Is It Hard For Chinese Celebs In Showbiz? FIR Member Real & Kenji Wu Have Opposite Views

Taiwanese artist and NINE PERCENT member Evan Lin (林彦俊) is the latest idol to join the long string of scandals. Evan was recently seen heading to a hotel with a girl on his birthday. As it is a big no-no for idols, he got slammed online.

However, to netizens’ surprise, he was then defended by Real (阿沁,) a member of the orchestra group FIR (F.I.R.飞儿乐团). Real claimed idols had it hard, especially in this day and age. Needless to say, fans didn’t agree with his reasoning and were delighted to discover that Taiwanese artist Kenji Wu (吴克群) shares their same opinion.

Real apparently decided to air his opinion on 5th September, a while after Evan’s scandal went viral. In a now-edited post, he stated that: “It’s a pity that being an artist has always been an industry. How many unknown and unspoken rules and sacrifices have been behind the birth of an artist?” Real added that being an artist was not about being a chess piece nor a living fantasy for fans.

Although it appears Real may have been trying to garner sympathy, it supposedly backfired. Netizens retorted to Real’s post by digging up an interview Kenji Wu had done. In it, he had apparently discussed his thoughts about the entertainment industry. “After you have worked behind the scenes, (you will think that) artists should stop talking nonsense. (Being an artist) isn’t hard,” he reportedly said.

Kenji went on to explain that the staff usually had everything prepared before they showed up. This included details like the lighting and props. “You come on and perform for five minutes, then you can leave,” he said solemnly. “How much time did the staff behind the scenes take to prepare all this? And afterwards, it will take longer to do the post-production (work).”

He also gave an example of an actor, Huang Xuan (黄轩), who once came on set for 45 minutes. “Everyone thought he was cool,” Kenji said. “(But), if you are (working) for 45 minutes, the staff will be (working) for 2 hours.” He added that the entertainment industry requires a lot of hard work. “But those who work on digging roads work even harder,” he stressed.

Well, Real has since edited his post, saying it was poorly worded and therefore caused a misunderstanding. “I only meant that: Artists may show their brilliance on stage, but there are many unknown sacrifices behind them. They are at a disadvantage when it comes to (the industry),” he clarified. Evan too has apologised for his latest scandal.

Regardless of their response, netizens were still touched by Kenji’s words. Many pointed out that he was a “sensible artist” who could “sing well and speak well”. Others urged those artists who complained about their jobs to watch the video.

Watch Kenji’s clip here:

Sources: Xuan, Weibo (1)(2)(3), YouTube