiaolong died from drowning dur­ However, they didn’t stop shooting Wang Li, who has been involved together and despite their different fered a heart attack at about 1:30 am many actors and actresses who had ing the filming of Celebrity Splash, a even after Deng Chao slipped and with several reality TV shows, specialties, everyone has to compete on Nov 27 and was taken to a local collaborated with him in the past. reality show centered around diving injured himself”. including I am a Singer by Hunan physically in the show, like athletes. hospital. “It’s so sad to lose such a great competitions, also broadcast by On May 14, 2016, Taiwan actor Satellite TV. “Millions of people sit Does the audience really enjoy shows While the station said they “felt young man. Take care of yourself at Zhejiang Satellite TV. River Chen tore ligaments in his down after a long day of work and like this? It’s ridiculous,” commented extremely sad” and promised to work,” wrote Chinese actor­director The hit South Korean reality tele­ right knee after landing from a high watch their favorite reality shows, Chinese singer­songwriter Zhang “properly handle the aftermath”, the Xu Zheng on his Sina Weibo vision show Running Man, which jump while filming the reality show but what do they really have to Wei, whose quotes have been widely reality show received a wave of criti­ account, which has nearly 10 million began in 2010, gained a successful Race The World, produced by Jiang­ offer?” circulating online after people start­ cism for being too physically followers. Chinese remake under the name of su Satellite TV. She recalls that while filming I am ed to question the dark side of reality demanding, prompting fans of the Besides mourning Gao’s death, Xu Keep Running, which was launched According to reports, Chinese a Singer, she waited for hours before TV shows in the wake of Gao’s death. show to call for a halt in filming on also urged the TV station to take in 2014, again by Zhejiang Satellite actor­singer William Chan — one of shooting began at around 11:30 pm. social media platform Sina Weibo. responsibility for the safety of the TV. In April 2018, one of the contest­ the competitors in Chase Me — said After an hour’s filming, celebrities Contact the writer at According to reports, other celebrity reality show’s contestants. ants on the show, Chinese actor­di­ that despite working out every day, came to the media room to conduct [email protected] Cross­talk show angers fans with jokes about Peking Opera actresses

By CHEN NAN Chinese, combines several art highs and lows, creating a sentimen­ performers began to appear and forms, including singing, dancing, tal and subtle voice that often por­ attract audiences in the Tianqiao It was meant to be a happy show, martial arts and acrobatics. In 2010, trays virtuous female roles. area of the city. but when a video of a cross­talk, or UNESCO declared it an intangible The Society of Cheng School of Usually involving two performers xiangsheng, performance by Zhang cultural heritage of humanity. Peking Opera issued a statement on clad in traditional long robes stand­ Yunlei and Yang Jiulang circulated Zhang Huoding, 48, is one of the Nov 26, criticizing the cross­talk ing behind a wooden table and on Sina Weibo on Nov 23, it sparked country’s biggest Peking Opera hosts and demanded an apology. engaging in witty banter — though outrage among users of the Chinese stars. She once worked with the Chi­ “Many great cross­talk masters, there are also solos, trios or groups — social media platform because na National Peking Opera Company such as Hou Baolin and Ma Sanli, cross­talk performances entertain Zhang had joked about Peking and has performed in sellout shows have created classic works, some of and educate listeners with humor­ Opera actresses Zhang Huoding across the country, including a solo which combined the use of Peking ous conversations about troubled and Li Shiji (1933­2016). show at the Great Hall of the People Opera,” the statement said. “Zhang family relationships and social The show was recorded in Beijing in 2007. She is known for perform­ Yunlei has performed Peking Opera issues, among other subjects. Sing­ in May 2018 as part of the cross­talk ing the art of the Cheng School of pieces in his works, but if the pur­ ing, imitating, teasing and storytel­ duo’s national tour. During the per­ Peking Opera, a style founded by pose was for joking, we hope that he ling are four basic techniques used in formance, Zhang Yunlei made fun of Cheng Yanqiu (1904­58), one of the would stay away from the art form.” Chinese cross­talk. the names of Zhang Huoding and great Peking Opera masters of the On Nov 30, China Quyi Artists As a member of the cross­talk per­ the late Li by calling them dingding 20th century. Association also condemned that formance group Deyunshe, which and jiji respectively, which in Chi­ Like famous Peking Opera star the two comedians, saying their per­ was founded by Guo in 1995, Zhang nese are considered offensive Mei Lanfang (1894­1961), Cheng formance had negative effect on the Yunlei is one of the most popular remarks. He also joked that he once mastered the techniques of playing art form. performers in China. He has become took a shower with Zhang Huoding female roles. Now, Zhang Huoding Quyi, in Chinese, is a general term Zhang Yunlei at a performance in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, in a phenomenon with his fans, mostly because they were good friends. teaches at the National Academy of for traditional Chinese folk art November 2018. Zhang is in the middle of a scandal for joking about female, singing along with him dur­ Fans of the two stage actresses Chinese Theater Arts, one of the top forms, including ballad singing, sto­ Peking Opera actresses as part of his act. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ing his shows, with glowing light were offended. academies of traditional Chinese rytelling and cross­talk. sticks in hand, which is a scene usu­ One Weibo user wrote in com­ opera. “Quyi artists should have social ally seen at pop concerts. ments: “Peking Opera is a national Li Shiji was the adopted daughter responsibilities. Ethical obligations shan, Hebei province, in 1976; in Zhang Yunlei, 27, was born in Deyunshe is credited with reviv­ treasure and the artists are respect­ of Cheng and started to learn Peking cannot be violated,” the statement Wenchuan, Sichuan province, in Tianjin and started to learn cross­ ing cross­talk by giving sold­out ed. Your jokes are not funny.” Opera at age 12. She received per­ added. 2008; and in Yushu, Qinghai prov­ talk at the age of 11 with veteran per­ shows, enjoyed by young and old Another wrote: “Was that the only sonal training from the master and It is not the first time that Zhang ince, in 2010. This prompted many former Guo Degang. alike. joke you could think of? Think kept on the tradition of Cheng Yunlei’s performance has stirred people to respond online. The reac­ With over 150 years of history in So far, the cross­talk hosts have about ethics as an artist.” school’s singing style, such as fully controversy. He once joked about tion was such that Zhang Yunlei had China, cross­talk was first publically not commented publically on the Peking Opera, known as jingju in highlighting the contrasts of vocal three major earthquakes: in Tang­ to issue an apology on Weibo. staged in Beijing in 1862, when the controversy.